An unwanted subscription charge can be disputed, but a chargeback is not a guaranteed refund. First cancel the subscription, save proof of the cancellation, and ask the billing company to refund the charge. If the company won't fix a genuine billing error, send your card issuer or bank a factual dispute.

This template is for subscriptions paid with a credit card or debit card. An ACH debit from a checking account follows a different electronic-transfer process, so contact your bank instead of assuming credit-card chargeback rules apply. If your card or account may have been stolen, call the issuer immediately.

Free subscription chargeback letter template

The Federal Trade Commission's sample dispute letter uses four basic elements: your account information, the transaction details, an explanation of the error, and copies of supporting documents. Change the wording below so it matches what actually happened.

[Your full name]
[Your mailing address]
[City, State, ZIP code]
[Email address]
[Phone number]
[Date]

[Card issuer or bank name]
[Billing-dispute address shown on your statement]
[City, State, ZIP code]

Subject: Dispute of subscription charge

Account ending in: [Last four digits]
Merchant: [Company name as shown on statement]
Charge date: [Month Day, Year]
Amount: [$00.00]

Dear Billing Inquiries Department:

I am writing to dispute a charge of [$00.00] posted to my
[credit card or debit card] on [date]. The charge is incorrect because:

[Explain the facts clearly. For example: "I canceled the subscription
on [date] through [website, email, or phone]. The cancellation
confirmation is attached, but the merchant charged me on [date]."]

Subscription or account details:
[Plan name, account email, order number, or transaction reference]

I contacted the merchant on [date] by [method]. The response was:
[Briefly describe the response, or say that no response was received.]

Please investigate this transaction and correct the account if the
charge is found to be an error. Please send me the result of your
investigation in writing.

Enclosures: [List copies of statements, cancellation confirmation,
emails, screenshots, receipts, or other evidence.]

Sincerely,

[Your full name]
[Account ending in last four digits]

Send copies, not original documents. Don't put your full card number in an ordinary email. When you use an issuer's app or online form, save the confirmation number and a copy of the information you submitted.

For a credit-card dispute, use the billing inquiries address printed on your statement, not the address used for payments. The FTC sample letter makes this distinction.

Use the reason that fits the facts

Keep the explanation short and specific. Include the charge date, amount, cancellation date, and any confirmation number. Use language such as the following only when it's accurate:

A missed cancellation during a free trial isn't automatically fraud. If you signed up and the disclosed terms said the trial would renew unless canceled, describe that honestly and ask for a courtesy refund. A dispute is more appropriate when there is a real billing error, an authorization problem, a duplicate charge, or another fact that makes the charge incorrect.

Visa and Mastercard reason codes are internal categories used during an issuer's review. You usually don't need to name one in your letter. Dates, plain facts, and relevant documents will be more useful.

Steps to dispute a recurring subscription charge

1. Identify the business that billed you

Start with the statement descriptor, receipt, confirmation email, and subscription account. The name on the statement may belong to an app store, payment platform, parent company, or the service itself.

An unfamiliar name isn't necessarily fraud. Check household accounts and app-store purchase history first. If the charge still appears unauthorized, call the number on the back of your card or use your bank's official website.

2. Cancel and save proof

Cancel through the account or platform that manages the subscription. Keep:

• The cancellation confirmation
• A screenshot showing the date and time
• The cancellation email or support ticket
• The renewal terms
• The account, order, or confirmation number

Deleting an app usually doesn't cancel its subscription. Replacing a card isn't a dependable substitute for canceling the service either.

A phone cancellation can be harder to prove later. Write down the date, time, representative's name, and confirmation number, if one was provided.

3. Ask the merchant for a refund

For an ordinary billing problem, contact the merchant and state exactly what you want: the charge date, amount, cancellation date, and a refund. Save the reply, including a refusal or a promise to refund.

The FTC's guidance on free trials and auto-renewals advises consumers to check when and how much they will be charged and how cancellation works. It also says to dispute a charge promptly when the consumer was charged without consent and the company won't provide a refund.

Don't let a merchant conversation make you miss an issuer deadline. You can tell the issuer that you tried to resolve the matter and attach the support record. For a clearly fraudulent charge, or when contacting the merchant could put you at risk, go straight to the issuer.

4. Notify the issuer or bank

Call the number on the back of the card and ask how to submit the dispute. Follow the issuer's instructions even if you have already mailed the template.

The payment method determines which process applies:

For many U.S. credit-card billing-error claims, written notice generally must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the charge was sent. That isn't a universal deadline for every subscription, debit-card transaction, or payment network. Debit-card and ACH deadlines can work differently, so report those transactions immediately.

A pending charge may need to post before the issuer opens a formal dispute. Ask about that when you call, but don't wait to cancel the subscription or save your records.

5. Ask about stopping future payments

Merchant cancellation and an issuer's payment block are separate steps. If the company won't stop billing, the FTC advises contacting your card company and asking about stopping the payments.

A block may prevent a future transaction, but it doesn't necessarily cancel the subscription contract or resolve a charge that has already posted. Get cancellation confirmation from the merchant whenever possible.

6. Keep track of the case

Record the dispute date, case number, representative's name, documents sent, and any temporary credit. Check later statements for the decision and for additional subscription charges.

If the merchant later issues a refund, tell the issuer. That can prevent confusion about the amount still in dispute or a duplicate credit.

Evidence that can help

Put the documents in date order and mark the disputed charge on the statement. Useful records include:

• The statement showing the merchant, date, and amount
• The original receipt or subscription confirmation
• The terms showing the price, trial period, and renewal date
• A cancellation email, screenshot, or support transcript
• The merchant's refund decision or promise
• App-store receipts or account history
• A brief timeline of sign-up, cancellation, charge, and contacts
• Evidence of a duplicate charge or incorrect amount

A cancellation timestamp before the disputed renewal is stronger than a general statement that the service was "canceled." If the cancellation happened by phone, include the call details and confirmation number.

The issuer may ask whether you used the service after cancellation. Answer accurately. Continued access can be relevant, but it doesn't alone determine whether a post-cancellation charge was valid.

Apple, streaming, gym, and SaaS subscriptions

Apple-billed subscriptions

When Apple billed the card, use Apple's account and refund tools rather than asking the app developer to process the refund:

1. Follow Apple's cancellation instructions.
2. Submit a refund request through Apple's official refund process.
3. Keep the Apple receipt, cancellation record, and refund decision.
4. If the subscription isn't listed under Apple Subscriptions, check whether another Apple Account or a third party billed you.

Apple says refund eligibility can vary by country or region, and its refund portal can't be used while a charge is still pending. If Apple doesn't resolve a genuine card billing error, give the issuer your Apple records. Don't call an authorized purchase fraud simply because Apple declined a refund.

Gym memberships

Use the gym's required cancellation method, which might be a portal, email, form, or in-person request. Save the cancellation confirmation and membership terms.

A charge after a confirmed cancellation is different from a charge during a notice period that the contract clearly required. Compare the dates before disputing the payment.

Streaming and SaaS services

Check whether you bought the subscription directly or through an app store. For a direct subscription, save the account page, renewal notice, cancellation record, and support conversation. If the company says cancellation takes effect at the end of a billing period, compare that policy with the disputed charge date.

Why the issuer may deny the dispute

A template can't guarantee a reversal. An issuer may deny a dispute when:

• The evidence shows the charge was authorized and the subscription wasn't canceled before renewal
• The cancellation request came after the disputed billing date
• The merchant descriptor was unfamiliar but the transaction was otherwise authorized
• The account received the paid service during the disputed period
• The claim uses a different or inaccurate reason than what happened
• The merchant already issued a refund for the same amount
• The notice or required documents were submitted too late

Don't submit the same charge under several reasons or call an authorized renewal fraud. An accurate account is safer and gives the issuer something specific to investigate.

If the issuer rejects the dispute

Read the decision and ask for the specific reason for the denial. If the issuer offers an appeal or reconsideration process, send a concise timeline and any missing evidence before its deadline.

A partial refund changes the amount at issue. Clarify the remaining balance instead of disputing the full transaction. Treat a new recurring charge as a separate transaction and include the earlier cancellation record.

For a problem with a U.S. bank or card issuer's handling of the dispute, you can submit a complaint through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Include the issuer's response, case number, letter, and supporting evidence. A complaint creates an escalation channel, but it doesn't guarantee that the charge will be reversed.

This information is for U.S. consumers and isn't legal advice. Find the payment method and statement descriptor first, then cancel the subscription, save the records, and send an accurate dispute before the applicable deadline.