If a U.S.-issued credit card statement contains an unauthorized charge, duplicate charge, wrong amount, or charge for goods or services not delivered as agreed, contact the issuer promptly. To use the FCBA billing-error process, written notice must reach the billing-inquiries address within 60 calendar days after the first statement showing the error. A phone call can start the conversation, but it doesn't replace the written notice.
Paying the charge doesn't automatically end your rights. The CFPB's guidance on disputing a credit card charge confirms that you can still dispute a charge you've already paid.
These rules apply to U.S.-issued credit cards. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and cards issued outside the United States follow different protections. This is general consumer information, not legal advice.
What rules control a credit card dispute?
Two processes may be involved. The Fair Credit Billing Act, implemented through Regulation Z, provides a federal billing-error procedure; the card issuer and payment network may also run a chargeback process.
| Issue | FCBA and Regulation Z | Card-network chargeback |
|---|---|---|
| Legal character | A federal billing-error process | A payment-network process involving the issuer, network, and merchant |
| Deadline | Written notice received within 60 calendar days after the statement first shows the error | Varies by network, claim type, and issuer |
| Evidence | Facts showing why the statement is wrong | Documents that fit the network's dispute category |
| Possible result | Account correction or a written explanation | Reversal, merchant response, or further review |
The Regulation Z billing-error rule sets the legal baseline. A network chargeback can run alongside it, but it doesn't extend the FCBA notice deadline.
The issuer usually starts the network dispute. The merchant may answer with delivery records, authorization data, or other documents.
What counts as a billing error?
Regulation Z covers more than an unfamiliar purchase. A billing error can include an unauthorized transaction, a charge that isn't properly identified, an amount stated incorrectly, a payment or credit that wasn't posted, or a computational or similar accounting mistake.
The rule can also cover goods or services you didn't accept or that weren't delivered according to the agreement. The details matter.
Buyer remorse, a poor fit, or a complaint about product quality isn't automatically a billing error. Compare the complaint with the agreement and what actually happened.
Permission is central to an unauthorized-use claim. If you didn't make the charge and didn't give anyone actual, implied, or apparent authority to use the account, the transaction is generally unauthorized under this rule. A purchase made by an authorized user may be treated differently.
The deadline is tied to the statement
Start with the first statement that showed the alleged error. The order date or the date in a shopping app usually isn't the FCBA date that controls.
| Action | General timing | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Send written dispute | Within 60 calendar days after the first statement shows the alleged error | Send notice to the billing-inquiries address on the statement |
| Acknowledge the dispute | Within 30 days after the issuer receives it | The issuer may skip a separate acknowledgment if it resolves the matter sooner |
| Resolve the dispute | Within two complete billing cycles, and no later than 90 days | Correct the account or explain in writing why the bill is correct |
| Pay the account | While the investigation continues | Pay the undisputed balance and other required amounts by the due date |
After the issuer receives a properly submitted notice, you generally may withhold the disputed amount while it investigates. The issuer generally can't report that amount as delinquent because you didn't pay it. The undisputed balance still comes due.
Turns out, the transaction date shown by an app can be a distraction. Find the statement on which the charge first appeared.
Follow these steps
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Call the issuer about suspicious activity. Use the number on the back of the card if you don't recognize the transaction. Ask the issuer to secure the account and explain how it wants the written dispute submitted.
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Contact the merchant when that is useful. A duplicate charge or straightforward processing mistake may be fixed quickly. Ask for a written response, but don't wait for the merchant if the 60-day deadline is approaching.
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Collect the paper trail. Keep the statement, receipt, order confirmation, cancellation request, delivery information, emails, and screenshots. Write down the dates and names from phone calls.
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Put the dispute in writing. Identify the transaction date, merchant, amount, statement date, and specific reason you believe the statement is wrong. Use the last four digits of the account, not the full card number.
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Send it to the right address. Use the billing-inquiries address printed on the statement. It may not be the address used for payments. Keep a copy of the letter, attachments, and delivery record.
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Pay the rest of the bill. Don't stop paying the entire account because one charge is disputed. A missed payment on the undisputed balance creates a separate problem.
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Track the deadlines. Note when the issuer received your notice, when the 30-day acknowledgment period ends, and when the 90-day outside resolution date arrives. If the issuer denies the claim, ask how to submit additional evidence or request another review.
A simple dispute-letter format
Keep the letter factual. The issuer needs to identify the transaction and see why you believe the statement is wrong.
I am disputing a $[amount] charge from [merchant], dated [transaction date], that appeared on my statement dated [statement date]. The charge is a billing error because [brief factual explanation]. The account ends in [last four digits]. Please investigate the charge and correct the account. I have enclosed copies of [relevant records].
Include your contact information. Send copies, not originals.
Use a mailing method that creates a delivery record. Keep the letter, attachments, delivery proof, and issuer response together.
Unauthorized charges and liability
Federal credit-card law generally limits liability for unauthorized use to $50. Many issuers provide broader zero-liability protection under their own account policies.
The $50 limit concerns liability. It isn't a refund timetable.
Report an unfamiliar transaction promptly, even if the physical card is still in your wallet. Someone in your household or an authorized user may have had permission, so describe the situation accurately. An authorized purchase doesn't become fraud simply because the merchant later failed to issue a refund.
Match your evidence to the problem
A statement shows that the charge exists. Other records usually show what went wrong.
| Dispute type | Records that can help |
|---|---|
| Unauthorized charge | Statement entry, issuer fraud report number, account alerts, and details showing you did not authorize the transaction |
| Duplicate charge | Receipt, order record, and both statement entries |
| Item or service not delivered | Order confirmation, promised delivery date, tracking history, and messages with the merchant |
| Recurring charge after cancellation | Cancellation request, confirmation, account terms, and later statement entries |
| Incorrect amount | Receipt, contract, price confirmation, and a calculation showing the difference |
To be honest, a clean timeline can beat a pile of screenshots. If the merchant promised Tuesday, moved delivery to Friday, and then stopped replying, put those events in order anyway. The paper trail may be messy. Keep it chronological.
A chargeback is not a general return process
Thing is, a chargeback is a payment-network reversal process, not a court order or an automatic refund. The issuer may ask the merchant for delivery records, authorization data, or other documents.
You don't need to invent a network reason code. Describe the facts plainly, then choose the most accurate category if the issuer's form asks you to select one.
If the merchant delivered exactly what you ordered, a chargeback may not be the right remedy. Use the merchant's refund, cancellation, warranty, or return process when that is the actual dispute. Keep proof of the request and the response.
If the issuer denies your dispute
A denial gives you the issuer's conclusion, but it may not show which fact or document decided the case. Find that out before sending a long repeat of the original story.
| Possible reason | Useful response |
|---|---|
| Notice was late | Provide the statement date, delivery record, and a clear explanation of when the error first appeared |
| Merchant says the item was delivered | Send the order terms, tracking details, delivery address information, and communications showing non-delivery |
| Issuer says the transaction was authorized | Explain who had access, whether permission existed, and why the use was not authorized |
| Issuer says the bill is correct | Request the written explanation and answer each factual point with dated records |
| Merchant issued a partial credit | Provide the credit record and identify the remaining amount still in dispute |
If the issuer decides the bill is correct, the FCBA process requires a written explanation. Read it closely. A generic response may leave out an important date or document.
Send a focused follow-up rather than retelling everything. A short timeline, the disputed amount, and two or three strong documents are easier to review.
If the issuer fails to acknowledge or resolve a properly submitted dispute within the required period, or appears not to have considered your evidence, you can submit a complaint through the CFPB complaint form. A complaint doesn't automatically reverse the charge, but it creates another formal record of the problem.
Pull up the statement and mark the disputed entry. If the 60-day deadline is close, send written notice to the billing-inquiries address, keep delivery proof, and pay the rest of the bill by its due date.