Start with the issuer. If a U.S. consumer credit card statement shows an unauthorized transaction, incorrect amount, missing credit, or goods not delivered as agreed, send a written billing-error notice to the issuer's billing-inquiry address. It generally must arrive within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent or transmitted.
Call right away if fraud may be involved. A phone or app report can stop more transactions, but don't rely on it as the written notice required for the federal billing-error process.
These directions cover U.S. consumer credit cards. They don't cover debit cards, bank transfers, wires, or peer-to-peer payments.
"Dispute" and "chargeback" overlap, but they aren't identical. A chargeback usually means the card-network process an issuer may use after reviewing your claim; the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) supplies federal rules for certain billing errors.
The FTC's credit card dispute guidance and the CFPB's billing-error rule are the main starting points.
What rule actually controls a chargeback?
One transaction can involve several rulebooks. The issuer is your consumer-facing contact, while the merchant may submit evidence and a temporary credit may later change.
| Rule set | What it controls | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| FCBA and Regulation Z | Federal billing-error notices, investigation duties, and certain payment protections | A timely written notice can trigger specific issuer deadlines |
| Card-network rules | The operational chargeback process, evidence categories, and response stages | Visa, Mastercard, and other networks may use different procedures |
| Merchant policy | Voluntary refunds, returns, cancellations, and service remedies | It may fix the problem quickly, but it is not the same as an FCBA dispute |
Most of the time, you work through the issuer. The merchant gets a chance to answer through that process.
Which transactions may qualify as billing errors?
Regulation Z's billing-error rule applies to certain errors on open-end consumer credit accounts. The eCFR text of 12 CFR 1026.13 lists the covered categories.
| Problem | Example | Useful first action |
|---|---|---|
| Unauthorized transaction | A charge was not made by you or an authorized user | Call the issuer and send written notice |
| Amount or accounting problem | The amount is wrong, duplicated, or calculated incorrectly | Compare the statement with your receipt |
| Missing payment or credit | A payment or credit already issued was not applied | Include proof of the payment, refund, or credit |
| Goods or services not delivered as agreed | An order never arrived or was not provided as promised | Save the order, delivery, and merchant records |
| Statement or identification problem | A charge is not properly identified on the statement | Describe exactly what is missing or incorrect |
A product you dislike is not automatically a billing error. Explain what the seller promised, what happened instead, and when you asked the merchant to fix it. "Bad purchase" is too vague for an issuer to assess.
The FCBA 60-day deadline
Turns out, the federal clock usually follows the statement, not the purchase date. Your written notice must reach the issuer no later than 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent or transmitted.
Use the billing-inquiry address printed on the statement. It may not be the address used for payments. A phone call helps, but it is not the form to rely on.
Don't assume there is a blanket 120-day FCBA deadline. For a billing error, including many unauthorized-charge complaints, the federal written-notice period is generally 60 days. A card network or issuer may have a separate internal deadline, so report the problem as soon as you see it.
An address change can create a separate problem. If you did not receive a statement because you moved, the FTC says you generally must have sent the issuer a written change of address at least 20 days before the billing period ended to use the billing-error protections for that statement.
Keep the notice and proof of delivery. Trackable mail is useful.
Fraud and unauthorized credit card charges
Report an unauthorized charge now. Ask the issuer to block the card, send a replacement, and give you the fraud-report number.
Federal law generally limits unauthorized-use liability to $50 when its conditions are met. If someone used only the account number and not the physical card, federal law generally provides stronger protection. Many issuers also offer zero-liability policies, but the card agreement controls that extra protection.
A transaction made by someone you authorized can be treated differently. Tell the issuer who had access, whether that permission had ended, and when you noticed the charge.
A police report or fraud affidavit may help if the issuer requests one. Neither replaces timely notice.
How to file a credit card dispute
The deadline comes first. Use this workflow:
- Secure the account. Call the issuer immediately if fraud is suspected. For a merchant problem, you can call while gathering records.
- Identify the transaction. Record the merchant name as shown, transaction date, amount, statement date, and last four digits of the account.
- Contact the merchant if useful. Request a refund, cancellation, delivery correction, or written explanation. Don't wait for a reply before sending a timely issuer notice.
- Send written notice. Use the billing-inquiry address. Say you are disputing a billing error under the FCBA, identify the charge, and explain why it is wrong.
- Pay the undisputed balance. If the notice qualifies, you generally may withhold the disputed amount and related finance charges during the investigation. Keep paying unrelated charges.
- Track the investigation. The issuer generally must acknowledge the complaint within 30 days after receiving it, unless it has already corrected the problem. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles and no later than 90 days.
- Review the decision. If the issuer denies the claim or reverses a temporary credit, read the explanation and ask how to submit a focused response.
An online dispute form may not answer every FCBA requirement. Save the confirmation page and uploaded files, then ask whether the issuer also wants a separate written notice.
Evidence that makes the file easier to decide
To be honest, a clean timeline helps more than a long narrative. Gather:
- The statement showing the charge, plus the date of the first statement showing the error
- Receipt, invoice, order confirmation, or subscription record
- Emails, chats, and call notes with the merchant
- Cancellation, return, or refund records
- Delivery tracking, photographs, or proof that an order was not received
- Fraud alerts, card-loss reports, affidavits, or police records if requested
- A copy of your dispute letter and proof of delivery
Keep the screenshots and tracking number. Keep the little details, too. They can answer a question weeks later.
Send copies, not originals. Use the issuer's secure upload tool or mailing address, and don't put a full card number in ordinary email.
A practical credit card dispute letter
Use the billing-inquiry address, not automatically the payment address. Include the account number or other identifier the issuer's instructions require; use only an issuer-approved format when sending information online.
[Date]
[Issuer name]
[Billing inquiry address]
Re: Notice of billing error - account ending in [last four digits]
I am writing to dispute a billing error under the Fair Credit Billing Act.
Account number or issuer-approved identifier: [identifier]
Merchant: [merchant name as shown on statement]
Transaction date: [date]
Amount: [$ amount]
First statement showing the error: [statement date]
Reason for dispute:
[Explain briefly why the charge is unauthorized, incorrect, duplicated, not credited, or related to goods or services not delivered as agreed.]
I request that you investigate this billing error and correct my account. I have enclosed copies of [list documents]. Please send me written results of your investigation.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Mailing address]
[Phone number]
[Email address]Mail it promptly. Keep the signed copy, enclosure list, and delivery confirmation together.
Paying during the investigation
With a qualifying FCBA notice, you generally can withhold the disputed amount and related finance charges while the issuer investigates. Pay the rest of the statement by its due date.
While the investigation is pending, the issuer generally cannot treat the disputed amount as delinquent or report it as delinquent. That protection does not cover unrelated charges.
Some issuers provide temporary credit during review. The FCBA does not promise credit at the start. If credit appears, treat it as provisional.
If the issuer denies or reverses the credit
Read the written explanation first. It may say the charge was authorized, the merchant showed delivery, the amount was correct, or the evidence did not establish a billing error.
Ask what evidence the issuer relied on and what deadline applies to a further response. Then answer that specific reason. A receipt may show that a sale occurred without showing whether the item arrived or whether the amount was right.
Thing is, a focused response is more useful than sending the same complaint again. Identify the statement, answer each disputed point, and attach only the records that address it.
If the issuer missed the 30-day acknowledgment or 90-day resolution deadline, list the dates plainly. You can complain to the CFPB about the issuer's handling of the dispute. A state consumer protection office may also be relevant to the merchant's conduct. Neither route guarantees a refund.
For a substantial amount, review the card agreement for arbitration terms. Small claims court or legal advice may make sense in your state, but those options are separate from the card-network process.
How Visa and Mastercard rules fit in
Visa and Mastercard use private network procedures. Their reason codes, evidence standards, and internal deadlines are not identical, and those procedures are not the same thing as the FCBA.
Your issuer normally decides how to route the case. Ask whether it is being handled as an FCBA billing error, a network chargeback, or both; also ask about any appeal deadline, provisional credit, and missing evidence.
Some online charts show long network windows. Treat them as possible network rules, not as a universal federal deadline. If you are still within the FCBA 60-day period, send the written notice even if an agent directs you to an app or describes the matter only as a chargeback.
What to do today
Find the first statement showing the charge and the billing-inquiry address printed on it. If the 60-day deadline is near, send the written notice today; call the issuer now if fraud is involved.
Put every response, date, and delivery record in one folder. Do that before waiting for a merchant reply.