If a credit card statement includes a charge you didn't authorize, a duplicate transaction, the wrong amount, or a missing credit, contact the card issuer promptly and send a written dispute. To use the federal Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) billing-error process, your notice must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
You can contact the merchant first when a refund, cancellation, or delivery issue may be fixed quickly. Don't wait for the merchant if the deadline is close or you believe someone used the card without permission.
This information is for U.S. consumer credit cards. Debit cards, prepaid cards, business accounts, and cards issued outside the United States can follow different rules.
Which rules apply to a credit card dispute?
People often use “chargeback” and “credit card dispute” as if they mean the same thing. They can describe different parts of the process:
- Federal billing-error rights: The FCBA sets requirements for certain credit card billing disputes, including written notice and issuer investigation deadlines.
- Card-network procedures: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover have their own dispute categories and processing rules. The issuer decides how to submit a case through the applicable network.
- Merchant policies: A seller's return, cancellation, or refund terms affect the facts and evidence. They don't replace the issuer's dispute process.
- Issuer policies: A bank may provide online or telephone dispute tools, fraud monitoring, or protections beyond the federal process.
The Federal Trade Commission's guide to using credit cards and disputing charges describes the basic U.S. billing-error procedure. A report by phone or app may open a case, but don't assume it alone satisfies the written-notice requirement.
Charges that may qualify as billing errors
Common examples include:
- An unauthorized transaction appears on the account.
- The merchant charged the wrong amount or charged the same purchase more than once.
- Goods or services weren't delivered, or weren't delivered as agreed.
- A payment or merchant-issued credit, such as an approved refund, wasn't credited to the account.
- The statement contains an accounting or calculation error.
An unfamiliar name on a statement isn't automatically fraud. Payment processors sometimes use a billing descriptor that differs from the store name. Check the receipt, order history, subscription renewals, and activity by other authorized card users. If the charge still isn't yours, report it to the issuer through its fraud or dispute channel.
Being unhappy with a purchase doesn't automatically make it a billing error. A product-quality complaint, a missed cancellation, or a disagreement with a seller's return policy may require different evidence and may be handled under card-network procedures or other consumer protections. Describe what happened accurately rather than selecting a dispute reason just because it seems more likely to succeed.
The 60-day written-dispute deadline
For the FCBA process, the issuer must receive your notice within 60 days after the first bill containing the error was sent. The deadline generally relates to the statement date, not necessarily the date you placed the order.
Send the letter to the issuer's billing-dispute or billing-inquiries address. That address may not be the same one used for payments. Check the statement or the issuer's instructions before mailing anything.
A special rule can apply when the statement went to an old address. The FTC says you must have sent the issuer your change of address in writing at least 20 days before the billing period ended to use the billing-error procedure for that issue.
Contact the issuer even if more than 60 days have passed. It may offer another dispute or card-network process, but the same federal protections may not apply after the FCBA deadline.
How to dispute the charge
1. Identify the transaction
Record the transaction date, amount, merchant name shown on the statement, and the specific reason you believe the charge is wrong. Save a copy of the statement page and mark the disputed line.
If the charge may be unauthorized, use the issuer's fraud number as soon as possible. Follow its instructions about freezing or replacing the card and securing the online account.
2. Give the merchant a chance to fix it when that makes sense
A merchant may correct a duplicate charge, explain an unfamiliar descriptor, or issue a refund faster than an issuer can investigate. Keep the conversation factual. If the merchant promises a refund or cancellation, ask for confirmation in writing.
That conversation doesn't extend the issuer's deadline. If the merchant doesn't respond promptly, send the written dispute to the issuer anyway.
3. Send the issuer a written dispute
Include:
- Your name and account number, or the last four digits if the issuer tells you not to send the full number.
- The transaction date and amount.
- The merchant's name.
- A clear explanation of the problem.
- The correction you want.
- Copies of relevant records, rather than irreplaceable originals.
A short letter is sufficient:
I dispute the $ charge from dated . The charge is incorrect because . Please investigate and correct my account. I have attached copies of ___.
Mail the letter early enough for it to arrive within the 60-day period. Keep the letter, attachments, delivery record, and any case number.
4. Pay the undisputed part of the account
Continue monitoring statements and making payments on amounts you don't dispute. Ask the issuer how it wants you to handle the disputed line and the minimum payment while the investigation is open. Don't stop paying the entire account because one transaction is under review.
5. Keep a record of the investigation
Note when the issuer received the dispute, when it acknowledged your complaint, and when it issued a decision. If the issuer requests more information, respond by the stated date and keep a copy of what you send.
Evidence that can help
The strongest records connect the particular transaction to the particular problem. Depending on the dispute, useful documents may include:
| Dispute situation | Helpful records |
|---|---|
| Unauthorized charge | Statement, fraud report, account alerts, and messages showing you didn't authorize the transaction |
| Wrong amount or duplicate charge | Receipt, checkout confirmation, statement, and proof of the correct amount or separate transactions |
| Goods or services not received | Order confirmation, promised delivery date, tracking information, cancellation request, and merchant correspondence |
| Refund or credit missing | Return receipt, refund confirmation, refund amount and date, and the original purchase record |
| Subscription or recurring charge | Terms shown at sign-up, renewal notices, cancellation timestamp, cancellation confirmation, and later merchant messages |
| Service not provided as agreed | Contract or order description, appointment records, communications, and a concise explanation of the difference |
Don't exaggerate the claim or send unrelated material. A brief timeline can be more useful than a folder of screenshots.
What happens after you file?
The issuer reviews the complaint and may request transaction records from the merchant or acquirer. The merchant may submit a receipt, delivery record, authorization data, or communications with you. The issuer then decides whether the account should be corrected under the applicable process.
Under the FTC guidance:
- The issuer generally must acknowledge the complaint in writing within 30 days of receiving it, unless the problem has already been resolved.
- The issuer generally must resolve the dispute within 90 days of receiving the complaint.
Those are investigation timelines, not a promise that the dispute will be approved. A merchant's response period and a card-network deadline can be different.
If the merchant issues a refund while the case is open, check the account for the credit and tell the issuer about it. That helps prevent the same amount from being credited twice.
If the issuer denies the dispute
Read the decision closely. It may say that the issuer found no billing error, that the evidence was insufficient, or that the request fell outside the applicable process or deadline.
You can:
- Ask why the issuer denied the dispute and request copies of supporting information it can provide.
- Compare the decision with your statement, receipt, cancellation record, delivery evidence, and other documents.
- Send a concise response addressing the specific reason for the denial.
- Ask whether the issuer offers a second review, appeal, or network dispute process, and record the deadline.
- If the issuer mishandled the written complaint, use its formal complaint route and ask for the regulator information applicable to that issuer.
A regulator complaint can document a problem with the issuer's handling of the case. It doesn't guarantee that the merchant transaction will be reversed.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for the merchant until the 60-day written-dispute period has expired.
- Sending the letter to a payment address instead of the billing-dispute address.
- Relying only on a phone call when written notice is required.
- Calling a familiar subscription renewal “fraud” without checking the cancellation terms and account history.
- Disputing the whole statement instead of identifying the exact transaction.
- Stopping all account payments while one charge is under review.
- Deleting emails, receipts, tracking records, or refund confirmations.
- Filing a second dispute without explaining what new evidence it includes.
Common questions
Can I dispute a charge after 60 days?
You should still contact the issuer. It may offer another dispute or card-network process, but the FCBA written-notice protections may not apply in the same way after the deadline.
Should I contact the merchant or the issuer first?
Contact the issuer immediately about a suspected unauthorized charge. For a delivery, refund, duplicate-charge, or cancellation problem, the merchant may fix the issue quickly. Even so, don't delay the issuer notice when the deadline is close.
Will a dispute always result in a refund?
No. The issuer investigates the facts and the applicable rules. The merchant's records, account history, delivery evidence, cancellation record, and timing of your notice can all affect the result.
Is a debit-card dispute handled the same way?
No. Debit cards generally use a different legal and payment framework. Follow the instructions for the specific card and account instead of assuming the FCBA timeline applies.
If you're still within the 60-day window, make the written notice your next task: send it to the correct billing address and save proof that the issuer received it.