For U.S. consumers, there isn't one non-delivery chargeback deadline. The answer depends on how you paid and which dispute process you use.

For a direct charge on a U.S.-issued credit card, the key federal deadline is 60 days after the first statement showing the charge was sent. A card-network dispute may use a longer window often described as up to 120 days, but the starting date depends on the transaction and dispute category. PayPal is separate: its U.S. Purchase Protection terms set a deadline of 30 days from delivery or fulfillment, or 180 days from payment, whichever comes first.

Contact the seller and the payment provider promptly. A seller conversation doesn't stop the clock, so use the shortest deadline that preserves the route you may need.

Chargeback deadlines by payment method

Payment route Deadline to watch What starts the clock What controls
Direct U.S.-issued credit card 60 days for a written FCBA billing-error notice The date the first statement with the error was sent Federal law and the issuer's billing-error process
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover network dispute Often described as up to 120 days, but not uniform The transaction date, promised delivery date, or another category-specific date Network rules as applied by the card issuer
PayPal Purchase Protection 30 days from delivery or fulfillment, or 180 days from payment, whichever is sooner The delivery or fulfillment date and the payment date PayPal's Purchase Protection terms
Debit or prepaid card No single non-delivery deadline The provider's rules The bank, card program, and applicable network rules
ACH or bank transfer No universal non-delivery deadline The bank or provider's policy The payment agreement and provider procedures

The 60-day FCBA deadline and a network's possible 120-day window are different things. A longer network window doesn't replace the written-notice requirement for the federal credit-card process.

The 60-day federal credit-card rule

The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) generally treats a charge for goods or services that weren't delivered as agreed as a billing error. To preserve that formal process, your written dispute must reach the card issuer within 60 days after the statement containing the error was sent.

Include enough information for the issuer to identify the transaction:

The FTC's guidance on disputing credit-card billing errors recommends writing to the issuer at the billing-inquiries address shown on your statement. That address may differ from the address used for payments. Keep a copy of the letter and proof that the issuer received it.

After receiving the notice, the issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the problem. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles and no later than 90 days after receiving the notice. While the investigation is pending, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges. Continue paying the part of the account that isn't disputed.

A statement may arrive before the promised delivery date, which can make the 60-day calculation awkward. The FTC says some issuers may extend the dispute period when a shipment is delayed. That isn't an automatic extension. Ask the issuer what it will do, and don't rely on an extension without confirming it.

How the 120-day network window fits in

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover have separate network procedures. The often-quoted 120-day period is a useful warning point, not one federal deadline that applies identically to every transaction.

For a merchandise-or-services-not-received dispute, the issuer may need to look at the transaction date, the promised or expected delivery date, and any revised delivery date. The issuer also decides which dispute category fits the facts. Ask the issuer for the deadline that applies to your transaction rather than assuming the same clock applies to every card brand.

For a preorder, backorder, custom product, or future service, save the promised date in the order confirmation. If the seller proposes a later date and you accept it, keep that message and your response. A revised date may affect a network calculation, but it doesn't automatically extend the 60-day FCBA period.

You don't need to identify a network reason code when you open the dispute. Describe the problem plainly as merchandise or services not received, give the expected date, and provide the records you have. The card issuer handles the consumer dispute; the card network's general customer service isn't a substitute for contacting the issuer.

Don't confuse your filing window with the merchant's response deadline. Once a dispute is opened, the acquiring bank or processor sends the merchant a response cutoff. That deadline may be much shorter than the time the consumer had to report the problem.

PayPal's deadline is separate

PayPal Purchase Protection is not the same as a card-network chargeback. PayPal's U.S. Purchase Protection terms say a dispute must be opened within whichever comes first:

  1. 30 days after the delivery or fulfillment date, or
  2. 180 days after the payment was sent to the seller.

Open the dispute from the transaction in PayPal's Resolution Center as soon as you know the seller won't deliver or refund you. Follow the instructions in the case if PayPal requires you to escalate the dispute.

If you funded PayPal with a credit card, a separate dispute with the card issuer may also be available. The PayPal deadline and the issuer's deadline aren't necessarily the same. Tell the issuer that PayPal was involved, and report any PayPal refund or decision. Don't seek duplicate recovery without disclosing the other case.

The FTC shipping rule doesn't extend a chargeback deadline

The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule generally requires a seller to ship by the date it promised. If no shipping date was stated, the seller generally must ship within 30 days. When the seller can't meet the deadline, it usually must send a delay notice and give the buyer a chance to cancel and receive a refund.

That rule governs the seller's shipping and refund obligations. It doesn't run the card-dispute process and doesn't automatically extend an issuer's or PayPal's deadline. The FTC's guidance for products you never received covers both issues.

Pick the route that matches the payment

Start with the payment method, not the merchant's preferred support channel:

What to do before the deadline

1. Record the dates

Write down:

If the 60-day FCBA period is close, send the written notice to the issuer now. Waiting for the seller's answer doesn't preserve the deadline.

2. Give the seller a clear choice

Write to the seller and ask for delivery by an agreed date or a full refund. Keep the request, the reply, any delay notice, and tracking information. Seller contact may solve the problem, but it should happen alongside, not instead of, protecting your payment dispute.

3. Save evidence

Useful records include:

A tracking number showing that a shipping label was created isn't proof of delivery. If tracking says the package was delivered but you didn't receive it, explain the problem with the address, signature, delivery photo, carrier record, or other delivery detail and include related carrier correspondence.

4. Send the credit-card notice correctly

Use the billing-dispute address on the statement. Follow the issuer's instructions if it accepts disputes online or by telephone, but written notice is the safer way to preserve the FCBA process.

You can use wording such as:

I dispute the $___ charge from [merchant] dated [date]. The [item or service] wasn't delivered as agreed. The promised delivery date was [date], and I asked the merchant for a refund on [date]. Please treat this as a billing-error notice and correct the disputed charge. Copies of the statement, order confirmation, tracking record, and merchant correspondence are attached.

Send copies rather than irreplaceable originals. Don't include a full card number unless the issuer specifically asks for it.

5. Follow the case

Keep the case number, submission date, and every follow-up. If the issuer gives you a temporary credit, don't assume the matter is finally resolved. Respond if it asks for more information, and keep paying the undisputed part of the account.

If the issuer denies the dispute, request the reason and ask whether it will review additional evidence. Point to the promised delivery date, the missing delivery confirmation, and any refund promise that wasn't honored. If the issuer misses the FCBA acknowledgment or resolution time frames, keep your records and consider using its complaint process or a government consumer complaint channel.

Situations that change the analysis

The seller says it shipped the package

Shipping isn't the same as delivery. A label-creation scan alone does little to show that the package reached the agreed destination. The outcome can depend on the final carrier record, the transaction terms, and whether the seller and buyer agreed to a later delivery date.

The seller offered a later delivery date

Keep the original promise, the delay notice, and your response. If you accepted the new date, wait until that date passes before calling the revised promise missed, unless the seller has already refused to deliver or refund. Ask the issuer how the change affects the network deadline.

Only part of the order arrived

Dispute only the undelivered portion and explain what you received. The issuer may need a calculation showing the amount tied to the missing goods or services.

The item arrived but wasn't as described

That is usually a different dispute from non-delivery. Gather the product description, photos, return request, and seller's return policy. If you returned the item and the promised refund never appeared, describe the problem as a missing refund or credit.

Common questions

Can I file after 120 days?

You can still ask the issuer whether an exception or another dispute route is available, particularly when the promised delivery date was later or the seller gave misleading delay information. Approval isn't guaranteed. If the 60-day FCBA period has also passed, the statutory billing-error process may no longer be available.

Does contacting the seller extend the deadline?

No. Seller contact can create useful evidence, but it doesn't automatically pause or reset the card issuer's deadline.

Is PayPal's deadline always 180 days?

No. PayPal's U.S. terms also refer to 30 days from delivery or fulfillment, whichever comes first. Open the case promptly and check the terms and instructions attached to the transaction.

Find the date the first credit-card statement was sent and the promised delivery date today. If the 60-day period is approaching, send the written notice to the issuer before waiting for the merchant or PayPal to finish its review.