The short answer
Industry reports say that for Visa card-not-present fraud disputes (reason code 10.4) processed from October 24, 2026, Compelling Evidence 3.0 accepts earlier undisputed purchases made with the same card or a credential tied to it, such as a token, and those purchases may come from other merchants, not only yours. The core test stays: two prior undisputed transactions, between 120 and 365 days before the dispute, with matching customer data. Ask your processor whether it will submit the new evidence for you, and keep detailed order records.
What Compelling Evidence 3.0 is
Compelling Evidence 3.0 (CE 3.0) is a Visa rule for card-not-present fraud disputes, reason code 10.4, where a cardholder says they did not make a purchase. If the merchant can show that the same customer made earlier purchases that were never disputed, with matching details such as IP address, device ID, login ID or shipping address, the dispute can be answered. It is aimed at the customer who did buy, then claimed they did not.
What changes on October 24, 2026
| Rule | Before | From October 24, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Payment credential on prior purchases | Same card or same token | The same card, or a credential tied to it such as another token |
| Where prior purchases happened | Your business only | One or more merchants, not only the one defending the dispute |
| Pre-arbitration evidence | Your own transactions | The acquirer may submit only transaction data it processed itself |
| Agentic payments | Not addressed | Login IDs from an agentic payment provider count as account or login ID elements |
What stays the same
According to the same reports, you still need two prior undisputed transactions, made more than 120 days and no more than 365 days before the dispute, with matching required data elements. The change applies only to disputes processed on or after October 24, 2026. These summaries come from industry sources, not a Visa document we could read directly, so ask your processor for the exact rule text that applies to your account.
What to do now
1. Ask your processor or chargeback provider whether they will submit CE 3.0 evidence for you, including the new token and multi-merchant matching. 2. Keep order records for at least a year: IP address, device ID, customer login ID, email, phone and shipping address for every order. 3. Save your refund, cancellation and delivery policy where customers accept it at checkout, so it is part of the order record. 4. Answer disputes quickly. Evidence that arrives after the deadline does not count.
What changes for larger online sellers and enterprise merchants
Merchants with high card-not-present volume and repeat customers have the most to gain. Check that your checkout passes device and login data into your order system and that your dispute tool can pull it automatically. If you sell through several platforms or brands, confirm which acquirer processes each, since in pre-arbitration the acquirer may only submit data it processed. Review your dispute win rate on 10.4 cases before and after October 24 so you know whether the change is helping.
Prevention still matters more
CE 3.0 helps you answer some fraud disputes. It does not stop the dispute from being filed or the fee your processor may charge for it. Clear billing descriptors, fast refunds when a customer asks, and good fraud screening at checkout keep disputes from starting. Our guides on chargebacks and friendly fraud cover each step.
Key takeaways
- From October 24, 2026, CE 3.0 accepts prior purchases made with a token tied to the same card
- Prior undisputed purchases may come from other merchants, per industry reports
- Still two prior undisputed transactions, 120 to 365 days before the dispute
- Keep order, device and login records for at least a year and ask your processor how it will submit the evidence
Related guides
Sources
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