If a U.S. credit-card charge is unauthorized, billed incorrectly, not delivered as agreed, or never credited after an accepted return, contact the card issuer. The issuer, not the merchant, opens the billing dispute and may send a chargeback through the card network.
A chargeback can produce a credit. It isn't an automatic refund, and it isn't a court judgment. The issuer reviews the facts, considers the merchant's response, and applies the rules for the payment method you used.
For consumer credit cards, the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) written-notice process is the main federal track. Debit cards, prepaid cards, payment apps, and bank transfers are different. None of this is legal advice.
Chargeback vs. credit-card dispute
People mix these terms, but they are different stages:
- A merchant refund is a direct fix between you and the seller.
- A billing dispute is a complaint you submit to your card issuer.
- A chargeback is the reversal the issuer may start through the card network after it reviews that complaint.
You don't file a chargeback with Visa or Mastercard. Your issuer is the starting point, even when the app button says "dispute a transaction."
| Option | Who handles it | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant refund | You and the seller | The seller agrees that a refund, cancellation, or correction is due |
| Credit-card billing dispute | Your card issuer | The charge may be unauthorized or a qualifying billing error |
| Chargeback through the network | Issuer, network, and merchant's acquiring bank | The issuer escalates the dispute and gives the merchant a chance to respond |
Ask the merchant first when the problem is delivery, quality, or a missing refund. That route is often faster. It does not pause a time-sensitive notice to the issuer.
Which payment method did you use?
The rules follow the payment rail. Don't assume the credit-card deadline applies to every card or app.
Credit card
For a qualifying billing error on a consumer credit-card account, send written notice to the issuer's billing-inquiries address. That notice must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
Examples of potential billing errors include:
- An unauthorized charge
- The wrong amount or a mathematical error
- Goods or services that weren't delivered as agreed
- A charge for something you didn't accept
- A payment or returned item that wasn't credited
- A recurring charge that continued after a valid cancellation
Read the FTC's guidance on using credit cards and disputing charges for the formal notice process.
Debit card
A debit-card dispute is not an FCBA billing-error case. Your bank's electronic-transfer process and account agreement control, and the timing can depend on the type of error and when you report it.
Report an unauthorized debit as soon as you see it. Ask which documents the bank needs and which deadline applies. Waiting for the 60-day credit-card window can put a debit claim at risk.
Prepaid cards, payment apps, and bank transfers
A prepaid card, peer-to-peer payment, ACH transfer, wire, or payment app may not offer the same chargeback path as a credit card. Start with that provider and use its fraud or transaction-error procedure. If you funded an app with a credit card, ask both companies which process applies. One dispute does not automatically reverse the other payment.
How to file a chargeback dispute
1. Verify the transaction
Before you report fraud, check:
- The merchant name and transaction descriptor on your statement
- Whether another household member or authorized user made the purchase
- A digital wallet, subscription, or free trial linked to the account
- The purchase date, amount, tip, shipping charge, or currency conversion
- Whether a hotel, rental company, or similar merchant posted a later adjustment
If you still don't recognize the charge, tell the issuer it's unauthorized. Don't describe a purchase as fraud only because you forgot it or disagree with the price.
For suspected fraud, call the number on the back of the card. Ask whether the card should be frozen or replaced and whether other transactions need review.
2. Contact the merchant when appropriate
For non-fraud problems, ask the seller to correct the issue first. Explain what you expected, what happened, and what remedy you want. Use email, a support ticket, or another method that creates a record.
Ask for:
- A refund or cancellation confirmation
- A replacement or delivery update
- Written return instructions
- The refund date and reference number
- A response to your complaint
Don't let that conversation run past the issuer's deadline. If the seller asks you to return an item, keep the return receipt and tracking information.
3. Build an evidence file
Save documents before you submit the claim. Useful records include:
- The statement showing the transaction
- The order confirmation, receipt, invoice, or contract
- Product descriptions, advertised terms, and cancellation terms
- The promised delivery date and actual tracking information
- Emails, chats, call dates, and merchant responses
- A cancellation request and proof that it was received
- Return tracking and proof of delivery
- Photos showing damage or a material difference from the description
- A refund confirmation or refund reference number
Create a short timeline with dates, amounts, and actions. A clear explanation is more useful than a stack of unrelated screenshots. Redact full card numbers, passwords, and other sensitive information before you upload anything.
4. Submit the dispute to the issuer
You can usually start through the issuer's website, mobile app, or phone line. For the formal FCBA process, send a written notice to the billing-inquiries address shown on your statement or account documents. That address may be different from the address used for payments.
Your notice should state:
- Your name and account number, showing only the last four digits if that's all they allow
- The disputed transaction date, merchant, and exact amount
- Why the charge is wrong
- What you did to resolve the problem with the merchant
- The remedy you are requesting
- A list of attached documents
If you mail the notice, keep a copy and proof of delivery. The key FCBA deadline is when the issuer receives the letter, not when you drop it in the mail.
5. Cooperate with the investigation
The issuer may ask for more information and may issue a provisional credit while it investigates. Provisional credit is temporary. The issuer can remove it if the claim is denied.
Continue paying any amount that isn't in dispute, according to the statement and the issuer's instructions. The FTC says consumers who follow the billing-error procedure generally don't have to pay the disputed amount and related finance or other charges during the investigation. Keep watching your statements in case a temporary credit is reversed.
6. Respond if the merchant challenges the claim
If the merchant contests the chargeback, the issuer may ask you for a response. Meet the deadline in that notice and address the merchant's evidence directly.
A delivery scan doesn't necessarily resolve a claim that the item was materially different from its description. A merchant's refund promise doesn't prove the refund reached your account. A successful authentication check may matter in an unauthorized-charge dispute, but it doesn't answer every billing complaint.
Tell the issuer immediately if the merchant refunds you while the chargeback is pending. Otherwise you could receive duplicate credits that later have to be corrected.
7. Review the final decision
The issuer should explain whether it accepted or denied the dispute. If it denied the claim, ask for:
- The specific reason for the decision
- The applicable dispute category or network reason code
- The evidence the issuer relied on
- The deadline and method for requesting further review
A further network review may be called representment, pre-arbitration, or arbitration. It isn't a court case, and consumers normally communicate through the issuer rather than directly with the card network.
Important chargeback deadlines
There is no single deadline for every chargeback. The payment method, type of error, card issuer, and network rules all matter.
| Stage | General U.S. timing or rule |
|---|---|
| Credit-card billing-error notice | Written notice must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent |
| Issuer acknowledgment | The issuer generally must acknowledge a proper written complaint within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue |
| Issuer investigation | The issuer generally must resolve the billing-error dispute within two complete billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the notice |
| Merchant response | The acquirer or issuer notice sets the response deadline; there is no single consumer-facing period for every merchant |
| Debit-card or payment-app dispute | Use the provider's process and report the problem promptly; the credit-card 60-day rule doesn't automatically apply |
The FTC's billing-error guidance explains the 60-day written-notice deadline and the issuer's acknowledgment and investigation periods.
That 60-day rule is tied to qualifying credit-card billing errors and the formal FCBA procedure. It isn't a universal deadline measured from the purchase date, and it doesn't automatically govern debit cards or payment apps. If a problem appears later, such as a delayed shipment, contact the issuer immediately and ask whether another dispute route or an extension is available.
Chargeback reason codes and evidence
Visa, Mastercard, and other payment networks use reason codes or dispute categories. The labels and numbers vary by network and can change, so the code on the issuer's notice is more useful than a generic online list.
The category helps determine what facts and documents matter:
| Dispute category | Consumer evidence | Evidence a merchant may submit |
|---|---|---|
| Unauthorized transaction | Fraud report, account alerts, card status, and records showing you didn't make or approve the purchase | Authentication results, device or account activity, delivery details, and records of prior authorized use |
| Goods or services not received | Order confirmation, promised delivery date, tracking history, and messages to the seller | Tracking tied to the order and delivery address, signature, pickup record, or service-completion records |
| Not as described or defective | Listing or contract saved at purchase, photographs, communications, and return or complaint records | Product description, specifications, customer communications, return instructions, and inspection records |
| Refund or credit not received | Merchant's refund promise, refund reference, return tracking, and statements after the promised date | Refund transaction record, date submitted, amount, and method used |
| Duplicate or incorrect amount | Receipt, invoice, authorization record, and a statement showing both charges or the wrong amount | Order ledger, void or settlement records, and proof that one transaction was canceled |
| Recurring charge after cancellation | Cancellation request, confirmation, terms, and dates of charges after cancellation | Consent records, cancellation policy, cancellation timestamp, and evidence of activity after the alleged cancellation |
Submit evidence that answers the actual reason for the dispute. Proof that an order was delivered may not settle a claim about a defective product. A cancellation email may not prove that a recurring charge was unauthorized from the beginning.
Merchant representment: what businesses should do
A merchant that receives a chargeback notice normally works through its acquiring bank or payment processor. The merchant can accept the reversal or submit a representment package by the stated deadline.
A useful response should:
- Identify the transaction and dispute category.
- State the facts in date order.
- Answer the specific allegation instead of repeating a general denial.
- Attach relevant records, such as delivery proof, authorization data, refund records, cancellation logs, or customer messages.
- Explain what each document proves.
- Submit the package through the required processor or acquirer channel.
Merchants shouldn't send a full card number, password, or unnecessary personal information. They also shouldn't contest a valid claim only because the transaction was approved. Authorization, delivery, product description, refund handling, and cancellation evidence answer different questions.
If the merchant receives a second-stage request, the new notice controls the deadline and submission format. A consumer who receives a rebuttal request should answer the merchant's evidence through the issuer by the date shown in that notice.
Chargeback dispute letter template
Use the issuer's billing-inquiries address and adjust the facts to your situation:
[Date]
[Card issuer's billing-inquiries address]
Re: Account ending in [last four digits]
Disputed transaction: [$ amount] on [date] from [merchant]
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing to dispute the transaction identified above. I believe it is a billing error because [state the facts clearly: I did not authorize it; the goods were not delivered; the amount is incorrect; or the merchant accepted my return but did not credit my account].
I contacted the merchant on [dates] by [method]. The result was [state the response, or say that no response was received].
Please investigate this dispute under the applicable billing-error procedures and send me written confirmation of the result. I have enclosed copies of [list receipts, statements, tracking records, correspondence, photographs, or other evidence].
I am disputing [$ amount]. I will continue to pay any amount that is not in dispute according to my account terms.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Mailing address]
[Phone or email]Keep the original documents. If the issuer provides a form or asks you to submit the dispute online, complete it, but don't assume an app submission replaces a written FCBA notice when the deadline is close.
Mistakes that can weaken a dispute
- Waiting for the merchant. A promised investigation or refund doesn't pause the issuer's deadline.
- Using the wrong date. For the FCBA process, count from when the statement containing the error was sent, not from the purchase date or payment due date.
- Relying only on a phone call. A call can start the process, but written notice creates a stronger record for a credit-card billing error.
- Calling a recognized purchase fraud. Explain the real issue, such as non-delivery, a duplicate charge, or a canceled subscription.
- Disputing more than necessary. Identify the exact transaction and amount.
- Ignoring a provisional-credit reversal. Read every notice and respond by the stated deadline.
- Submitting weak or unrelated evidence. Use records that prove the date, amount, authorization, delivery, cancellation, refund, or condition at issue.
- Keeping both a merchant refund and a chargeback credit. Notify the issuer if the merchant resolves the matter.
What to do if the issuer denies the chargeback
Ask the issuer for the denial reason and the evidence it considered. If you have new records, submit them through the issuer's appeal or reconsideration process before its deadline.
If you sent a timely written billing-error notice and believe the issuer failed to acknowledge it, investigated the wrong issue, or gave no meaningful explanation, keep copies of your letter, delivery proof, statements, and correspondence. You can submit a complaint through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint portal. A CFPB complaint can request a company response, but it doesn't guarantee that the charge will be reversed and doesn't replace the original dispute deadline.
For a debit card, payment app, or bank transfer, escalate through that provider's complaint process instead of relying on credit-card rules.
If the charge is still on a consumer credit card, pull the statement that first listed it, confirm the billing-inquiries address, and get written notice to the issuer before that 60-day receipt deadline. If it's a debit, prepaid, or app payment, use that provider's error process today rather than waiting on credit-card timing.