Online purchase disputes aren't one process. Who can reverse the charge, and how fast you have to act, depends on how you paid and what actually went wrong.
A U.S. credit card billing error has the clearest federal timeline. If the goods weren't delivered, the amount is wrong, a return never posted, or you didn't authorize the charge, send a written dispute to the card issuer within 60 days of the first statement that listed the error. Contact the seller, and use a marketplace buyer-protection claim when you have one. Neither step pauses the issuer's clock.
Debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH transfers, wires, and payment apps follow different rules. A chargeback is an investigation, not a promised refund. Don't file two claims for the same loss, and don't label an authorized payment as unauthorized.
Match the charge to who actually got paid
The store name in your confirmation email may not be the company that moved the money. Open the card, bank, or app history and write down the descriptor, date, and amount.
| How you paid | Start with | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card | Merchant, marketplace, and card issuer | A generic 120-day rule applies to every dispute |
| Debit or prepaid card | Merchant and bank or card program | Credit-card billing-error protections automatically apply |
| PayPal or another wallet | Wallet and, when appropriate, the underlying card issuer | You can collect two refunds for the same loss |
| Marketplace checkout | Seller and the marketplace's buyer-protection process | The platform will approve every claim |
| ACH, wire transfer, or direct bank payment | Bank or payment service immediately | A card chargeback process is available |
The kind of problem changes the proof you'll need. A package that never arrived, an item that doesn't match the listing, an unauthorized charge, and a subscription that billed after you canceled are not the same claim.
If a product shows up that you never ordered, skip the usual missing-package script. Keep the packaging and read the FTC's guidance on billing errors and unordered products before you pay for it or ship it back.
Confirm the charge before you dispute it
Copy the transaction date, amount, and statement descriptor. Add the order number, merchant name, whether the charge is pending or posted, the promised delivery date, and which account paid.
An odd descriptor isn't automatically fraud. Processors, parent companies, and marketplaces often bill under a different name. Check your email, order history, and anyone else who uses the account before you report the charge as unauthorized.
When the charge truly isn't yours, contact the issuer, bank, or payment app right away. Lock the account, change the password, and turn on two-factor authentication if a login may have been stolen.
Write the merchant
Use the seller's email, contact form, or the platform's message thread so you have a record. Give the order number, the problem, and the remedy you want: a refund, a replacement, cancellation before shipment, a return authorization, or a corrected amount.
Keep the note factual:
Order 12345 was scheduled for delivery on May 4, but it has not arrived. Please confirm the shipment status and issue a refund to the original payment method if delivery cannot be verified.
Returned items should follow the seller's instructions. Save the authorization, shipping receipt, tracking number, and delivery confirmation. A promise to refund isn't the same thing as a credit that has posted.
Writing the seller is useful. It isn't a reason to sit on a card-dispute deadline.
Save the evidence while it still exists
Build a short timeline and keep copies of:
- The order confirmation, invoice, and receipt
- The product listing, description, photos, and promised specifications
- Shipping estimates, tracking history, and carrier messages
- Photos or video showing damage, missing parts, or a material mismatch
- Return instructions and proof of shipment
- Emails, chats, and support-ticket numbers
- The card or bank statement showing the charge
- A merchant refund promise and the date it was supposed to arrive
- Any marketplace or PayPal case number
Screenshot listings and terms early; they can change. Keep original documents and upload copies. The FTC's sample credit and debit card dispute letter also tells you to hold the originals.
The file has to connect the payment to the specific failure. A photo of a crushed box can support a damage claim. It doesn't prove the seller never shipped. Tracking that shows "delivered" isn't the last word if the address is wrong, the carrier left the package somewhere else, or the box held the wrong item.
Use the marketplace or wallet process when the order ran through one
Orders placed on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, or another marketplace usually have a Report a problem, Request a refund, or buyer-protection option on the order page. Deadlines and eligible issues differ by platform and by purchase. Use the terms shown for that order, not a recap from a blog.
Amazon
Message the third-party seller from the Amazon order page and keep that conversation on Amazon. When the seller doesn't fix it, see whether that order offers an A-to-z Guarantee claim.
Amazon's published A-to-z Guarantee guidance describes seller-contact and delivery-timing conditions. That page is for an Amazon European marketplace. U.S. customers should confirm the rules on their own order and marketplace before relying on a waiting period or cutoff from that page.
Missing-package claims still need basic checks: carrier details, delivery address, neighbors, building staff, and any photo the carrier left. When a tracking scan doesn't match what happened, say so and attach the carrier's messages.
PayPal
Open the transaction in PayPal's Resolution Center within the timeframe that applies to that payment. Pick the category that matches the facts, such as item not received or materially not as described. Upload the listing, order record, seller messages, tracking, and photos.
PayPal's Buyer Protection terms say buyers should contact the seller first and then follow the platform process. Those terms are written for a specific country, so open the version that applies to your account.
PayPal also says you must choose between a Buyer Protection claim and pursuing the same matter with the card issuer or another route. Don't try to collect twice. If PayPal doesn't resolve it and a card funded the payment, ask the card issuer what to do next and disclose the PayPal case.
eBay, Etsy, and Shopify-hosted stores
Save the original listing before you open a case. For a defective or misdescribed item, put the promised model, condition, quantity, or features next to what arrived. A change of mind may not meet the platform's rules.
A Shopify-hosted checkout is still the merchant's store. Ask that store for the refund first. Shopify powering the payment page doesn't mean Shopify will decide the claim. If the merchant refuses and you paid by card, give the issuer the store's response plus your evidence.
Don't close a case just because the seller promised a refund. Wait until the credit posts or the platform confirms the outcome.
Credit card billing errors: the 60-day written notice
For qualifying credit card billing errors, federal law generally requires written notice within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. That can include goods that weren't delivered, an incorrect amount, returned merchandise that wasn't credited, or a charge you didn't authorize.
The FTC says the issuer must acknowledge the written dispute 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 letter.
Send the dispute to the billing-dispute or billing-inquiries address, which may not be the same as the payment address. Use the instructions on the statement or the issuer's site. A phone call is a sensible first step. A call alone may not give you the full protection of a written billing-error notice.
During the investigation, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges. Keep paying everything that isn't in dispute, and follow the issuer's instructions so the rest of the account doesn't fall past due.
Some issuers may extend the 60-day window when a shipment is delayed. Don't count on that. Ask which deadline applies to your transaction and send the notice as soon as you see the problem.
A simple credit card dispute letter
Adapt the FTC template:
I am writing to dispute a charge of $[amount] posted to my credit card account on [date]. The charge is a billing error because [the item was not delivered / the amount was incorrect / I returned the item on date / I did not authorize the charge].
I contacted [merchant] on [dates]. The result was [brief explanation]. Please investigate and correct the error. Enclosed are copies of [receipt, listing, tracking, photographs, and correspondence].
Sincerely, [Name] [Account information requested by the issuer]
Include enough account information for the issuer to find the account. Don't send extra sensitive details. Mail copies of the evidence and keep the originals. Save a copy of the letter and proof it was delivered.
Debit cards, prepaid cards, and bank payments
The federal 60-day credit card billing-error process doesn't automatically apply to a debit-card purchase. Debit, prepaid, ACH, and other bank-payment disputes can follow different legal rules, network rules, and account agreements.
Report an unauthorized debit or bank transaction immediately. For non-delivery, damage, or a merchant that won't refund, ask the bank whether it offers a merchandise dispute or card-network claim and what evidence it needs. Use the bank's form. Don't assume the credit-card letter is enough.
ACH and wire transfers need a call to the institution or payment service at once. Don't call the matter a credit card chargeback if no credit card was used. Speed matters because the recovery path can be narrower than it is for a credit card.
What the deadlines actually attach to
| Dispute route | Deadline to watch |
|---|---|
| Qualifying U.S. credit card billing error | Written notice within 60 days of the first statement containing the error |
| Credit card issuer's network chargeback process | Issuer-specific; ask for the last filing date and what event starts the clock |
| Debit, prepaid, ACH, or bank transfer | Report promptly; the exact rule depends on the transaction and account |
| Amazon, eBay, Etsy, or another marketplace | The platform's order-specific terms |
| PayPal or another wallet | The applicable account and transaction terms |
| Merchant refund | The merchant's policy or a written promise |
The "120-day chargeback rule" you see online isn't a universal cutoff. Card-network rules can count time from the transaction date, the expected delivery date, or the date the problem became apparent. Your issuer decides whether and how to submit the claim.
Ask for the last date it will file, what event starts that clock, and whether it wants a written billing-error notice, an online form, or both. Get the document list, and ask what happens to any temporary credit if the claim is denied.
Why claims get denied
Issuers and platforms need a precise story. Claims fail when they're late, when a merchant disagreement is labeled fraud without facts, or when you attach an order screenshot but nothing showing the failure. Ignoring a delivery scan, or failing to explain why it's wrong, is another common hole. "Not as described" needs a comparison of the listing and the product. Returns need proof you followed the seller's instructions. A second refund request after PayPal or a marketplace already paid is often rejected. So is missing a follow-up deadline.
Give a dated timeline. Non-delivery claims should include the promised date, tracking, delivery address, and seller messages. A bad or wrong item needs the original description, the model or quantity promised, and clear photographs. For an unauthorized charge, say when you noticed it and whether the card, account, or login was compromised.
If the issuer denies the claim, ask for the reason and the evidence it used. Use any appeal or reconsideration process it offers, and answer the specific gap instead of resending the same paragraph.
Payment apps, peer-to-peer transfers, and subscriptions
Payment apps don't all match the protection of a direct credit card purchase.
Unauthorized activity on the app is a security issue. Contact the app and the linked bank or card immediately, lock the account, and report the transaction accurately.
You may have approved a payment to a scammer or a seller who never delivered. Say that you authorized it but were deceived or didn't receive what was promised. Recovery then depends on the app's terms and how the payment was funded.
Purchases made through a protected checkout should use that transaction's dispute route. Keep the seller's listing and messages.
There's no universal "10-day rule" for every Venmo or Cash App payment. Read the app's current instructions and act immediately. If a linked card or bank account is involved, tell the financial institution about any claim already open in the app.
Recurring charges
Cancel through the merchant's account page or support channel. Save the confirmation, the date, and the terms shown when you signed up. Watch the next statements. Ask the merchant to reverse any charge that posted after cancellation. If it remains, contact the card issuer or bank and say whether the problem is unauthorized billing, billing that continued after you canceled, or a disagreement about the contract.
A renewal you forgot isn't automatically an unauthorized charge. Use the accurate description and attach the signup and cancellation records.
If the merchant or the issuer says no
Use the payment provider before you lean on general complaint sites. Keep the refusal or any refund promise. File the eligible marketplace or PayPal claim. Notify the card issuer or bank before its deadline.
Don't wait on a Better Business Bureau complaint if a financial deadline is close. A BBB filing may get a response. It can't force a refund.
Report suspected scams or a pattern of deception to the FTC. An FTC report can surface patterns. It generally isn't a way to get your individual refund.
For a significant loss, look up your state's consumer-protection office and small-claims rules. The right defendant, filing limit, service rules, and deadlines depend on the state.
If the issuer mishandles a written credit card dispute, ask for a written explanation, keep proof that your notice was delivered, and use the issuer's escalation or complaint process. This is general U.S. consumer information, not legal advice. Account terms, state law, and the facts of the purchase can change the result.
Common questions
Is calling the credit card company enough?
Call promptly. For a qualifying credit card billing error, still send the written notice to the billing-dispute address and keep proof the issuer received it.
Can I file with PayPal and my card issuer at the same time?
Don't pursue two recoveries for the same loss. PayPal's Buyer Protection terms address choosing between its process and a card-issuer claim. Tell each provider about any open case and follow its instructions.
Does a tracking scan mean the seller wins?
No. A delivery scan is evidence, not the end of the analysis. If the package was misdelivered, sent to the wrong address, or contained the wrong item, explain that and attach the records that show it.
Save the statement, order record, listing, tracking history, and merchant messages today. Write the seller, then check the deadline that applies to the way you paid. If it's a qualifying credit card billing error, get the written dispute out before 60 days have passed from the first statement that showed the error.