Most online purchase disputes begin with the seller or marketplace, PayPal, or the card issuer. Your payment method and the reason for the problem determine which route can help.
Ask the seller for a refund in writing when the merchant caused the problem. Report an unauthorized charge to the issuer immediately. Save the evidence before pages, chats, or tracking details change.
This information is for U.S. consumers. It focuses on credit card billing errors and PayPal's published Buyer Protection process. Debit cards, bank transfers, buy now pay later accounts, and international purchases can follow different rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Choose the right dispute route
A refund request, a marketplace claim, and a chargeback do different jobs. The payment rail and the reason for the dispute decide which rules matter.
| Problem | Start here | What usually controls the issue |
|---|---|---|
| Unauthorized credit card charge | Card issuer's fraud and billing-error channels | Federal credit card billing-error rules and issuer procedures |
| Item never arrived | Seller or marketplace, then card issuer if needed | Seller policy and possible credit card billing-error rights |
| Item is damaged or not as described | Seller or marketplace return process | Return policy, marketplace rules, warranty terms, and possibly a card dispute |
| PayPal payment problem | PayPal Resolution Center | PayPal Buyer Protection terms |
| Debit card, bank transfer, wire, or buy now pay later payment | Bank or payment provider | The provider's agreement and any applicable payment rules |
Think of a chargeback as a review, not an automatic refund. The issuer weighs the facts and the records you submit.
Do these things before opening a case
Begin with the payment record. Download the order confirmation, receipt, statement, and tracking details while you can still access them.
- Build a timeline. Note the order date, promised delivery date, actual delivery status, and every contact with the seller.
- Preserve the promises. Save the listing, advertised condition, shipping estimate, return terms, and refund language.
- Ask the seller for a specific remedy. Request a refund or replacement in writing, using the marketplace messaging system when available.
- Report suspected unauthorized charges right away. Contact the card issuer rather than waiting for a store you don't recognize.
- Track the paperwork. Keep case numbers and deadlines for the seller, platform, PayPal, and issuer in one running document.
Use the most accurate reason for the dispute. An order you placed but never received is not the same as a transaction you never authorized. That difference matters.
A seller conversation doesn't replace written notice to a credit card issuer. Keep both tracks moving if an issuer deadline is close.
Credit card billing disputes: the deadline and process
With a U.S. credit card, the federal deadline runs from the statement, not the purchase date. The Fair Credit Billing Act and Regulation Z generally require your written billing-error notice to reach the issuer within 60 days after it sends the first statement showing the error.
That clock starts with the statement. Possible billing errors include an unauthorized transaction and being charged for goods or services you never received. Send the notice to the issuer's billing-inquiries address, which may not be the address used for payments.
| Timing | What to do |
|---|---|
| Within 60 days of the statement showing the error | Send a written dispute that identifies the transaction and explains the problem |
| Within 30 days after receiving your notice | The issuer generally must acknowledge it unless the issue has already been resolved |
| Within two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days | The issuer must resolve the dispute or provide its written position |
| While the investigation is open | Pay the undisputed part of your bill and follow the issuer's instructions |
During the investigation, federal guidance generally lets you withhold the disputed amount and related finance or other charges. Keep paying the rest of the bill.
Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed. Don't rely on that unless the issuer confirms it.
The FTC's credit card dispute guidance recommends keeping transaction records. The FTC's guidance on goods you never received also describes the written billing-error process.
A simple credit card dispute letter
Send the dispute to the issuer's billing-inquiries address. Keep the wording factual and direct.
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]
[Card issuer]
Billing inquiries address
Re: Billing error for [merchant], [amount], [statement date]
I am disputing the charge of [amount] from [merchant] dated [date].
The reason is [unauthorized transaction / goods not received / other
billing error].
I contacted the merchant on [date]. The result was [brief description].
Please investigate this billing error and correct my account.
Attached are copies of the statement, order records, tracking information,
and communications with the merchant.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Last four digits of the account]Use the issuer's stated submission method. If you mail the letter, keep a copy and proof of delivery.
Unauthorized card charges need faster action
Unauthorized charges deserve immediate action. Call the issuer's fraud department or use the card account's security tools, then send the written billing-error notice required for the federal process.
An unfamiliar merchant name isn't always fraud. Check the receipt, confirmation email, and statement details first. A business may bill under a different legal or payment-processing name.
After you confirm that you didn't authorize the transaction, report it promptly. Ask whether the issuer wants to block or replace the card, monitor the account, or receive particular documents.
Keep your own call log. Record the time, representative's name or reference number, and each document the issuer requests.
When an item never arrives, arrives damaged, or differs from the listing
Non-delivery usually leaves a clearer paper trail than a quality disagreement. Show what the seller promised, what happened, and when you asked for a remedy.
Gather these records:
- The order confirmation, listing, and promised delivery date
- The statement, receipt, or PayPal transaction record
- Tracking history, delivery scans, and any proof of non-delivery
- Messages showing your refund request and the seller's response
- Photos of damage or differences from the listing
- The amount you want returned and the date you requested it
If tracking goes quiet while support keeps asking you to wait, write down every date. The seller's delay doesn't erase the issuer's deadline.
A damaged or disappointing item isn't automatically an FCBA billing error. The CFPB's official Regulation Z interpretation says the relevant billing-error provision generally doesn't cover a dispute about the quality of goods or services that the consumer accepted. A return policy, warranty, marketplace guarantee, or another remedy may matter more in that situation.
To be honest, describe the problem as it happened. Calling a poor-quality product "unauthorized" can weaken the record.
PayPal disputes and claims
PayPal uses a separate Buyer Protection process. It isn't the same procedure as a credit card billing-error notice.
PayPal's Buyer Protection policy says to open a dispute within the applicable timeframe, try to resolve the matter with the seller, and proceed to a claim if the dispute remains unresolved. PayPal reviews eligibility and the information supplied during the case. Its policy also says it may automatically close a dispute or claim.
Open the case through the Resolution Center. Upload the order record, tracking information, seller messages, and photographs when they are relevant.
PayPal has its own clock. Read the deadline that applies to the transaction instead of relying on an old article that gives one universal number.
If a credit card funded the PayPal payment, don't let the PayPal conversation make you miss the issuer's separate written-dispute deadline. Ask the issuer how it handles that transaction before choosing a second route.
Amazon, eBay, and other marketplace orders
Start with the marketplace's order page and resolution system. Request the refund or return there, keep the case number, and save the listing and seller messages somewhere outside the platform.
The marketplace's current return, guarantee, and appeal rules control that platform case. Read the decision carefully if the marketplace denies your request.
Thing is, a platform request isn't written notice to your credit card issuer. Keep the marketplace decision and provide it to the issuer if you later pursue a qualifying credit card billing dispute. Don't call a platform disagreement fraud unless you truly didn't authorize the transaction.
How to organize evidence for a reviewer
Make the file understandable without a lot of explanation. Put records in date order and use clear filenames, such as 2026-03-04-order-confirmation or 2026-03-18-tracking.
| Record | What it helps establish |
|---|---|
| Order confirmation and listing | What you bought, the price, and what the seller promised |
| Card statement or PayPal receipt | The payment date, amount, and merchant descriptor |
| Tracking history | Shipment, delivery, delay, or lack of delivery |
| Seller and platform messages | Your attempts to solve the problem and the response |
| Photos or return records | Damage, material differences, or a returned item |
| One-page timeline | The sequence of events and whether deadlines were met |
Keep the original files. Screenshots help, but don't delete the underlying emails, statements, or tracking pages.
If the claim is denied or stalls
Read the written reason before sending more material. A denial may turn on one missing fact, an unclear transaction description, or evidence uploaded in the wrong place.
- Compare the decision with your timeline and records.
- Answer the specific point that appears wrong.
- Add only documents that address that point.
- Ask for formal reconsideration or the issuer's escalation channel.
- Keep paying the undisputed balance while the matter remains open.
Don't file a second, contradictory claim just to restart the process. If the seller later refunds you, confirm that the credit posted and tell the issuer or PayPal so the records match.
The CFPB billing-error rule describes the federal investigation framework, covered error types, and the issuer's duties during review. If an issuer doesn't follow the required process, preserve your written notice, delivery proof, responses, and account statements before using its formal complaint channel or considering a regulator complaint.
Limits that can change the outcome
Turns out, the payment rail matters as much as the purchase. The federal process described here covers credit cards and other covered open-end credit accounts.
It doesn't automatically cover debit cards, bank transfers, wires, or every buy now pay later product. Those payments may instead be governed by the provider's agreement and any applicable payment rules.
The 60-day period is tied to the statement that first showed the error. It isn't a general promise that every online purchase can be disputed for 60 days after ordering. PayPal Buyer Protection and marketplace protections have their own eligibility rules and deadlines.
Contacting the seller creates useful evidence, but it doesn't stop the issuer's clock. Open your statement now, save the order record, and put the first date on a one-page timeline. Then send the seller request or the issuer's written notice through the correct channel.