A chargeback deadline is not always the end of the road, but a late request isn't guaranteed to produce a refund. Contact the payment provider immediately and ask whether it can review the claim late, accept an appeal, or offer a discretionary credit. The available path depends on how you paid and whether the payment was unauthorized or the seller failed to deliver.

The guidance below is for U.S. consumers. UK Section 75, the UK Payment Services Regulations, and EU withdrawal rights generally aren't the rules for a typical U.S. card account.

Identify the payment method first

The payment rail determines which process applies. A credit-card charge, PayPal payment, debit transaction, bank transfer, wire, and cryptocurrency payment aren't handled the same way.

Payment method Main rules or policy What to do after the usual deadline
Credit card Card-network procedures and federal credit-card billing-error rules for qualifying errors Ask the issuer whether the network deadline has expired and whether a late review, appeal, or goodwill credit is available
PayPal PayPal's U.S. Purchase Protection terms and the method used to fund the payment Request an exceptional review and ask whether the underlying card issuer has a separate process
Debit card The bank's debit-card fraud and dispute procedures, with applicable electronic-transfer rules Contact the bank's fraud or error-resolution department immediately and describe the transaction accurately
ACH or other electronic bank transfer Bank and federal electronic-transfer error rules for covered transfers Report the problem immediately; an authorized transfer to a scammer may be handled differently from an unauthorized transfer
Wire, cryptocurrency, or gift card Provider terms and recall or reversal procedures Request a recall or reversal at once; recovery is often difficult

Don't describe an authorized purchase as an unauthorized charge simply because the website lied. If you entered the card details and approved the payment but received nothing, explain that the seller failed to deliver or otherwise misrepresented the purchase. Reserve "unauthorized" for a transaction you didn't approve.

Which deadline actually expired?

Consumers often use "chargeback deadline" to mean several different deadlines:

One deadline can expire while another remains relevant. For example, a card-network deadline may have passed even though the issuer mishandled a timely written billing-error notice. The FTC says an issuer generally must acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days. Keep the original notice and proof that the issuer received it.

What to do after a scam chargeback deadline passes

1. Stop additional losses

Call the number on the back of your card or the number on your bank statement. Don't use a phone number, email address, or chat link supplied by the suspicious website.

Ask whether you should:

Replacing a card may not cancel a recurring payment by itself. Ask the issuer what separate cancellation or payment-blocking steps are available. If the subscription appears legitimate, cancel it with the merchant as well.

2. Create an evidence file

Put the facts in date order before contacting the issuer, and save copies in more than one location.

Include:

A short timeline is often more useful than a folder full of unexplained screenshots. Note what you paid for, what the seller promised, what happened, and what you did to resolve it.

3. Contact the seller once, if it appears genuine

Send a brief written refund request to a real merchant address. State the order number, explain the problem, and identify the amount requested. Give the seller a reasonable response deadline and keep the message and delivery record.

Don't send a suspicious website your online-banking password, one-time code, full card number, or a copy of your identity document. If the site is clearly fake, contact the issuer first rather than waiting for a reply that may never come.

4. Ask the issuer for a late review

Explain that you understand the normal deadline may have passed, then ask what options remain. Use the claim description that matches the facts.

You can say:

I paid [merchant] $[amount] on [date] for [product or service]. The seller [did not deliver the order / delivered something materially different / charged me without authorization]. I understand the normal dispute period may have passed. Please check whether a late dispute review, appeal, or goodwill credit is available. If not, please explain the reason and any further complaint process.

Ask whether the issuer calculated the deadline from the transaction date, statement date, promised delivery date, or another event. If you discovered the problem later, explain why and include evidence showing when you discovered it. That may not extend the deadline, but it gives the issuer facts that could matter to the claim type and timing.

If you're still within the federal 60-day credit-card billing-error period, and the issue fits that process, send written notice using the address specified for billing-error disputes in your statement or card agreement. Examples can include an unauthorized charge or goods or services not delivered as agreed. Identify the account and transaction, describe the error, state the amount in dispute, and keep a copy and proof of delivery. A phone call alone may not preserve the federal billing-error process.

Continue paying amounts you don't dispute while the issuer reviews the matter. Ask the issuer how it wants the disputed balance handled so a late dispute doesn't create a separate payment problem.

5. Appeal a denial in writing

A denial may be based on a missed network deadline, insufficient evidence, the wrong claim type, or a finding that the transaction was authorized. Ask for the specific reason.

Then provide any genuinely new information, such as:

Ask whether the issuer offers a supervisor review or formal reconsideration. Don't submit conflicting accounts or repeatedly label a merchant dispute as card theft.

If a credit-card issuer mishandled a timely written billing-error notice, you can consider a complaint through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint portal. A complaint creates an escalation record, but it doesn't guarantee a refund or require the issuer to reopen an expired network claim.

PayPal payments after 180 days

PayPal's Purchase Protection process has its own deadline and eligibility rules. If the payment is still within the applicable period, open the dispute immediately and upload the order record, seller communications, delivery evidence, and screenshots.

PayPal's U.S. terms state that some disputes must be opened within 30 days of delivery or fulfillment, or within 180 days of payment, whichever is sooner. After the applicable deadline, contact PayPal support and request an exceptional review or customer-service adjustment. Explain the timeline plainly. Any such review is discretionary, not a guaranteed right.

If you funded PayPal with a credit card, ask the card issuer whether it will consider a separate card-based claim. Tell the issuer what happened with PayPal. PayPal's terms say consumers must choose between the applicable PayPal claim and a card-issuer claim and may not obtain double recovery. Don't pursue two claims as if you can be paid twice, and disclose the other claim to each provider.

Report the website, but don't mistake a report for a refund

Report the scam through FTC ReportFraud.gov and, for an internet-enabled crime, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Also report the seller to the marketplace, payment platform, domain provider, or social network where you found it.

These reports can help agencies connect complaints and identify repeat operators. They don't order your bank or PayPal to reverse the payment. Save the report confirmation and give the number to the issuer as supporting evidence.

If you shared sensitive personal information, change reused passwords, enable multifactor authentication, and review your credit reports. Contact the relevant bank or credit bureau promptly if you suspect identity theft.

When small claims court may help

A court claim is more realistic when you can identify the seller's legal name and address, show what was promised, and serve the defendant under your state's rules. Check your local court's dollar limit, filing fee, venue requirements, and procedures. Online terms may also contain an arbitration or forum-selection clause.

A judgment against an anonymous or overseas scam operator can be difficult to collect. Court is also different from a dispute against the card issuer: suing the seller won't automatically make the bank reopen an expired network claim.

For a large loss or a dispute involving a bank's legal obligations, consider speaking with a licensed attorney or a local legal-aid organization before filing. This is general information, not legal advice.

Avoid recovery scams

People who lose money to fake stores are often targeted again by "recovery agents." Be skeptical of anyone who guarantees a refund, claims to work for your bank or a government agency, or demands an upfront payment by cryptocurrency, gift card, or wire.

A legitimate bank representative won't need your online-banking password or one-time security code. Use contact details from your card, statement, or the provider's official website.

Frequently asked questions

Can a bank reopen a chargeback after 120 days?

It may, but once the network or internal deadline has passed, the decision is usually discretionary. Ask whether the issuer can perform a late review, process an appeal, or provide a goodwill credit. An expired network claim doesn't automatically mean every possible consumer remedy has expired.

Is the 120-day chargeback period a U.S. law?

Usually not. It is commonly a card-network or issuer procedure. U.S. credit-card billing-error protections have separate written-notice requirements, including the commonly applicable 60-day period described by the FTC. The deadlines can overlap, but they aren't interchangeable.

Can I call an authorized scam payment "fraud"?

Explain what actually happened. If you entered the card details and approved the payment, say that the website failed to deliver, misrepresented the product, or otherwise breached the purchase agreement. Reserve "unauthorized" for a transaction you didn't approve.

Will an FTC report get my money back?

Not directly. Report the website because the information may help investigators connect related complaints, but pursue the refund or dispute separately with your card issuer, bank, PayPal, or the identifiable seller.

Do UK Section 75 protections apply to a U.S. card?

No. Section 75 is a UK credit-card protection and doesn't determine the outcome for a typical U.S. account. Use the law and card agreement tied to the account that made the payment.

Official starting points

Start with the number on your card or statement, preserve the evidence, and ask which deadline and dispute process the provider actually applied.