Chargeback Reason Code 60: Request Copy Illegible or Invalid

Chargebacks are identified with a Reason Code 60 when the card issuer requests a copy of the sales receipt and is provided an illegible copy by the merchant or its merchant services provider, an incomplete substitute receipt, or something other than the requested item. Most commonly a Reason Code 60 chargeback results when a merchant submits a substitute sales receipt that does not contain all of the required information, the sales receipt is not legible, or is other than the requested item because:

• The terminal's printer ribbon is worn and the ink is too light.
• The terminal's paper roll is nearing the end, and the colored streak indicating this obscures transaction information.
• The copy is on colored paper.
• The carbonless paper of the original sales receipt is mishandled, causing black blotches and making copies illegible.
• The original sales receipt is copied at a reduced size, resulting in blurred and illegible copies.
• The document submitted is not the requested copy of the sales receipt.

The remedial actions that merchants can take in the event of a Reason Code 60 chargeback can be the following:

• The back office staff should resubmit, if possible, a legible or complete copy of the sales receipt to their merchant bank. If a legible copy cannot be produced or the original receipt is missing, the chargeback should be accepted. If the retrieval request is fraud-related, the merchant has no representment rights and should accept the chargeback.
• The point-of-sale staff has a very important role to play as well. Printer ribbons should be changed routinely. Faded, barely visible ink on sales receipts is the top cause of illegible receipt copies. Printer paper should be changed when colored streak first appears. The colored streak down the center or the edges of printer paper indicates the end of the paper roll. It also diminishes the legibility of transaction information. Keep the white copy of the sales receipt and give customers the colored copy. Colored paper does not copy as clearly as white paper and often results in illegible copies. Carbonless paper and carbon- or silver-back paper should be handled carefully. Silverback paper appears black when copied. Any pressure on carbonless and carbonback paper during handling and storage causes black blotches, making copies illegible. Merchants should always keep the top copy.
• The owners and managers of your organization also have a role to play. Your company logo or marketing messages should be placed on sales receipts in a way that does not interfere with the transaction information. If your company name, logo, or marketing message is printed across the face of sales receipts, the transaction information on a copy may be illegible.