A chargeback is a request to your card issuer to reverse a transaction. Typical reasons include an unauthorized charge, a duplicate payment, merchandise that never arrived, or a refund a merchant promised but never processed.

It isn't a merchant refund. The seller starts a refund. You start a chargeback with the bank or card issuer, which investigates and may send the dispute through the card network. The outcome isn't automatic, and the rules depend on whether you used a credit card or a debit card.

These deadlines and letter rules apply to U.S.-issued cards. If the card was issued in another country, use that issuer's local process instead of assuming the U.S. calendar applies.

Chargeback versus refund

Question Merchant refund Chargeback
Who starts it? The merchant The cardholder through the issuer
Why use it? A return, cancellation, or goodwill resolution An unauthorized charge or unresolved billing problem
Who decides? Usually the merchant under its policy The issuer, using applicable law and card-network rules
What happens first? The merchant submits a credit to the card The issuer opens a dispute and may issue temporary credit
Can the result change? A refund can be delayed or corrected by the merchant Provisional credit can be reversed after investigation

For a delivery, quality, or cancellation problem, contacting the merchant first is often faster, and the messages become a useful record. Suspected fraud is different. You don't need to wait for a seller response before you report it.

When a chargeback may be appropriate

A dispute can make sense when you didn't authorize the transaction, or you still don't recognize it after checking the merchant name on the statement, household purchases, and recurring subscriptions. The same is true if you were charged twice, billed the wrong amount, or never received the goods or services as agreed.

It may also fit when the item was materially different from its description or arrived damaged, and the seller hasn't resolved the problem; when you returned the item and a promised credit never appeared; or when a recurring charge continued after you canceled under the subscription terms.

A chargeback generally isn't a substitute for changing your mind or ignoring a return policy the seller clearly disclosed. Describe the actual problem. Calling a legitimate purchase "fraud" because a return was denied can weaken the dispute.

The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on disputing credit-card charges gives examples such as an item not being delivered, an overcharge, a returned purchase, or a charge you didn't make.

Credit cards and debit cards have different protections

U.S. credit-card billing errors

For a credit-card billing error covered by the Fair Credit Billing Act, send written notice to the issuer's billing-inquiries address within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent to you. The deadline is tied to that statement date, not necessarily the purchase date.

Your letter should identify:

The FTC says that the issuer generally must acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue. It must resolve the dispute within two complete billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the complaint.

An online form or phone call may open the issuer's internal case. Send written notice anyway if you want the FCBA billing-error procedure. Use the billing-inquiries address, which may differ from the address where you send payments. Keep a copy and proof of delivery.

Debit-card disputes

The FCBA credit-card procedure doesn't automatically apply to a debit-card transaction. Debit cards use a different legal and bank process, and the deadline can depend on the type of transaction and when you noticed it.

Report an unauthorized or incorrect debit immediately using the number on the back of the card. Ask:

  1. What is the deadline for this type of dispute?
  2. Does the bank require a written statement or a form?
  3. Will it issue temporary credit during the investigation?
  4. What documents and follow-up dates should you keep?

Don't wait for the 60-day credit-card deadline if a debit card is involved. Prompt reporting gives you the best chance of preserving whatever protections apply.

Choose the right first step

Problem First step Useful evidence
Unrecognized or unauthorized charge Contact the issuer immediately and secure the card Statement, fraud report, account alerts
Wrong amount or duplicate charge Ask the merchant to correct it, then dispute if needed Receipt, order confirmation, statement
Order never arrived Contact the merchant after the promised delivery date Order record, delivery promise, tracking, messages
Item was damaged or not as described Follow the seller's return or replacement process Photos, listing, return request, seller response
Refund never appeared Ask when and how the merchant processed it Refund confirmation, return tracking, statement
Subscription charged after cancellation Cancel in writing and dispute any later charge Cancellation confirmation, terms, renewal notice

Canceling the card doesn't necessarily cancel a subscription contract. If you no longer want recurring billing, cancel with the merchant and save the confirmation. You can also ask the issuer how to handle future unauthorized recurring charges.

How to file a card chargeback

1. Check the transaction

Read the statement closely. A merchant may bill under a legal company name, a parent company, a payment processor, or a name that doesn't match the storefront. Check whether someone in the household made the purchase, or whether a hotel, car rental company, or subscription posted a delayed charge.

If the charge is still unauthorized, call the issuer right away rather than spending days trying to identify the merchant.

2. Contact the merchant when appropriate

For an order, service, return, or refund problem, send a short written request. State the transaction date, amount, problem, and remedy you want. Give the seller a reasonable chance to correct it, but don't let that conversation push you past the issuer's dispute deadline.

Save the response, including a refusal, a promised refund date, or a request for more information.

3. Secure the account

For suspected fraud, use the phone number on the back of the card or in the issuer's official app. Ask whether the card should be locked or replaced, and scan recent activity for other unauthorized charges. Change a compromised shopping-account password, and don't reuse a password shared with other accounts.

4. Gather focused evidence

Include documents that prove the specific issue. Depending on the dispute, that might be:

Send copies rather than irreplaceable originals. Redact unrelated account numbers, passwords, and sensitive personal information unless the issuer specifically requests them.

5. Submit the dispute through the issuer

Use the issuer's online dispute form or call center for immediate assistance. For a credit-card billing error covered by the FCBA, also send a written notice to the billing-inquiries address before the 60-day deadline.

Be specific. "I don't like this purchase" is weaker than: "The $84.20 order appeared on my statement dated May 3. The merchant promised delivery by May 10, but it was not delivered. I contacted the merchant on May 12 and May 18, and no replacement or refund was provided."

Ask for a case number, the expected response date, and the correct way to send additional evidence.

6. Monitor the investigation

The issuer may post a temporary credit while it investigates. That credit isn't necessarily final. It can be removed if the issuer later decides the charge was valid.

Keep paying the part of the statement you don't dispute. Follow the issuer's instructions about the disputed amount, and watch for requests for more information. Missing a response deadline can close the claim even when you have relevant evidence.

What happens after you file?

The usual process is:

  1. The issuer records your claim and reviews the information.
  2. It may send the dispute through the card network to the merchant's payment bank.
  3. The merchant can accept the dispute or submit evidence, such as delivery records, transaction details, or communications.
  4. The issuer reviews the available information and sends a decision.
  5. Any temporary credit may become permanent or be reversed.

There is no single chargeback timeline for every card, transaction type, or reason. Card-network procedures and issuer policies can differ. For a covered U.S. credit-card billing error, the FCBA acknowledgment and 90-day resolution limits above are more useful than a generic chart claiming that every dispute takes 7, 30, or 120 days.

Card-network rules also aren't the same thing as a federal consumer right. A transaction might qualify for an issuer's network dispute process without giving you every protection available for a statutory credit-card billing error.

If the issuer denies the dispute

Read the decision carefully. It may say the merchant provided delivery evidence, the transaction matched your account activity, the cancellation occurred too late, or the claim was filed outside the applicable period.

If you disagree:

If the merchant later gives you a refund while the chargeback is pending, tell the issuer. Receiving both a refund and a chargeback credit can create a new account problem.

Written dispute letter template

The FTC's sample dispute letter can help you prepare a written notice. Adapt it to the facts and send it to the issuer's billing-inquiries address.

[Date]

[Card issuer]
[Billing inquiries address]

Re: Dispute of $[amount] charge dated [transaction date]

I am writing to dispute a charge of $[amount] to my [credit/debit] card account. The charge appeared on the statement sent on [statement date].

I believe this charge is incorrect because [the item was not delivered / I was overcharged / I returned the item / I did not authorize the transaction / other accurate reason].

Please investigate and correct the account. I have enclosed copies of [list receipts, messages, tracking records, cancellation confirmation, or other evidence].

Please confirm receipt of this dispute.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Mailing address]
[Account number or last four digits, if requested]

For a debit-card dispute, ask the bank whether it requires a different form or statement. Keep the letter, enclosures, mailing proof, and any confirmation number.

Common chargeback mistakes

The claim often fails for timing or category errors: waiting on the merchant until the issuer's deadline has passed, using the credit-card billing-error process on a debit transaction without asking about the correct procedure, or treating an unfamiliar merchant descriptor as fraud without checking the statement. Filing because you changed your mind, or because a disclosed return policy didn't go your way, is another weak path, especially if you label that as fraud.

Other problems are practical. A long emotional explanation is less useful than dates, amounts, and documents. Don't upload full card numbers, passwords, or unrelated personal records. Don't stop paying the undisputed portion of a credit-card bill, ignore issuer requests after temporary credit, or assume a chargeback is a guaranteed refund.

Pull the statement, note whether the card is credit or debit and the statement date, then contact the issuer through an official channel. If the problem is delivery, a return, or a subscription, save your merchant communications before you file.