If a U.S. credit card charge is wrong, send the card issuer a written billing-error notice promptly. Under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA), the issuer generally must receive the notice within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent to you. The deadline is tied to that statement, not necessarily to the transaction date.

Use the billing-inquiries address on your statement or an online dispute channel that the issuer expressly accepts for billing errors. A general customer-service email may not preserve the same legal protections. You can also contact the merchant for a refund, but a merchant email does not replace timely notice to the issuer.

These templates are for U.S. credit card accounts. Replace the bracketed details, attach copies rather than originals, and keep everything you submit. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and person-to-person payments generally follow different rules.

Formal credit card dispute template for the issuer

Use this wording in an issuer-approved email, secure message, dispute form, or letter. If the issuer requires a letter, send it to the billing-inquiries address shown on your statement. The issuer's instructions control which channel to use.

Subject: Formal billing error notice - [Merchant], [$Amount], [Transaction date]

To: [Issuer's billing-inquiries address or approved dispute channel]

I am writing to dispute a billing error on my credit card account ending in [last four digits]. The first statement containing this charge was sent to me on [date].

Disputed transaction:
- Merchant or statement descriptor: [merchant name]
- Transaction date: [date]
- Amount: [$amount]
- Statement containing the charge sent on: [date]

The charge is incorrect because [briefly explain the facts: I did not authorize it; the amount is wrong; the transaction was posted twice; a payment or credit was not applied; or the goods or services were not delivered as agreed].

I am providing this notice under the Fair Credit Billing Act. Please investigate the matter, correct the account if the charge is an error, and remove any finance or other charges attributable to the error. Please send written acknowledgment of this notice and the result of your investigation.

Attached are copies of:
- The statement page showing the charge
- [Receipt, order confirmation, or invoice]
- [Messages with the merchant]
- [Delivery, cancellation, return, or fraud documentation]

Please contact me at [phone number] or [email address]. My mailing address is [address].

Sincerely,

[Full name]
[Mailing address]
[Phone number]
[Email address]

Use only the last four digits of your card number in ordinary email. Don't send your password, security code, or full account number unless the issuer's secure system specifically requests it.

Merchant refund request email

A merchant may resolve an incorrect charge faster than an issuer, particularly when the problem involves a wrong amount, duplicate transaction, canceled order, or missing refund. Contacting the merchant is optional, and it doesn't replace notifying the issuer before the FCBA deadline.

Subject: Refund request for [Order or transaction number]

Hello,

On [date], I was charged [$amount] for [product or service]. The charge needs to be corrected because [state the specific problem: I was charged twice; the posted amount differs from the agreed price; the order was canceled; the goods were not delivered; or I returned the goods on [date] but have not received the promised credit].

I contacted [merchant department or employee] on [date], if applicable. Please refund or credit [$amount] to the original credit card and confirm the resolution in writing.

I have attached copies of the receipt, statement entry, order information, and relevant messages. Please let me know if you need any additional information.

Thank you,

[Full name]
[Order number]
[Phone number]
[Email address]

If the merchant promises a refund, save the confirmation and check later card statements. Tell the issuer about the refund if you have already opened a dispute so the account isn't credited twice.

Short template for an unauthorized charge

Report suspected fraud immediately. Call the number on the back of the card or use the issuer's secure fraud-reporting channel. You can follow up with this written notice:

Subject: Unauthorized credit card transaction - immediate fraud report

I did not make or authorize the following transaction:

- Merchant or statement descriptor: [merchant name]
- Transaction date: [date]
- Amount: [$amount]
- Account ending in: [last four digits]

Please record this as an unauthorized transaction, tell me whether the card should be blocked or replaced, and provide instructions for submitting any required documentation. I have attached a copy of the statement page with the charge highlighted.

Please confirm receipt and send the result of your investigation in writing.

[Full name]
[Mailing address]
[Phone number]
[Email address]

An unfamiliar merchant name isn't automatically evidence of fraud. Check whether the transaction was a subscription, a digital-wallet purchase, a family member's purchase, or a purchase from a business using a different statement descriptor. If you still didn't make or authorize it, report it to the issuer without waiting for the merchant to respond.

The FCBA 60-day billing-error deadline and an issuer's fraud-reporting procedures are not necessarily the same. Don't delay a fraud report while trying to determine which process applies.

Wording for common dispute types

Use specific facts instead of describing every problem as "fraud." State what you agreed to pay, what appeared on the statement, and what resolution you want.

Wrong amount, overcharge, or duplicate charge

State the agreed amount, the amount posted, and the relevant dates. Attach the receipt, invoice, or confirmation showing the agreed price. For a duplicate charge, identify both entries and explain why only one is valid.

Examples:

I agreed to a charge of [$expected amount], but [$posted amount] appeared on my statement. I dispute the incorrect amount of [$disputed amount].

The same purchase was posted twice on [dates]. I authorized only one charge and dispute the duplicate amount of [$disputed amount].

Goods or services not delivered

Include the order date, promised delivery or performance date, tracking information, and your attempts to contact the merchant. Explain whether the entire order was missing or only certain items were not delivered.

Example:

I paid [$amount] on [date] for [goods or services]. The merchant promised delivery or performance by [date], but it was not provided. I contacted the merchant on [dates] and requested a resolution, but the issue remains unresolved.

The FTC's guidance on goods you never got explains how billing-error protections can apply when goods or services weren't delivered as agreed.

Canceled subscription or missing credit

Attach your cancellation confirmation, return receipt, or the merchant's promise to issue a credit. Include the date and method of cancellation or return.

Example:

I canceled the subscription on [date] through [method], but I was charged again on [date]. I dispute the [$amount] charge and have attached the cancellation confirmation.

For a returned purchase, identify the return date, tracking number, refund policy, and any message promising a credit.

The FCBA deadline and investigation timeline

For a qualifying billing error, the issuer generally must receive your written dispute within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent to you. This is not necessarily 60 days after the purchase or transaction date.

The FTC's credit card dispute guidance recommends keeping a copy of your dispute letter. Send the notice early enough to allow for delivery, and retain proof that the issuer received it.

After receiving a proper notice:

If you've changed addresses, FCBA protections can depend on whether you gave the issuer written notice of the new address at least 20 days before the billing period ended. Contact the issuer promptly if a statement went to an old address.

Missing the 60-day period can affect the federal billing-error process, but you should still report fraud or another billing problem as soon as you discover it. The issuer may have separate card, network, or fraud procedures.

Email, secure message, phone, or letter?

Contact method Best use Limitation
Issuer's billing-dispute form or secure message A convenient written notice when the issuer expressly accepts it for billing disputes Save the confirmation and a copy of what you submitted
Email to the issuer Supplemental documentation or a written notice when the issuer says email is accepted A general support inbox may not be the required billing-error channel
Trackable letter Formal notice when the statement or issuer directs you to write Allow time for delivery and keep proof
Phone call Immediate fraud report or urgent card replacement Follow up in writing because calls are harder to document
Merchant email Direct refund request or correction It doesn't replace timely notice to the issuer

Use the billing-inquiries address shown on the statement or provided in the issuer's dispute instructions, not an address used only for payments. If you're unsure, call the issuer and ask where a written billing-error notice must be sent.

Evidence to attach

A concise, chronological evidence file is more useful than a large collection of unrelated screenshots. Include:

Send copies, not originals. Crop unnecessary account information, label each attachment, and keep the complete file in a secure location.

After you send the dispute

  1. Save your submission. Keep the email, attachments, secure-message confirmation, mailing receipt, and delivery record.
  2. Watch for acknowledgment. If the issuer doesn't acknowledge the notice within 30 days, contact it using the dispute department's instructions.
  3. Pay undisputed amounts. Don't assume that withholding the entire statement balance is protected.
  4. Monitor later statements. Look for a permanent credit, a written explanation, or a request for additional information.
  5. Respond to requests promptly. Send only the documents needed to answer the issuer's question.
  6. Review a denial carefully. Ask for the reason, identify any factual error, and submit a short response with supporting evidence.
  7. Escalate unresolved problems. You can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if the issuer doesn't handle the matter properly. A CFPB complaint doesn't replace the 60-day notice and doesn't guarantee a refund.

If a merchant later issues a refund, notify the issuer and keep the refund confirmation with your records.

Limits of these templates

A well-written message doesn't automatically establish that a charge is an error. The issuer will review the transaction, your evidence, and the merchant's response. A merchant's return policy, warranty process, or refusal to provide a voluntary refund can also affect the outcome.

The FCBA billing-error process applies to U.S. credit card accounts. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and person-to-person payments generally use different rules and dispute channels. Don't assume that the credit-card deadline or payment protections apply to those transactions.

This is general consumer information, not legal advice. Find the first statement showing the problem, confirm the issuer's required submission channel, and send the written notice early enough to arrive before the 60-day deadline.