A charge on a U.S. credit card statement may be disputable if you didn't authorize it, were charged the wrong amount, were charged twice, didn't receive what was agreed, or never received a promised credit. Start by contacting the card issuer and preparing a written notice. For the federal billing-error process, the issuer must receive that notice within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

That clock runs from the statement date, not necessarily from the purchase date or the date on an order email. Don't let a slow merchant response use up the 60-day window.

Is this a merchant refund or a card dispute?

People often use "chargeback" to mean any payment reversal, but the routes are different:

• Merchant refund: You ask the seller to reverse the purchase. The seller's return policy and the promises it made are central to this route.
• Credit card dispute: You ask the card issuer to investigate a billing problem. The issuer may request information from the merchant under card-network procedures.
• Debit card dispute: You contact your bank or debit-card provider. Different rules, deadlines, and procedures may apply.

A dispute isn't an automatic refund for a disappointing purchase. If you changed your mind and the seller followed its disclosed return policy, the issuer may not treat the transaction as a billing error. Describe the facts accurately. Don't call an authorized purchase fraud just because the merchant refused a return.

Check the transaction before filing

An unfamiliar billing name isn't necessarily an unauthorized charge. A parent company, payment processor, store location, subscription, or shortened billing descriptor may appear on the statement instead of the brand name you remember. Check receipts, order emails, subscriptions, account history, and household purchases first.

Write down:

• The merchant name exactly as it appears on the statement.
• The amount and transaction date shown there.
• The first statement on which the charge appeared.
• The order, delivery, return, or cancellation details that relate to the problem.

The purchase date in an email may differ from the statement date. The latter is the date that matters for the federal 60-day written-notice period.

Contact the seller when doing so is practical. Ask for the specific correction you want, such as a refund, replacement, cancellation, or explanation. Use the seller's official contact information and save the date, case number, messages, and response. Contacting the seller can help, but it doesn't replace written notice to the card issuer. If the charge is clearly fraudulent or contacting the seller could put you at risk, contact the issuer first.

Call the card issuer, then follow up in writing

Use the number on the back of the card or on a recent statement. Tell the representative that you want to dispute a charge and ask:

• Which address handles billing-error notices.
• Whether the issuer accepts disputes through a secure online account.
• Which documents it wants.
• Whether a separate fraud process applies.
• How it wants you to handle the disputed amount and any other amount due while it investigates.
• The deadline for responding to any follow-up request.

A phone call can alert the issuer, but don't assume it satisfies the federal written-notice requirement.

The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on disputing credit card charges says to write to the issuer. Follow the billing-dispute instructions on the statement. If the statement lists a separate billing-inquiries address, use that address rather than the payment address.

What to put in the written notice

The FTC sample letter for disputing credit and debit card charges provides a useful format. Your notice should include:

• Your name and the account identifier requested by the issuer.
• The disputed amount and transaction date.
• The merchant name as it appears on the statement.
• A short, factual explanation of the problem.
• The date and result of any contact with the seller.
• The correction you want.
• Copies of relevant receipts, invoices, delivery records, return documents, refund promises, or messages.

Send the notice through the channel the issuer specifies, and make sure it reaches the issuer within 60 days after the first statement with the error was sent. Keep a copy of the complete submission and proof that the issuer received it. Keep your original documents and send copies unless the issuer specifically asks for originals.

If you've changed addresses, there is an additional detail in the FTC guidance: to use these billing-error protections, the issuer must have received your written change of address at least 20 days before the billing period ended. Send an address change in writing rather than relying only on a phone call.

Match the evidence to the problem

The best attachments establish both what you bought and what went wrong:

A dated timeline is usually easier to review than a folder of unrelated screenshots. Label each attachment and explain what it proves.

A product or service that materially differed from what was promised may be handled through an issuer or card-network dispute procedure, but don't assume every quality complaint is a federal billing error. Ask the issuer which category fits the facts.

The issuer's deadlines

For a U.S. credit card billing error, the FTC identifies these key timeframes:

• Your 60-day deadline: The written notice must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
• The 30-day deadline: The issuer must acknowledge the complaint in writing within 30 days of receiving it, unless it has already resolved the problem.
• The 90-day deadline: The issuer must resolve the dispute within 90 days of receiving the complaint.

The issuer may ask for clarification or more documents. Monitor mail, secure messages, and the account, and answer requests by the stated deadline. Keep a record of every submission and conversation.

These are federal credit card billing-error timeframes. They aren't a universal deadline for every card-network claim, debit card transaction, prepaid account, payment app, or other payment method.

If the 60-day period has passed

Contact the issuer anyway. Explain the problem, ask whether another issuer or network dispute process is available, and provide the evidence you have. A different process may exist, but don't assume it carries the same federal protections or deadlines.

Report suspected fraud as soon as you notice it. Prompt reporting gives the issuer a better chance to investigate, even when a separate procedure applies.

If the issuer denies the dispute

Read the decision and compare its stated reason with the documents you submitted. If the issuer misunderstood the issue, send a concise response identifying the specific mistake and attaching only relevant information.

Ask the issuer:

• What information it relied on.
• Whether it can provide documents supporting the decision.
• Whether reconsideration or an internal appeal is available.
• The deadline and submission method for that next step.

If the merchant later issues a refund, check that it appears on your statement and tell the issuer so its records are accurate. If you believe the issuer ignored a timely written notice or failed to follow its stated process, preserve your records and use the issuer's formal complaint or escalation channel.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, and business cards

Don't apply the credit-card 60-day and 90-day timeline automatically to a debit, prepaid, or payment-app transaction. Contact the financial institution immediately, follow its instructions, and ask for the applicable deadline in writing.

A business card may not receive all the same consumer protections as a personal credit card. Ask the issuer which protections and dispute procedures apply to that account.

A short dispute-letter outline

You can adapt this structure:

Subject: Billing error dispute for [$ amount]

I am writing to dispute a charge of [$ amount] to my credit card account on [date]. The merchant is [name exactly as shown on the statement]. The problem is [brief factual explanation]. I contacted [merchant] on [date], and the result was [response or no response]. Please correct the disputed charge. Enclosed are copies of [list of relevant documents].

Use the issuer's specified billing-dispute channel, keep the originals, and save proof that the notice was received. If the first statement with the error is still within its 60-day window, sending that written notice should be your next step.