Short answer: Start with the statement and identify what is wrong: an unauthorized transaction, an incorrect amount, a duplicate charge, a missing payment or credit, or goods or services that weren't delivered or provided as agreed. If you want to use the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) billing-error procedure, the card issuer must receive your written notice within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

Call the issuer immediately about suspected fraud, but don't let a conversation with the merchant use up that deadline. Pay the undisputed part of the bill, keep copies of your records, and follow the deadline in the issuer's response. The issuer generally has 30 days to acknowledge a written complaint and two complete billing cycles to resolve it, but never more than 90 days.

Merchants respond through their payment processor or acquiring bank. Their deadline and evidence requirements come from the processor's case notice, not from the FCBA consumer deadline.

This guidance is for U.S. personal credit cards. Business cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH payments, and payment apps may follow different rules.

What counts as a credit card billing error?

The FCBA and Regulation Z cover several common problems with a qualifying consumer credit-card account:

• An unauthorized transaction or use of the card account.
• The wrong amount, a duplicate charge, or a payment, refund, or other credit that wasn't posted.
• Goods or services that weren't accepted, weren't delivered, or weren't provided as agreed.
• A mathematical, accounting, or account-posting error.
• A statement entry that the issuer needs to clarify after you request more information.

A defective or disappointing product isn't automatically an FCBA billing error. The records should show how the item or service differed from the agreement, wasn't delivered, or wasn't accepted. Buyer's remorse and a dispute over a merchant's return policy may call for a refund request, warranty claim, or another legal remedy instead.

If the problem is non-delivery after you moved, the FTC's billing-error guidance says the issuer must have received your written change of address at least 20 days before the billing period ended.

A chargeback and a merchant refund are different. A refund is issued by the seller. A chargeback is a dispute opened through the issuer and payment network; the issuer may provide a temporary credit while it investigates.

The deadlines consumers and merchants need to separate

These clocks don't all start on the same date:

The FCBA's 60-day period runs from the statement containing the error, not necessarily from the purchase date. An issuer or card network may offer another dispute route after that period, but a general 120-day rule doesn't apply to every transaction.

A merchant's response window may be much shorter than the consumer's time to start an FCBA dispute. The processor's notice controls. If the merchant misses that date, it may lose the chance to submit a representment response.

How to dispute a credit card charge

1. Match the statement entry to the transaction

First check whether the charge has posted or is still a pending authorization. Compare the amount, date, receipt, merchant descriptor, and any digital-wallet history. An unfamiliar descriptor may be the seller's legal name or payment processor rather than the name shown at checkout.

For a charge you didn't authorize, contact the issuer right away. Lock or replace the card if appropriate, change compromised account credentials, and ask how to prevent additional transactions. Don't wait for the merchant to respond before reporting suspected fraud.

Recurring charges need a closer look. Confirm whether you canceled the subscription and when. Replacing a card may not cancel the underlying agreement, so cancel with the merchant and ask the issuer how to block future charges. Describe the problem accurately; a canceled subscription and a purchase you never authorized aren't necessarily the same type of dispute.

2. Contact the merchant when that makes sense

A seller may be able to fix a duplicate charge, explain an unfamiliar transaction, process a promised refund, or cancel an order faster than the formal dispute process. Use email, chat, or another channel that leaves a record.

Save the seller's response, refund confirmation, cancellation number, return instructions, shipping information, and any promised resolution. Contacting the merchant can help, but it doesn't replace the FCBA written-notice deadline. If the seller refuses to help or that deadline is close, notify the issuer without waiting longer.

3. Send written notice to the issuer

Use the billing inquiries address on the statement or in the issuer's instructions. It may not be the same address used for payments. A phone call or online form can start the issuer's internal process, but written notice is the safer way to invoke the FCBA billing-error procedure.

Include:

• Your name and mailing address.
• The account number, or the last four digits if the issuer can identify the account that way.
• The disputed amount and transaction date.
• The merchant name as it appears on the statement.
• A clear explanation of why the charge is wrong.
• The correction you want.
• Copies of relevant records, not originals.

The FTC's sample dispute letter can help organize the notice. Send the letter so you can prove when the issuer received it, and keep a copy of the letter, attachments, and delivery record.

Here is a practical template:

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]

[Issuer name]
Billing inquiries
[Address shown on your statement]

Re: Account ending in [last four digits]

I am writing to dispute a charge of [$amount] from [merchant] posted on
[date]. The charge is a billing error because [specific explanation].

I am requesting [the correction you want]. Please investigate and correct my
account under the Fair Credit Billing Act. I have enclosed copies of [list the
supporting documents]. Please send me the result of your investigation and
any documents supporting your decision.

Sincerely,

[Your name and signature]

Enclosures: [list of documents]

4. Pay everything that isn't disputed

With a properly submitted FCBA dispute, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges while the issuer investigates. You still have to pay the rest of the bill by its due date.

Don't stop paying the entire statement just because one charge is under review. If you're unsure how the issuer wants you to handle the minimum payment, ask for written instructions. If the issuer later decides the charge was valid, pay it by the deadline in the decision or on the updated statement.

5. Keep a case record

A simple log can prevent missed dates. Record:

• When the issuer received your notice.
• The case or confirmation number.
• The name or department handling calls.
• Any temporary credit and when it was posted.
• Requests for more information.
• The expected decision date.

A provisional credit isn't necessarily final. The issuer may reverse it after reviewing the merchant's response.

What happens after you file?

The issuer may ask for more information or contact the merchant through the payment network. If it corrects the error, check a later statement to make sure the charge and any related fees were adjusted.

If the issuer finds no error, it should send a written explanation. Request the documents supporting that conclusion if they weren't included, then compare the explanation with the evidence you submitted. If the issuer offers an appeal or reconsideration process, meet the deadline in its letter and address the stated reason for the denial directly.

If the issuer doesn't follow the required process or the matter remains unresolved after you've contacted it, you can submit a complaint through the CFPB complaint portal. Attach the dispute letter, delivery proof, statements, issuer correspondence, and a short timeline. A complaint doesn't guarantee a refund, but it gives the agency a formal record to review.

Evidence that makes a dispute clearer

Send records that prove the particular problem. A short, relevant packet is usually easier to review than a large file containing unrelated material.

Make a one-page timeline with the order date, promised performance date, contact attempts, cancellation or return date, and the date the charge appeared. Redact unnecessary personal information, and don't send an original you may need later.

How to appeal a denied credit card dispute

A denial should be answered with evidence aimed at the issuer's stated reason.

1. Read the decision and identify whether the issuer relied on delivery, authorization, a refund, a cancellation date, or another issue.
2. Request the supporting documents if they weren't included.
3. Correct factual errors with a dated timeline.
4. Add only evidence that addresses the disputed point.
5. Send the response through the issuer's stated channel before its deadline.
6. Keep proof that the appeal was submitted.

Don't describe an authorized purchase as fraud just because the product was late or the merchant refused a return. Use the most accurate dispute reason and explain the facts.

If the merchant already issued a refund, tell the issuer and include the refund record. A consumer shouldn't receive payment twice for the same transaction.

Chargeback guidance for merchants

Merchants generally respond through their processor or acquiring bank, not directly to Visa or Mastercard. The processor's case notice should identify the dispute reason, transaction, requested documents, and submission deadline.

A useful representment response can be organized into four parts:

1. Transaction identification: Order number, transaction date, amount, currency, and customer account reference.
2. Short chronology: What the customer ordered, when it was authorized, how it was fulfilled, and when the merchant communicated with the customer.
3. Reason-specific rebuttal: Address each claim in the case notice directly.
4. Relevant attachments: Label each document and state the fact it proves.

Evidence by chargeback reason

• Authorization dispute: Authorization results, authentication records such as 3-D Secure when available, AVS or CVV results, order details, account activity, and delivery records can help. None of these facts alone proves that the cardholder personally made the purchase.
• Non-delivery claim: Provide tracking, delivery date, delivery address, signature or pickup record, and relevant customer communications. A shipping label alone is less useful than proof of delivery to the address connected with the order.
• Not-as-described or defective-product claim: Provide the product or service description that applied at purchase, the order record, photos or inspection results, return communications, and any remedy offered. A generic terms-and-conditions page won't explain what happened with this order.
• Refund-not-processed claim: Provide the refund date, amount, method, confirmation, and processor reference if available. Don't submit a response that ignores a refund already issued.
• Recurring-payment claim: Provide the customer's consent, price and frequency disclosures, cancellation terms, cancellation records, and billing history. Stop billing after a valid cancellation and retain the confirmation.

Submit the packet securely through the processor. Avoid unnecessary full card numbers and other sensitive data. If the chargeback is valid, issuing the refund or accepting the loss may be more appropriate than sending unsupported evidence. Tell the processor if a refund has already settled.

Preventing avoidable chargebacks

Merchants can reduce confusion by:

• Using a recognizable statement descriptor and current contact details.
• Showing the final price, delivery terms, renewal terms, and cancellation method before payment.
• Sending receipts that identify the merchant and order.
• Processing a transaction only once and voiding incorrect sales receipts promptly.
• Keeping delivery, pickup, service-completion, and refund records.
• Responding to customer questions before a dispute is filed.
• Stopping recurring billing after a documented cancellation.

Visa's merchant dispute guidance highlights duplicate processing, incorrect receipts, delayed processing, and an unclear merchant name as preventable sources of disputes.

Visa, Mastercard, and payment-network rules

Visa and Mastercard operate dispute programs with their own reason codes, evidence requirements, and deadlines. Those rules govern the relationships among the issuer, acquirer, processor, and merchant. They aren't the same as a consumer's legal rights under the FCBA.

There is no single Visa or Mastercard deadline for every charge. The clock may depend on the dispute reason and an event such as the transaction date, processing date, delivery date, cancellation date, or date a refund was expected. Consumers should ask the issuer for the applicable deadline. Merchants should use the date in the processor's case notice.

A network decision also isn't a court ruling. It determines how the payment transaction is handled within that network. Separate contract, warranty, consumer-protection, or identity-theft remedies may still exist.

Credit card disputes versus debit and ACH disputes

Don't use the credit-card billing-error process for a debit-card or ACH transaction.

The payment rail shown on the statement matters. A charge that looks like a card purchase may have been made through a bank transfer, wallet, or another method with different protections.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for the merchant until the 60-day FCBA period is almost over.
• Sending the letter to the payment address instead of the billing inquiries address.
• Relying only on a phone call when written notice is needed.
• Withholding the entire bill instead of paying the undisputed balance.
• Calling an authorized purchase fraud because the merchant's service was poor.
• Assuming a provisional credit is permanent.
• Sending a generic merchant policy instead of records about the individual order.
• Missing the processor's deadline while gathering unnecessary documents.
• Continuing recurring billing after a documented cancellation.
• Ignoring a merchant refund or seeking duplicate reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions

Can I dispute a credit card charge after 60 days?

Contact the issuer anyway, because it may have another internal or network process. The FCBA written-notice protections may be limited if the issuer receives your notice after the 60-day period. Send the dispute as soon as you discover the problem.

Is calling the card issuer enough?

A call can alert the issuer quickly, especially about suspected fraud. Written notice is the safer way to use the FCBA billing-error procedure, so follow the address and submission instructions on your statement.

Does a chargeback guarantee a refund?

No. The issuer reviews the consumer's explanation and the merchant's response under the applicable process. A temporary credit can be removed if the charge is found valid.

Does a merchant have seven or ten days to respond?

Not universally. The response period depends on the network, processor, reason code, and case date. The merchant should use the deadline in its processor notice rather than a general internet rule.

What should I do first?

Write down the statement date, transaction amount, reason for the dispute, issuer's billing inquiries address, and documents you have. Report unauthorized activity immediately, then send written notice before the applicable deadline.