What evidence wins a Discover AW altered amount dispute?

A document bearing the cardholder's consent to the exact settled amount: a signed receipt with matching total, a checkout confirmation showing the final price, or accepted terms authorizing the specific adjustment. Without consent evidence for the difference, expect to lose the disputed delta.

The customer authorized $80 but disputes the $95 we settled. Do I lose the whole transaction?

Usually not. AW disputes are typically limited to the difference between the authorized and settled amounts. Refund or concede the unsupported $15 and defend the $80 with the original authorization record.

Can shipping charges added after authorization trigger AW?

Yes, if the customer never approved a total that included them. Disclose shipping in the confirmed checkout total, or get explicit acceptance of terms stating the final freight amount will be added, and keep that acceptance record per order.

Discover · Processing Errors

Reason code AW: Altered Amount

The cardholder agrees the transaction happened but says the amount charged differs from the amount they authorized. Discover files AW when the settled figure does not match the receipt, quote, or agreed price. It commonly involves tips, currency issues, or post-authorization adjustments the customer never signed off on.

Issuer filing window

typically 120 days from the processing date

Merchant response window

typically 30 days to respond

Why AW chargebacks happen

A tip or gratuity was added or keyed incorrectly after the customer signed.
The final capture included shipping, fees, or an upsell that was not in the amount the customer approved.
A keying error at the terminal or in a manual order entry shifted a digit.
Currency conversion or dynamic currency conversion produced a settled amount the customer did not expect.
An order was modified after checkout, such as a substitution or quantity change, without capturing fresh consent for the new total.

How to fight a AW chargeback

Send the signed receipt, order confirmation, or contract showing the cardholder authorized the exact amount that settled.
If a tip adjustment is at issue, provide the signed tip line or the digital tip entry record.
Document any terms the customer accepted that permit the adjustment, such as disclosed shipping calculated at fulfillment.
Reconcile the authorization and settlement amounts in your response and explain any legitimate difference line by line.
If the amount truly was altered in error, credit the difference promptly and submit proof of the partial refund; Discover then limits the dispute to the corrected amount.

How to prevent AW chargebacks

Capture the final total, including all fees and shipping, before the customer confirms payment rather than adjusting afterward.
Lock down tip adjustment permissions and audit adjustments against signed receipts daily.
Re-authorize or obtain written consent whenever an order total changes after checkout.
Display totals in the cardholder's expected currency and avoid surprise conversion fees at settlement.
Train staff that any manual amount change on a Discover transaction needs a documented customer approval.

Frequently asked questions

What evidence wins a Discover AW altered amount dispute?: A document bearing the cardholder's consent to the exact settled amount: a signed receipt with matching total, a checkout confirmation showing the final price, or accepted terms authorizing the specific adjustment. Without consent evidence for the difference, expect to lose the disputed delta.
The customer authorized $80 but disputes the $95 we settled. Do I lose the whole transaction?: Usually not. AW disputes are typically limited to the difference between the authorized and settled amounts. Refund or concede the unsupported $15 and defend the $80 with the original authorization record.
Can shipping charges added after authorization trigger AW?: Yes, if the customer never approved a total that included them. Disclose shipping in the confirmed checkout total, or get explicit acceptance of terms stating the final freight amount will be added, and keep that acceptance record per order.

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