What the cardholder is claiming
“The amount on my statement isn’t what I agreed to.”
Show the amount the cardholder approved and how it matches what was charged.
Evidence that wins a Discover AW chargeback
Start with the required items — they answer the claim directly. Recommended items make a borderline case stronger.
The amount charged was agreed Required
The receipt or order shows the cardholder agreed to the amount charged.
Pricing terms Recommended
Terms covering the final price (extras, taxes, currency).
Correspondence about the price Recommended
Anything confirming the amount.
How to respond to a Discover AW dispute
- 1
Check the due date in your processor’s dispute dashboard. Responses that arrive late lose, however strong they are.
- 2
Collect the required evidence: the amount charged was agreed.
- 3
Add what strengthens the case: pricing terms, correspondence about the price.
- 4
Write a short response that answers the cardholder’s claim point by point, and cite the exact document and page behind each point.
- 5
Combine it into one clean package and submit it through your processor’s dispute portal.
Why Discover AW chargebacks happen
- Taxes, shipping or fees added after the customer saw the total.
- A price changed between order and charge, or a manual keying mistake.
- Currency conversion made the statement amount look different.
How to prevent them
- Show the full, final total — tax, shipping and fees — before the customer pays.
- Send an itemised receipt with every charge.
- Get the customer’s written approval before charging a changed amount.
Discover AW chargeback FAQ
- What does Discover reason code AW mean?
- Altered Amount. The cardholder says the amount charged was altered from the amount they authorised.
- What evidence do I need to win a Discover AW chargeback?
- Required: the amount charged was agreed. Also strengthens your case: pricing terms, correspondence about the price.
- How do I respond to a Discover AW chargeback?
- Gather the evidence above, write a response that answers the cardholder’s claim point by point and ties each point to a document, and submit it through your processor’s dispute portal before the due date shown there. Chargeback Warden checks your evidence against the Discover AW checklist and drafts the cited response for you to approve.