If a U.S. credit card statement shows a charge you believe is wrong, start with the issuer. A qualifying billing error generally must reach the issuer in writing within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent to you. The purchase date isn't the starting point.
Ask the merchant to fix the problem, too. A prompt refund can solve things. Don't wait for a promise if the 60-day period is moving.
A chargeback is the payment system's review of a disputed transaction. The issuer may ask the merchant or its bank for records before deciding whether the charge stays. Consumers normally deal with the issuer, not the card network.
The deadline that matters first
Turns out, the statement starts the clock.
The FTC's guidance on credit card billing errors tells consumers to send a written dispute for a qualifying error. Use the billing-inquiries address printed on your statement, not an ordinary payment address.
| Part of the process | Rule or time limit | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Written dispute | The issuer must receive it within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent to you | Send a clear notice to the billing-inquiries address |
| Acknowledgment | Generally within 30 days of receiving the dispute, unless the issuer has already resolved the problem | Save the written acknowledgment |
| Investigation and decision | The issuer must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles and no later than 90 days after receiving your letter | Watch for requests for more information |
| Payment while the dispute is pending | You do not have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges during the investigation | Keep paying amounts you do not dispute |
A phone call can alert the issuer, but it may not provide the full protection of a written notice. Follow up in writing.
A chargeback is not the same as a billing-error notice
People use "billing error" and "chargeback" as if they were interchangeable. They aren't.
Your written notice starts the credit-card billing-error process. A chargeback is the payment-system workflow that may follow, with the issuer, card network, merchant, and merchant's payment provider exchanging information.
Your letter goes to the issuer. The merchant answers through its payment channel.
| Problem | Facts to make clear to the issuer |
|---|---|
| Unauthorized charge | Identify the exact transaction and say that you did not authorize it |
| Goods or services never received | Give the promised delivery or service date and explain what happened |
| Wrong amount or duplicate charge | Compare the statement with the receipt, invoice, or order summary |
| Refund not showing | Include the merchant's refund promise, date, amount, and any later statement |
Give the issuer dates, amounts, and records that support your account. That makes the issue easier to identify, but it can't guarantee the result.
How to dispute a credit card charge step by step
Use this order.
- Find the first statement showing the error. Write down when it was sent. The 60-day period follows that statement, not necessarily the purchase date.
- Contact the merchant promptly. Ask for a specific remedy, and keep the response. Email or another trackable method gives you a useful record.
- Write to the issuer. Use the billing-inquiries address on the statement. Check it carefully because the payment address may be different.
- Identify the transaction. Include the merchant name, transaction date, amount, and reason for the dispute. Attach copies of records that support your account.
- Send the notice early enough. The issuer must receive it within the 60-day period. Keep a complete copy and proof that you sent it.
- Answer follow-up questions. The issuer may request an order confirmation, messages, a refund record, or other information. Respond promptly and save what you submit.
- Pay the undisputed balance. The investigation concerns the challenged transaction, not the whole account.
- Track the issuer's dates. The FTC's instructions for disputing credit card charges describe the acknowledgment and resolution deadlines.
A delayed shipment can lead some issuers to extend the 60-day period. Ask about that possibility; don't assume it applies.
Build an evidence file that answers the real problem
Build a timeline before you start uploading files. It should show what you ordered, what the merchant promised, and what happened next.
A pile of screenshots is harder to follow.
| Dispute issue | Records that may clarify it |
|---|---|
| Unrecognized or unauthorized transaction | The statement, account alerts, order confirmations, and messages with the merchant |
| Goods never arrived | Order confirmation, promised delivery date, tracking information, and delivery-related messages |
| Refund missing | The merchant's refund confirmation, promised amount, date, and statements after the refund |
| Wrong amount or duplicate charge | Receipt, invoice, order summary, and the statement showing the charge |
| Service not provided | Appointment details, cancellation messages, service records, and communications about the missed service |
Mark the disputed line on a copy of the statement. Keep the originals.
Write down the purchase and promised dates. Add contact attempts, the merchant's response, any refund date, and the date you disputed the charge. Include gaps or missing replies; an incomplete timeline can make the account hard to follow.
How a merchant's evidence can affect the decision
Thing is, merchant records matter only if they address the allegation.
The merchant may send order details, delivery records, refund logs, cancellation terms, or customer messages. The issuer can consider those materials during its investigation.
Delivery proof may answer a claim that goods never arrived. It may not answer a separate dispute about a promised refund or a canceled service.
A receipt alone may not settle the matter. Neither does a tracking scan.
Terms can show what the parties agreed to. They don't by themselves show delivery, performance, or a posted refund.
What Visa, Mastercard, and American Express rules mean for you
Visa, Mastercard, and American Express have their own operating procedures for disputed transactions. Those procedures tell issuers, merchants, and payment providers how to exchange information.
Those procedures are not your consumer deadline.
A merchant's processor may give it a response date. That date can vary by network, dispute category, issuer, and case notice.
You generally don't file merchant representment documents or network arbitration filings yourself. If the issuer asks for information, follow its instructions and meet the date it gives you.
If the issuer denies the dispute
Read the denial closely. Start with the stated reason.
Ask which fact or document drove the decision. If you have new evidence, answer that point directly instead of sending the same explanation again. Check the basics too: the amount, date, delivery record, or refund detail.
Ask whether the issuer offers another review or a formal complaint process. Keep a dated log of calls, letters, uploads, and responses.
To be honest, a refund promise can muddy the record. Ask the merchant for the refund date, amount, and transaction reference, then compare those details with later statements. A promised refund isn't a posted refund.
If the 60-day period has passed, contact the issuer anyway. The federal billing-error process may be limited, but the issuer can tell you whether another account or merchant procedure is available.
Mistakes that weaken otherwise valid disputes
Some avoidable choices can weaken a well-supported dispute:
- Waiting for the merchant's response until the 60-day period expires.
- Relying only on a phone call.
- Sending the notice to the payment address instead of the billing-inquiries address.
- Describing the problem generally without identifying the transaction.
- Mailing irreplaceable original documents.
- Stopping payment on the entire credit card balance.
- Treating a merchant's network response date as your consumer deadline.
Limits of this guide
This advice is for a U.S. credit card account and a qualifying credit card billing error. It doesn't set deadlines for debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH payments, wire transfers, or peer-to-peer payment services.
Keep the payment rail straight. The 60-day credit card rule does not automatically carry over to another one; the account agreement, provider rules, and applicable law may differ.
Merchant refund policies, card benefits, warranties, and network procedures are separate matters. One doesn't automatically replace another.
If the issuer says your claim doesn't fit its billing-error process, ask for that explanation in writing. Ask which dispute procedure it will use.
Open the statement now. Note when it was sent, mark the charge, copy your records, and send the written notice early enough for the issuer to receive it within 60 days.