If a U.S. credit-card statement shows a charge you don't recognize or believe is wrong, notify the card issuer promptly. For a billing error covered by the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA), your written notice must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

A phone call can open a fraud or dispute case, but it isn't a substitute for written notice when you want to use the FCBA billing-error process. Send the notice to the billing-dispute address or through the written method your issuer identifies, and keep a copy. The Federal Trade Commission's credit-card dispute guidance includes a sample letter and explains the deadlines.

A refund, billing dispute, and chargeback are different

You can ask the merchant for a refund and notify the issuer at the same time. A merchant's promised refund doesn't extend the issuer's 60-day deadline. A no-refund policy may matter when you've simply changed your mind, but it doesn't decide whether the merchant charged the wrong amount, made an unauthorized charge, or failed to deliver what was purchased.

Which charges may be disputed?

The facts and the payment route matter. The FCBA process is most clearly aimed at billing errors such as:

• A transaction you didn't authorize.
• An incorrect amount or a duplicate charge.
• Goods or services that weren't delivered or accepted as agreed.

Other problems may fit an issuer or card-network dispute category rather than a straightforward FCBA billing error. Examples include:

• A recurring charge that continued after you properly canceled, when you have proof of the cancellation.
• An item that arrived damaged or was materially different from its description.

Ask the issuer which type of claim applies instead of assuming that every chargeback reason is a federal billing-error claim. Network rules and the issuer's procedures may control some purchase disputes.

Before reporting fraud, check the merchant descriptor against your receipts and email. Look at subscriptions, digital-wallet activity, recent purchases, and transactions made by authorized users or other household members. An unfamiliar name on a statement can still belong to a legitimate purchase.

The U.S. credit-card dispute deadlines

For an FCBA claim, the important date is generally the first statement that showed the error, not the date you made the purchase.

• Within 60 days: The issuer must receive your written notice within 60 days after that statement was sent.
• Within 30 days: The issuer must acknowledge your complaint in writing, unless it has already resolved the problem.
• Within 90 days: The issuer must complete its investigation and resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, but no later than 90 days.

The 60-day deadline concerns receipt. Mailing a letter on day 60 may not be enough if it arrives later. Use the address or written submission method designated for billing disputes, save proof of delivery or submission, and retain the letter and attachments.

There is also an address-related condition. If the statement went to an old address, the FTC says you must have sent the issuer your change of address in writing early enough for the issuer to have it at least 20 days before the billing period ended to use this billing-error process for that problem.

These dates apply to the formal FCBA process for U.S. open-end credit accounts, including credit cards. They aren't a universal deadline for debit cards, bank transfers, payment apps, or every network dispute.

What to do, in order

1. Pin down the transaction

Save the statement showing the charge. Write down:

• The merchant descriptor.
• The transaction date.
• The amount.
• The first statement on which the charge appeared.
• The reason you believe the charge is wrong.

If the charge appears to be unauthorized, contact the issuer immediately through its fraud or dispute channel. You can still send written notice for the FCBA process if that is the route you are using.

2. Contact the merchant if that could solve the problem

Ask for the specific remedy you want: a refund, cancellation, replacement, or explanation. Email or an online support form is preferable to an unrecorded conversation.

Keep the date of contact, case number, representative's name, and any written promise of a refund. If the 60-day deadline is getting close, send the issuer's notice without waiting for the merchant to reply.

3. Send a precise written dispute

Say that you are disputing a billing error and identify the transaction clearly. Include:

• Your name and enough account information for the issuer to locate the account.
• The merchant name, transaction date, and amount.
• The date of the first statement showing the charge.
• A short explanation of why the charge is unauthorized or incorrect.
• Your contact with the merchant and the response, if any.
• Copies of records supporting your claim.
• The correction you want the issuer to make.

You don't need a long argument. For example:

I dispute the $ charge from dated because . Please investigate this billing error and correct my account if the charge is found to be invalid.

Send the notice to the issuer's billing-inquiry or dispute address, which may be different from the address used for payments. If the issuer provides another written submission method, follow its instructions. Don't send original documents, and don't include more personal information than the issuer requires.

4. Keep an evidence file

Put the records in date order and add a short timeline. Include the purchase date, promised delivery or service date, merchant contacts, cancellation date, and any refund promise.

Useful records may include:

• The statement showing the charge.
• An order confirmation, invoice, receipt, or booking record.
• The product listing, service description, or terms shown at purchase.
• Delivery tracking, a return receipt, or proof that the goods weren't received.
• Emails, chats, and merchant case records.
• A cancellation confirmation and the date cancellation took effect.
• Photos of damage or a material difference from the description.
• A refund confirmation or credit memo that hasn't appeared on the account.

Redact unrelated account numbers and other sensitive information before sharing documents.

5. Track the issuer's response

Record when the issuer received your notice. Save its acknowledgment, case number, requests for information, and final decision. Answer requests by the stated deadline and keep proof of anything you submit.

Continue paying the part of the bill you don't dispute. Don't stop paying the entire credit-card bill because one transaction is under review. If you're unsure how the disputed amount affects the minimum payment, ask the issuer for written instructions rather than guessing.

If the issuer doesn't acknowledge the complaint within 30 days or resolve it within 90 days, follow up in writing. Refer to the original notice and attach proof of when it was received.

6. Read a denial closely

A chargeback or billing dispute isn't an automatic refund. The issuer may decide that the charge was valid, that the evidence didn't support the claim, or that the issue belongs under another process.

If the issuer denies the claim:

1. Read the explanation and identify the exact reason.
2. Ask which records the issuer relied on and whether it can provide copies.
3. Compare that explanation with your receipt, cancellation record, delivery evidence, or other proof.
4. Use the issuer's appeal or reconsideration process if one is available.
5. Meet any appeal deadline and answer the specific reason for the denial.

If the merchant says it issued a refund, request written confirmation and ask the issuer how to handle a credit that hasn't appeared. Don't file duplicate disputes for the same transaction.

Who handles a Visa or Mastercard dispute?

Start with the bank or credit union that issued the card. The issuer decides whether to treat the matter as an FCBA billing error, a fraud report, or a card-network dispute.

Visa and Mastercard rules can affect the evidence, reason codes, and stages of the issuer's review. Published network timeframes generally aren't your deadline as a cardholder. Follow the date given by your issuer and ask which documents it needs.

The issuer also handles the case when the merchant won't respond. Contacting Visa or Mastercard directly usually isn't a substitute for opening the dispute with the issuer.

Don't use the credit-card process for every payment

The FCBA rules discussed here concern U.S. open-end credit accounts, including credit cards. They don't automatically govern:

• Debit-card transactions.
• Prepaid cards.
• ACH payments.
• Wire transfers.
• Payment apps or person-to-person transfers.

Those payment methods can have different protections, reporting channels, and deadlines. Contact the provider immediately and ask for its unauthorized-transaction or error-resolution procedure. The credit-card 60-day, 30-day, and 90-day timeline may not apply.

Common questions

Do I have to contact the merchant first?

No. A merchant may fix an obvious mistake faster, and the conversation can create useful evidence, but you don't have to wait for the merchant before notifying the issuer. Don't let a pending merchant response push you past the written-dispute deadline.

Is a phone call enough?

Not if you want to rely on the FCBA written billing-error process. A call can start a fraud report or help you learn the issuer's procedure. Send written notice through the issuer's designated channel and keep proof that it was received.

What if I missed the 60-day deadline?

Contact the issuer anyway and explain what happened. Missing the FCBA deadline may affect the legal protections available through that process, but the issuer may have another internal or network procedure. Report unauthorized activity as soon as you notice it.

Does a chargeback guarantee a refund?

No. The issuer reviews the transaction, the reason for the dispute, and the evidence. Whether the charge is reversed depends on the facts and the applicable issuer and network rules.

Does a no-refund policy block every dispute?

No. A return policy may control a normal change-of-mind request. It doesn't by itself establish that an unauthorized transaction was valid, that the amount was correct, or that goods or services were delivered as agreed.

If the 60-day date is close, send the written notice first and keep the merchant conversation separate. Save the statement, your supporting records, and proof that the issuer received the dispute.

This is general information for U.S. consumers, not legal advice. Card terms, transaction types, and accounts outside the United States may follow different rules.