Reason code

American Express reason code F30 applies when a counterfeit card was used for a transaction at a terminal that was not EMV chip-enabled. Due to the EMV liability shift, merchants without compliant chip-reading technology may be held financially responsible for counterfeit fraud.

This dispute type typically occurs when a magnetic stripe card is swiped instead of read via chip, and later determined to be counterfeit. If the merchant’s terminal wasn’t EMV-capable—or if the chip was bypassed—liability for the chargeback may fall to the merchant.

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If the transaction was processed correctly or the card wasn’t counterfeit, provide supporting evidence:

• Submit terminal logs or transaction records showing chip usage or fallback procedures
  
  
• Include any documentation that confirms card-present verification or approval
  
  

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Use EMV-compliant terminals to protect against counterfeit card liability:

• Upgrade all POS devices to support chip transactions and avoid fallback when possible

• Train staff to recognize chip-enabled cards and follow EMV processing best practices