Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0 (CE3.0)
What is Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0 (CE3.0)?
Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0 (CE3.0) is a Visa dispute rule that lets merchants fight fraud chargebacks filed under 10.4 (Fraud: Card-Absent Environment) by showing the disputed order matches a history of undisputed purchases from the same . Visa launched it in April 2023, and a qualifying submission either prevents the chargeback or shifts liability to the .
CE3.0 widened what counts as compelling evidence for card-absent fraud claims. Standard proves the single disputed order was placed and delivered. CE3.0 proves the relationship instead: data points from a previous undisputed transaction, matched against the transaction now being disputed. Subscription and repeat-purchase businesses are the natural fit, since the same cardholder returns through the same account, device, and IP address month after month.
Key facts
- Applies to: Visa chargeback reason code 10.4, Fraud: Card-Absent Environment
- In effect since: April 2023
- Evidence required: at least two data points showing a previous undisputed transaction with the same cardholder
- Qualifying data points: device ID or , account or login credentials, IP address, shipping address used for prior purchases
- Timing condition: the was completed at least 120 days after the first successful transaction with that cardholder
- Outcome when accepted: the chargeback is prevented, or liability shifts to the issuing bank
How it works
- Purchase history accumulates. Each successful order leaves a record of the device fingerprint, IP address, account credentials, and shipping address used at checkout.
- A 10.4 dispute is raised. The cardholder tells the issuer a card-absent charge wasn't authorized, and the claim is filed as fraud rather than as a service or delivery problem.
- The match is assembled. At least two of the four data points from a prior undisputed transaction are lined up against the disputed transaction, together with the 120-day timing condition.
- The evidence is submitted. Depending on the acquirer's setup, it goes in at the pre-dispute stage, where inquiries are answered before a chargeback exists, or in the dispute response after filing.
- The claim is re-evaluated. If the record meets Visa's requirements, the transaction no longer reads as fraud: the chargeback is prevented, or the loss moves to the issuing bank through a .
Why it matters
- Reason code 10.4 is where enters the system, because a cardholder who doesn't recognize a charge reports it as fraud. CE3.0 answers that claim with account history, which digital-goods merchants have, rather than delivery proof, which they don't.
- Fraud-coded disputes feed scheme fraud-monitoring counts as well as the chargeback total, so a case stopped under CE3.0 stays out of both.
- Recurring billing produces exactly the record the rule asks for. The same login, device, and address recur across billing cycles, so a long-running subscriber's dispute usually has two matching data points behind it.
- A is charged per case regardless of who wins, so a dispute blocked at the pre-dispute stage avoids a cost that a successful defense does not recover.
Common issues
- The history isn't retained. Device fingerprints and IP addresses are often captured for and discarded afterward, leaving nothing to match against months later.
- First purchases don't qualify. With no earlier undisputed transaction and no 120-day gap, the dispute falls back to standard compelling evidence.
- Guest checkout breaks the link. Without an account, repeat orders from the same person can't be tied to one another.
- One matching element isn't enough. The rule asks for at least two data points from the same prior transaction, so a device match alone fails.
- Only 10.4 is covered. Disputes filed under other reason codes follow their own evidence rules, whatever the cardholder's purchase history looks like.