If a U.S. credit card purchase is unauthorized, duplicated, billed for the wrong amount, or never delivered, contact your card issuer promptly and dispute the charge. For a normal order problem, ask the merchant for a refund first. Don't let that conversation run past your dispute deadline.

A chargeback can reverse a posted card transaction, but it isn't a guaranteed refund. The process also depends on how you paid. The steps below apply to U.S. credit cards. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and peer-to-peer payments use different rules.

Chargeback vs. refund

"Chargeback" usually means the issuer and card-network process. It isn't a single federal refund law. For credit cards, some disputes also fall under the Federal Trade Commission's guidance on billing errors.

The deadline depends on the rule involved

The 60-day FCBA deadline

For a covered credit card billing error, send a written dispute within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent to you. That can include:

• An unauthorized charge
• The wrong dollar amount
• The same charge appearing twice
• Goods or services that were not delivered as agreed
• A refund or payment that the issuer failed to credit

The issuer generally must acknowledge a written dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue. It must finish the investigation within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the notice.

You generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges while that review is open. Keep paying the rest of the bill and follow the issuer's instructions.

Use the billing-dispute address or method listed on your statement. If you start by phone or in the card app, ask how to submit the formal written notice too.

Network chargeback deadlines are separate

Card networks and issuers use their own procedures, reason codes, and filing windows. Many consumer write-ups mention a 120-day chargeback window, but that number isn't universal. The clock may run from the transaction, the expected delivery date, a cancellation, or another event, depending on the dispute.

Don't wait for the last possible day. Ask the issuer how its deadline applies to your transaction, especially if delivery was delayed. Some issuers may extend the federal 60-day period in certain delayed-shipment situations. Don't assume an extension applies.

Those two clocks are not interchangeable. Missing one may affect your rights even if the other deadline has not passed.

Debit and other payment methods follow different rules

The FCBA credit-card billing-error process doesn't apply in the same way to debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH transfers, wires, or payment apps. Contact that provider immediately and use its fraud or transaction-dispute process. Don't treat the credit-card 60-day rule as the deadline for another payment method.

When a chargeback may be appropriate

A chargeback is generally a better fit for a specific error or merchant failure than for simple dissatisfaction.

A chargeback usually isn't a substitute for a return policy when you simply changed your mind, ordered the wrong size, or no longer want an item. Those issues are normally handled under the merchant's terms. An issuer may also deny a dispute if the purchase was authorized and the evidence doesn't show a billing error or merchant failure.

Describe the facts accurately. Don't label an authorized purchase as fraud just because the merchant refused a return.

How to file a credit card chargeback

Confirm the payment method and transaction

Check whether the charge posted to a credit card, a debit card, or another account. Then record the merchant name as it appears on the statement, the transaction date and posted amount, the order or invoice number, the date the statement containing the charge was sent, and why you believe the charge is wrong.

If the charge is still pending, ask the issuer how to handle it. A chargeback normally concerns a posted transaction.

Contact the merchant for ordinary order problems

Write to the merchant's support team with the order number, the problem, and the solution you want. Ask for a refund or correction and give the merchant a reasonable chance to respond.

That first contact isn't a universal legal requirement for every dispute, but it can close the issue faster and creates useful evidence. It may also be part of the issuer's process.

Don't delay an unauthorized-charge report while you wait for the merchant. Report suspected fraud directly to the issuer.

Build a short evidence file

Make a timeline with the purchase date, the promised delivery or service date, your contact attempts, and the merchant's responses. Save copies of:

• The statement showing the charge
• Order confirmations, receipts, and invoices
• The product listing, service description, or terms in effect when you bought
• Emails, chat messages, and support ticket numbers
• Delivery tracking, return tracking, or cancellation confirmations
• Photos showing damage or a material difference from the listing
• Refund promises and refund reference numbers

Send copies, not irreplaceable originals. Redact passwords, security codes, Social Security numbers, and unnecessary full account or card numbers.

Notify the issuer

Use the card app or call the number on the back of the card if the matter is urgent. Then submit the written notice required for a formal billing-error dispute.

Include your name and the last four digits of the account, the merchant and transaction date, the amount in dispute, a clear explanation of what happened, the date you contacted the merchant if you did, the correction you want, and a list of attached documents.

You generally don't need to identify a Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover reason code yourself. Explain the facts in plain language and let the issuer classify the dispute.

A simple dispute-letter format

Subject: Billing error dispute for account ending in 1234

I dispute the charge of $[amount] from [merchant] posted on [date]. The reason is [unauthorized charge, duplicate charge, item not received, incorrect amount, or another factual reason].

I contacted the merchant on [date] by [method]. The response was [brief summary].

Please investigate this transaction and credit the disputed amount if the charge is found to be an error. I have enclosed [list of documents].

Sincerely, [Name] [Mailing address] [Date]

Keep a copy of the letter, the attachments, any delivery confirmation, and the case number.

Pay the undisputed part of the bill

Don't stop paying the entire credit card balance because one transaction is under review. Pay the undisputed balance and follow the issuer's instructions about the disputed amount.

The issuer may provide provisional credit while it investigates. That credit is temporary unless the issuer confirms the dispute is resolved in your favor. It can be reversed after the review.

Respond to follow-up requests

The issuer may ask for a clearer timeline, proof that you contacted the merchant, return documentation, or information about whether you authorized the purchase. Reply by the stated deadline and keep the tone factual.

A merchant may submit its own evidence, such as delivery records, cancellation terms, account activity, or customer communications. That response doesn't automatically decide the case. The issuer still reviews the dispute and the evidence.

Review the decision and appeal promptly

If the issuer denies the dispute, read the explanation carefully. Check whether it misunderstood the transaction date or amount, whether the charge was actually authorized, the promised delivery date, your cancellation or return request, the merchant's response, or a refund that was issued but not posted.

Ask whether the issuer offers reconsideration or an appeal, and request the deadline in writing. Submit a concise response that addresses the stated reason for denial and adds any evidence you did not provide initially.

Evidence checklist by dispute type

Unauthorized charge

Report the charge quickly. Tell the issuer whether your card is lost, stolen, still in your possession, or used through a digital wallet. Lock or replace the card if instructed, change compromised account credentials, and review recent transactions for other unauthorized activity.

Don't guess about how the charge occurred. State what you know and identify transactions you did authorize.

Item not received

Show what the merchant promised, including the expected delivery date. Tracking that shows a failed delivery, an incorrect address, or no delivery can matter. Include your attempts to contact the seller and any response.

If the merchant says the item was delivered, compare the delivery record with your address, the order details, and any available carrier information.

Item not as described or defective

Save the original listing and the merchant's specifications. Photos should show the problem clearly. If the merchant requires a return, ask for return instructions and keep the shipping receipt and tracking information.

A general dislike of a product is weaker than evidence that the item materially differed from the description or arrived damaged.

Duplicate or incorrect charge

Compare the receipt, invoice, statement, and payment history. A pending authorization and a posted charge may not be two completed charges, so ask the issuer or merchant to confirm before filing a duplicate-charge claim.

Recurring billing after cancellation

Check how the subscription had to be canceled and when the cancellation took effect. Keep the confirmation page, email, or support ticket. List each later charge separately rather than describing the issue only as a general complaint.

What happens after you file

The workflow usually looks like this, though you may not see every step in the card app:

1. The issuer opens a case and may provide temporary credit.
2. The issuer reviews your explanation and documents.
3. The issuer may send the dispute through the card network to the merchant's payment processor.
4. The merchant can accept the dispute or submit evidence against it.
5. The issuer decides whether the charge should remain reversed or be restored.

Exact deadlines vary by issuer and network. Keep the case number and ask for status updates.

If the merchant is silent or out of business

Save unanswered emails, returned messages, failed delivery records, and any notice that the business has closed. Submit those records with the issuer dispute.

A closed or unresponsive merchant doesn't guarantee a chargeback, but it explains why a direct refund wasn't available. The issuer still evaluates whether the transaction meets the applicable requirements.

If your chargeback is denied

A denial isn't necessarily the end of the process.

1. Request the reason for the decision and the appeal deadline.
2. Ask whether the issuer can provide the merchant's response or explain what evidence was missing.
3. Correct factual errors rather than resubmitting the same explanation.
4. Send new documents in an organized order with a short cover note.
5. Escalate to a supervisor or the issuer's formal complaint channel if the case was mishandled.
6. If the issuer failed to follow the federal billing-error procedure, keep copies of your written notice and all acknowledgments when using an appropriate consumer-protection or regulatory complaint route.

An external complaint can bring a response. It doesn't guarantee that the transaction will be reversed.

Common chargeback mistakes

• Waiting for the merchant indefinitely
• Assuming every card uses the same 120-day deadline
• Treating a debit-card dispute like a credit-card billing error
• Filing a fraud claim for a purchase you authorized
• Sending only a phone complaint when written notice is needed
• Disputing the entire statement instead of the specific charge
• Stopping payment on the whole card balance
• Treating provisional credit as a final decision
• Submitting screenshots without dates, amounts, or a clear timeline
• Filing duplicate cases instead of replying to the existing case

There is no reliable universal chargeback success rate for consumers. Published percentages can mix different card networks, dispute reasons, issuers, and stages of the process. Your result depends on eligibility, timing, the merchant's evidence, and how clearly you document the problem.

Find the statement that first showed the charge, record that date, save the supporting documents, and contact the merchant or card issuer today, whichever route the problem requires.