For U.S. credit card users, the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) creates a formal process for challenging certain billing errors. Your written notice generally must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first periodic statement showing the error. Use the billing-error address printed on that statement.
The process can cover an unauthorized transaction, an accounting mistake, a missing payment credit, or goods you never received. It doesn't guarantee a refund for every disappointing purchase, and it isn't the same as a card-network chargeback. Start with the CFPB's billing-error regulation.
This article covers U.S. consumer credit cards. Debit cards, bank transfers, prepaid cards, and payment apps follow different rules.
What counts as a credit card billing error
Regulation Z applies to open-end credit accounts, including most consumer credit cards. The category matters because the FCBA process is narrower than a general complaint about a merchant.
| Billing error | What it can look like |
|---|---|
| Unauthorized transaction | A charge made by someone who did not have permission to use the account |
| Statement identification error | A transaction that is not identified as required on the periodic statement |
| Accounting error | A computational or similar mistake in the amount shown |
| Missing payment or credit | A payment, refund, or other credit that was issued but not properly posted |
| Goods or services not accepted or not delivered as agreed | An order that never arrived or was not accepted under the agreement |
| Clarification request | A request for additional information or documentary evidence about a statement entry |
The FCBA doesn't impose a general $50 minimum or a $50 deductible on billing-error notices. That figure is usually associated with federal limits on unauthorized-use liability, not ordinary billing errors.
A quality complaint is different. The CFPB's official interpretation of the rule says the billing-error category for goods or services generally does not cover a dispute about quality when the consumer accepted the property or service. A merchant remedy, card-network review, contract claim, or state-law option may still exist, but it isn't an automatic FCBA claim.
A merchant's return policy and the FCBA process also do different jobs. If a merchant actually issued a refund that never appeared on your account, that may fit the missing-credit category. A change-of-mind return without an agreed refund does not automatically become a billing error.
FCBA billing dispute or chargeback?
The terms can appear on the same issuer screen. They are not interchangeable.
The FCBA is a federal procedure with a written-notice deadline, an acknowledgment requirement, and a maximum investigation period. A chargeback is an issuer or card-network process governed by network operating rules and the issuer's procedures.
The FCBA deadline: Your notice must generally reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the error.
The network deadline: Timing and evidence requirements can vary by issuer, network, transaction type, and reason for the dispute. Don't assume a universal 120-day rule applies.
The useful question: Ask the issuer whether your case is being handled as a Regulation Z billing error, a network chargeback, or both. Turns out, that answer can change which documents and deadlines matter.
An online dispute form may be convenient, but save its confirmation. If there is any doubt, follow the billing-error address and notice instructions on the statement.
How to send a credit card billing dispute
Keep the notice factual. You don't need a long story.
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Find the first statement showing the error. Write down the statement date, transaction date, merchant name, amount, and the date your 60-day period ends.
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Use the correct issuer address. Look for the address specifically labeled for billing errors or billing inquiries. It may not be the same address used for payments.
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Describe one clear reason for the dispute. State whether the charge was unauthorized, the statement contains an accounting error, a payment or credit is missing, or goods were not delivered as agreed.
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Attach focused evidence. Include copies, not irreplaceable originals. Identify each attachment in the letter.
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Send the notice and keep delivery proof. Certified mail is not the only possible method, but proof that the issuer received your notice can matter. Save the letter, attachments, receipt, and any online confirmation.
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Pay the undisputed part of the bill. Do not stop paying the entire balance just because one transaction is under review.
Sample billing-error letter
[Your name]
[Your address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date]
[Issuer name]
[Billing-error address shown on statement]
Re: Billing error notice, account ending in [last four digits]
I am sending written notice of a billing error on my credit card account.
Statement date: [date]
Merchant and transaction date: [details]
Amount: $[amount]
Reason: [unauthorized transaction, accounting error, missing credit, or goods not delivered]
The relevant facts are: [brief explanation with dates].
Please investigate this billing error, correct the account if appropriate, and send me the written result. I have enclosed: [list of documents].
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Phone number or email]Use the account information the issuer requests, but avoid sending unnecessary sensitive data. Keep your own complete copy.
Billing dispute deadlines and payment rules
The federal timeline has several separate clocks. They are easy to mix up.
| Event | Timing |
|---|---|
| Written billing-error notice reaches issuer | Generally within 60 days after the issuer transmitted the first statement showing the error |
| Written acknowledgment | Within 30 days after receipt, unless the issuer resolves the matter within that period |
| Investigation and correction or explanation | Within two complete billing cycles, but no later than 90 days |
| Request for documentary evidence after a no-error explanation | In writing within 10 days after receiving the explanation |
If your notice meets the rule, you generally may withhold the disputed amount and related finance or other charges while the matter remains unresolved. The issuer also generally may not try to collect that disputed amount or report you delinquent because you failed to pay it during the investigation.
Thing is, that protection doesn't cover the rest of the bill. Pay undisputed charges by their due dates, and keep proof of those payments.
Temporary credit is not automatic
Some issuers use temporary or provisional credits during a review. The FCBA rule itself sets acknowledgment and investigation duties, not a universal 10-day provisional-credit deadline.
If the issuer gives temporary credit, ask whether it can be reversed. Don't spend it assuming the dispute is final.
Evidence that makes the dispute easier to review
Your evidence should answer four questions: what happened, when it happened, how much was involved, and what you did next. A short timeline often helps more than a large folder of unrelated material.
- [ ] The statement page showing the date, merchant, and disputed amount
- [ ] Receipt, order confirmation, or account record
- [ ] Delivery, tracking, cancellation, or refund records, if relevant
- [ ] Emails, messages, or notes from your contact with the merchant
- [ ] Proof of a payment or credit that was not posted
- [ ] For an unauthorized charge, the date you noticed it and the issuer case number or report details
To be honest, a plain packet is usually strongest: statement, timeline, supporting document, and one clear request. Redact passwords and unrelated account information.
Unauthorized charges need immediate action
Call the card issuer as soon as you notice a charge you did not authorize. Use the number on the back of the card or the issuer's official website. Ask whether the card should be locked or replaced, and review other recent transactions.
The FTC's guidance on lost or stolen cards recommends reporting unrecognized charges promptly. For a lost or stolen card, follow up in writing with the account information, when you noticed the loss, and when you first reported it.
Federal law generally limits liability for unauthorized credit-card use to $50 when the statutory conditions are satisfied. The federal liability statute explains that protection. Your card agreement may provide broader protection, so check it.
Don't wait for the 60-day statement deadline if fraud may be involved. Report it now, then send the written billing-error notice when the transaction appears on your statement.
What to do if the issuer denies the dispute
Read the explanation closely. If the issuer says no billing error occurred, request copies of the documentary evidence in writing within 10 days after receiving that explanation.
Then respond to the actual reason for denial. Point to the transaction date, the relevant document, and the part of your original notice that the issuer appears to have overlooked. Ask whether the issuer has an internal reconsideration or appeal process, but don't assume an appeal extends any deadline or payment obligation.
If the issuer failed to acknowledge your notice, investigate it, protect the disputed amount, or provide a proper explanation, submit a complaint through the CFPB complaint portal. Include the statement, your notice, proof of delivery, evidence, and the issuer's response. A complaint creates a documented escalation, but it does not guarantee a reversal.
If the problem is a quality complaint about goods or services you accepted, ask the issuer whether a separate network review is available. Follow that process's deadline and evidence instructions instead of relying on the FCBA timeline.
Before sending anything, compare the first statement date with today's date, copy the billing-error address exactly, and save your letter and delivery confirmation. If fraud is possible, call the issuer immediately as well.