If your U.S. credit card statement contains a billing error, write to the issuer's billing-inquiry address. The issuer must receive that notice within 60 days after sending the first statement that showed the error.
Identify the transaction. Explain what went wrong and name the exact amount you dispute. A proper notice generally gets a written acknowledgment within 30 days, unless the issuer fixes the issue first. The investigation usually ends within two billing cycles and never later than 90 days. During that review, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges. Pay the undisputed part.
Calling may open a case, but it may not protect the written-notice deadline. These rules apply to U.S. credit cards. Debit cards, bank transfers, prepaid cards, and payment apps use different procedures.
What the federal billing-error rule covers
The Fair Credit Billing Act, or FCBA, covers specific credit card billing errors, not every disagreement with a merchant. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's billing-error regulation lists the main categories.
| Possible billing error | What it can look like |
|---|---|
| Unauthorized transaction | The statement reflects a charge not made by you or anyone with actual, implied, or apparent authority |
| Incorrect amount | The statement shows more than the receipt or agreed price |
| Duplicate or calculation error | The same purchase appears twice, or the creditor made an accounting error |
| Missing payment or credit | A payment, refund, or account credit was not posted correctly |
| Goods or services not accepted or delivered as agreed | An order never arrived, a service was not provided, or a cancellation was billed |
| Incorrect transaction identification | The statement does not identify the extension of credit or related activity as required |
The $50 figure often quoted for card fraud isn't a universal FCBA eligibility test. It comes from separate credit-card liability rules.
A defective item or disappointing service needs closer analysis. The contract, delivery, acceptance, and cancellation facts all matter. Poor quality alone does not automatically establish a billing error. Buyer remorse and finding a lower price elsewhere usually aren't enough.
Payment type matters. This procedure is for credit card billing disputes; other payment rails have different rules and steps.
The deadlines that matter
Start with the date the first statement was sent. Don't use the day you noticed the charge.
| Time period | What it means |
|---|---|
| 60 days | The issuer must receive written notice within 60 days after sending the first statement that showed the error |
| 30 days | The issuer generally must send written acknowledgment unless it resolves the issue first |
| Two billing cycles | The usual period for the investigation and decision |
| 90 days | The outside limit for completing the billing-error investigation |
Send the notice early. Receipt by the issuer is what matters.
The FTC's billing-error guidance recommends following up in writing. Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed, so get any extension in writing.
Network chargeback deadlines are separate. Visa, Mastercard, and American Express may use different reason codes, evidence requirements, and internal deadlines. There is no single 120-day or 540-day rule that safely applies to every card. The network logo doesn't replace the FCBA deadline.
Report an unauthorized charge right away anyway. Waiting can make the account harder to secure.
First classify the problem
An unfamiliar merchant name is not automatically fraud. Turns out, an authorized user may have made the purchase, a subscription may have renewed, or a digital wallet may show a different merchant descriptor.
If the charge truly wasn't authorized, call the number on the back of the card or the issuer's fraud line. Ask for a case number and secure the account. Then send the required written notice.
Merchant problems need different records. An order may never arrive, a service may not be provided, or a merchant may bill after agreeing to cancel. Contact the merchant in writing when you can, but don't let that conversation push you past the 60-day notice deadline.
Wrong amounts and duplicate charges are more mechanical. Compare the statement with the receipt, order confirmation, and any credit or refund record.
How to file a credit card charge dispute
-
Record the statement facts. Write down the posting date, merchant name, amount, and date of the statement on which the charge first appeared.
-
Contact the merchant when it makes sense. Ask for a refund or correction in writing. If the issue is fraud, contact the issuer first instead of waiting for the merchant.
-
Find the correct issuer address. Use the address marked for billing inquiries or billing-error notices. It may not be the address used for payments.
-
Write a specific notice. Identify yourself, provide the account number or enough information to identify the account, describe the transaction, explain why it is wrong, and state the exact amount in dispute. A simple description works:
I dispute the $___ charge posted on ___ because ___. Please investigate and correct the account. -
Include copies of useful records. Add the statement page, receipt, order details, cancellation messages, delivery records, or merchant correspondence. Keep the originals.
-
Keep proof of delivery. The notice must reach the issuer. Save a copy of the letter, the attachments, the tracking record, and the delivery confirmation.
-
Pay everything that isn't disputed. If you're unsure how to calculate the minimum payment during the review, ask the issuer. Don't stop paying the entire bill because one charge is under review.
An online form or phone call may move the issuer's internal process faster. For the formal FCBA procedure, written notice is the safer route.
Evidence that makes the issue clear
A strong file should answer five questions: what was charged, what should have happened, what actually happened, what the merchant said, and what correction you want.
| Question | Useful records |
|---|---|
| What charge is disputed? | Statement page, transaction date, amount, and receipt |
| What did you buy or agree to? | Order confirmation, contract, invoice, and service terms |
| What went wrong? | Tracking record, cancellation email, delivery record, photographs, or account history |
| Did you try to fix it? | Emails, chat transcripts, merchant case number, and refund promise |
| What should the issuer do? | A short request for a credit, corrected amount, or removal of the charge |
A tidy timeline beats a thick packet, to be honest. Note the order date, expected delivery or service date, contact attempts, merchant replies, and date you sent the dispute.
Paperwork gets messy fast. One employee may promise a refund, another may answer differently, and the same charge may appear again, so save the full thread.
Don't send passwords, full payment-card numbers in ordinary email, or original documents. Redact sensitive information from copies when the issuer doesn't need it.
What happens after the issuer receives your notice
Once the issuer has the notice, it may contact the merchant or check its own account records. It may ask you to clarify something, so answer promptly and keep your explanation consistent.
An acknowledgment is just a receipt. It isn't the final decision.
| Stage | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Receipt | The issuer logs the notice and may assign a case number |
| Acknowledgment | Written acknowledgment generally arrives within 30 days unless the issue is already resolved |
| Investigation | The issuer reviews your records and the merchant's response |
| Decision | The issuer generally resolves the dispute within two billing cycles and no more than 90 days |
Federal law doesn't promise temporary credit within 10 days. Some issuers provide credit during the review. Ask whether that credit can be reversed after the final decision.
If the issuer confirms an error, it must correct the account and remove related finance charges as required by the billing-error rules. If it finds no error, it should send a written explanation and tell you what amount remains due.
Keep paying everything that isn't disputed. That helps prevent a billing question from becoming a separate late-payment problem.
Refund, billing dispute, or chargeback?
These terms overlap in conversation, but the processes are different.
| Option | Who handles it | What controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant refund | The merchant | Return policy, service terms, and the merchant's decision |
| FCBA billing-error notice | The credit card issuer | Federal written-notice and investigation rules |
| Network chargeback | The issuer and card network | Network procedures, reason codes, issuer policy, and evidence |
A merchant refund is often the cleanest result when the merchant agrees. Thing is, that conversation doesn't replace a timely FCBA notice.
A chargeback isn't an automatic refund. It's an issuer-mediated network process that can include a merchant response and a later reversal. Contacting the merchant first can help with delivery or cancellation problems, but it should never cause you to miss the FCBA deadline. For an unauthorized transaction, secure the account first.
If the issuer denies the dispute
Read the denial carefully. It may say the notice was late, the merchant supplied delivery evidence, the charge was authorized, or the issue didn't fit the issuer's billing-error category.
| Denial reason | Focus your response on |
|---|---|
| Notice was late | The statement date, the issuer's receipt date, and proof of timely delivery |
| Merchant says the item was delivered | Tracking details, delivery address, carrier records, and your communications |
| Merchant says a refund was issued | Refund date, amount, confirmation, and whether the credit appeared on the account |
| Issuer says the charge was authorized | Why you did not authorize it, who had access, and the account-security steps you took |
| Service or product was unsatisfactory | The contract, promised features, cancellation terms, return attempt, and specific failure |
Ask for the written explanation and the evidence the issuer relied on. Then use the issuer's appeal or complaint channel. Keep your response focused on one transaction and one reason.
Don't submit several overlapping disputes for the same charge. That can make the account history harder to follow and create conflicting explanations.
If the issuer still doesn't address the issue, submit a complaint through the CFPB complaint portal. The portal accepts credit card complaints, sends status updates, and lets you review the company's response. Companies generally respond within 15 days, and you have 60 days to provide feedback about that response.
Include a timeline, copies of your written notice, delivery proof, and the issuer's decision. Leave out unnecessary sensitive account information.
Your card agreement may also describe additional complaint, arbitration, or court terms. Those terms are separate from the FCBA billing-error process.
Common questions
Can I dispute a charge by phone?
You can call to report fraud or start the issuer's internal process. For the formal FCBA billing-error procedure, send written notice to the designated billing-inquiry address.
Do I have to contact the merchant first?
Not always. A merchant conversation may solve the problem and create useful evidence, but it doesn't replace timely written notice to the issuer.
Can I stop paying my credit card bill?
If you follow the billing-error process, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance or other charges while the issuer investigates. Pay all undisputed amounts.
Is temporary credit guaranteed?
No. An issuer may provide provisional credit, but the federal timeline doesn't promise it. The credit may be reversed after the investigation.
Does a denied dispute end the matter?
No. You can request the evidence, ask for reconsideration, use the issuer's complaint process, and submit a CFPB complaint. Review your card agreement before considering arbitration or court.
Before you call or write, pull out the first statement showing the error and mark the 60-day deadline from its sent date. Gather copies of your records, send the notice to the billing-inquiry address, and keep proof of when the issuer received it.