A credit card charge can be disputed when it is unauthorized, billed for the wrong amount, charged twice, or tied to goods or services that weren't delivered or provided as agreed. For the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) billing-error process, the issuer must receive your written dispute within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

A phone call or app submission may open a case, but don't rely on it alone when the deadline matters. Send a written notice to the billing-inquiries or billing-error address on your statement, keep proof that it arrived, and continue paying the part of the bill you aren't disputing.

This checklist is for U.S. consumer credit cards and other generally covered open-end credit accounts. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and payment apps use different rules.

Credit card charge dispute checklist

1. Identify the payment rail. Confirm that the transaction used a credit card rather than a debit card, bank account, or payment app.
2. Protect the account. For suspected fraud, lock the card if possible and call the number on the back of the card.
3. Check the details. Compare the merchant name, amount, date, digital-wallet records, and authorized-user activity with your receipts.
4. Name the problem. Decide whether it is fraud, an incorrect amount, a duplicate charge, non-delivery, a missing refund, or another billing error.
5. Contact the merchant when useful. Ask for a correction or refund for delivery, cancellation, or merchandise problems, but don't wait if the FCBA deadline is close.
6. Save the evidence. Keep statements, receipts, order records, tracking details, cancellation confirmations, photographs, and messages.
7. Send the dispute. Use the issuer's online or phone channel for speed, then send written notice to the correct billing address.
8. Keep a paper trail. Save the letter, attachments, delivery record, case number, credits, and responses.
9. Pay the undisputed balance. Withhold only the amount and related charges covered by the dispute, and follow the issuer's instructions.
10. Review the outcome. If the issuer denies the claim, read the reason, request supporting records, and provide focused new evidence.

What the FCBA covers

The FCBA generally covers billing errors on consumer credit-card accounts. Examples include:

• A transaction you or an authorized user didn't make
• An incorrect charge amount
• The same transaction charged more than once
• A payment that wasn't credited to the account
• Goods or services you didn't accept, or that weren't delivered or provided as agreed
• A calculation or statement error
• A charge for which you reasonably requested an explanation or documentary evidence

The law doesn't guarantee a refund for every dispute with a merchant. A product that is merely disappointing, a service-quality complaint, or an authorized purchase you later regret may need to be handled under the merchant's return policy, warranty, contract, or complaint process.

A defective or misdescribed item may still support a billing dispute when the evidence shows that it wasn't provided as agreed. The original transaction and the specific failure both matter.

A subscription renewal isn't automatically fraudulent just because you forgot about it. Check the cancellation terms and save the cancellation confirmation, renewal notice, and messages with the company. Disputing one renewal also may not cancel the subscription or stop future charges; cancel the subscription separately and ask the issuer how to prevent additional billing.

Chargeback and FCBA disputes aren't identical

A chargeback is the card issuer or card-network process used to reverse a card transaction. It can overlap with an FCBA billing-error claim, but network rules and issuer procedures aren't the same as federal law.

For that reason, don't rely on a generic Visa or Mastercard deadline. Ask the issuer which filing deadline and evidence requirements apply to your account. The FCBA deadline described below applies to a qualifying written billing-error notice.

The deadlines that matter

The 60-day period is tied to the first billing statement containing the error, not simply to the date you noticed the transaction. Calling the issuer, opening an online case, or contacting the merchant may not preserve the same statutory protection.

Send the letter early enough for it to arrive before the deadline. Use the billing-inquiries or billing-error address printed on the statement or supplied by the issuer. That address may be different from the payment address. Keep a copy of the letter, its attachments, and a trackable delivery record.

If you recently moved, update your address with the issuer in writing. To use the FCBA procedure in that situation, the issuer generally must have received the change of address at least 20 days before the billing period ends.

Even after 60 days have passed, report suspected fraud or another questionable charge. The issuer may review it under its own policy or card-network rules, although the FCBA protections may be harder to use.

How to dispute the charge

1. Check whether the transaction is really unauthorized

Statement descriptors don't always match a store or website name. Before reporting fraud, check receipts, digital-wallet activity, household purchases, and transactions made by authorized users.

If you still don't recognize the charge, call the issuer promptly. Ask whether the card should be locked or replaced and how the issuer wants the fraud claim submitted. Change passwords for any compromised accounts, and don't send full card details through ordinary email or text.

Unauthorized-use liability has rules separate from the FCBA billing-error notice procedure. Federal law generally limits a cardholder's liability for unauthorized use to $50, while an issuer or card network may provide broader zero-liability protection under its terms. Prompt reporting helps protect the account and stop further use.

2. Give the merchant a chance to fix a non-fraud problem

For a missing delivery, wrong item, cancellation, or refund problem, contact the merchant in writing when it's safe and practical. Describe what happened, identify the transaction or order, state the correction you want, and give a reasonable date for a response.

A merchant refund may resolve the problem faster than a formal dispute, and the exchange creates useful evidence. It doesn't extend the FCBA deadline. If the merchant delays, send the issuer's written notice before the 60 days expire.

3. Build a focused evidence file

A short timeline is usually more useful than a large pile of unexplained screenshots. Record:

• The transaction date, statement date, amount, and merchant descriptor
• What you bought or what service was promised
• The promised delivery or performance date
• When the problem occurred
• Your attempts to resolve it
• The merchant's response, or failure to respond
• The correction or refund you are requesting

Send copies rather than originals. Highlight the disputed transaction on the statement, and redact unrelated account information when possible.

4. Send the written dispute

An app or phone claim can be useful for speed, especially in a fraud case. Written notice is the safer way to invoke the FCBA process. Include enough information for the issuer to identify the account, statement, transaction, and error.

State the exact amount in dispute. If only part of a transaction is wrong, identify that portion instead of disputing the entire statement.

5. Monitor the investigation and your statements

Write down when the issuer received the dispute. The issuer generally must acknowledge it in writing within 30 days unless it resolves the issue sooner. It then has two complete billing cycles, but no more than 90 days, to investigate and notify you of the result.

Some issuers provide a temporary or provisional credit during the investigation. That credit isn't necessarily final. It can be reversed if the issuer decides the charge was valid, so review later statements and keep any reversal or denial notice.

During a qualifying FCBA investigation, you generally may withhold the disputed amount and related finance charges. You still must pay the rest of the bill on time. If the minimum payment includes a disputed amount, ask the issuer how it wants the account handled and keep a record of the answer.

Tell the issuer if the merchant later issues a refund. A merchant refund and a dispute credit can result in a later balance correction or reversal.

What to include in a dispute letter

Keep the letter factual and specific. Include:

• Your name and mailing address
• The account number or last four digits, as the issuer requires
• The statement date on which the charge first appeared
• The transaction date, merchant name, and disputed amount
• A brief explanation of the error
• The correction you want
• A list of attached documents
• Your signature and contact information

Use this template:

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]

[Card issuer name]
Attn: Billing Inquiries or Billing Error Disputes
[Address shown on your statement]

Re: Disputed charge on account ending in [last four digits]

Dear Sir or Madam:

I dispute a charge of $[amount] from [merchant] dated [transaction date].
The charge first appeared on the statement sent on [statement date].

This is a billing error because [brief, factual explanation. For example:
the goods were not delivered, the amount is incorrect, the transaction is
unauthorized, or the charge is a duplicate].

Please investigate this dispute under the Fair Credit Billing Act, correct my
account if an error occurred, and send me the written results of your
investigation. If you determine that no billing error occurred, please provide
the documentary evidence supporting that conclusion.

I have enclosed copies of [list documents].

Sincerely,

[Signature]
[Printed name]
[Phone or email]

The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on using credit cards and disputing charges includes a sample billing-error letter and additional instructions.

Evidence for common disputes

Evidence should show both the original transaction and the error. A screenshot of a merchant conversation is stronger when it includes the date, order reference, and the merchant's actual response.

If the issuer denies the dispute

A denial may reflect a late notice, an authorized transaction, a merchant response, or incomplete evidence. Read the explanation before sending anything else.

1. Request the supporting records. Ask for the documents or transaction data used to reach the decision if they weren't included.
2. Answer the stated reason. Submit a concise reconsideration through the issuer's stated channel. Add new evidence rather than repeating the original description.
3. Check the balance. If a temporary credit was reversed, confirm the new amount due and ask about available payment arrangements.
4. Report process problems. If the issuer failed to acknowledge, investigate, explain, or correctly handle a timely written dispute, submit a complaint through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint portal.
5. Consider further help. For a substantial amount or a possible federal-law violation, a consumer attorney or legal-aid organization can review the facts.

A CFPB complaint gives the issuer an opportunity to respond. It isn't an automatic charge reversal and doesn't replace the issuer's dispute process.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for the merchant until the 60-day FCBA deadline is nearly over
• Sending the letter to the payment address instead of the billing-inquiries address
• Treating a phone call or app confirmation as proof that written notice arrived
• Disputing the entire bill when only part of one transaction is wrong
• Failing to pay undisputed charges
• Calling an authorized purchase fraud because the product or service was disappointing
• Assuming a temporary credit is permanent
• Ignoring a reversed credit or final denial
• Filing duplicate disputes without explaining what new evidence was added
• Applying credit-card rules to a debit card, prepaid card, bank transfer, or payment app

Common questions

How long do I have to dispute a credit card charge?

For the FCBA billing-error process, the issuer generally must receive your written notice within 60 days after the first bill containing the error was sent. Report fraud or any unrecognized charge sooner.

Is calling the issuer enough?

A call can start the issuer's internal process, but written notice is the safer method for using FCBA protections. Ask where to send a billing-error letter and keep proof that it arrived.

Do I have to contact the merchant first?

For a merchant-related problem, contacting the merchant first is often practical and creates useful evidence. It isn't a reason to miss the 60-day deadline. Send the issuer's written dispute while there is still time. Fraud reports should go directly to the issuer.

Can I stop paying the bill during a dispute?

Generally, you may withhold the disputed amount and related finance charges during a qualifying FCBA investigation, but you must pay undisputed amounts. Follow the issuer's instructions and check each statement.

Can I dispute a subscription renewal?

You can dispute a renewal if it was unauthorized, billed incorrectly, or otherwise fits a billing-error category. Check the subscription terms and cancellation record, cancel separately, and ask the issuer how to prevent future charges.

What if the issuer says the dispute was late?

Ask whether it can review the matter under its internal or card-network rules, and explain any reason for the delay. Federal billing-error protections may be weaker after the FCBA deadline, but late notice is still worth making for suspected fraud.

This is general information for U.S. consumers, not legal advice. If the issuer is outside the United States, use the rules and complaint routes for that jurisdiction. If the FCBA deadline is approaching, send the written notice first and continue gathering evidence while the issuer investigates.