How to dispute a credit card charge

To dispute a credit card charge, write to your card issuer at its billing-error address within 60 days of the date the first statement showing the charge was sent to you. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, the issuer must acknowledge your dispute within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles, and never more than 90 days. You can usually start online or by phone, but a written dispute sent on time is what locks in your federal rights.

Billing disputes and chargebacks are not the same thing

• A billing error dispute is your legal right under the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA). It covers a specific list of errors and comes with fixed deadlines for you and the issuer.
• A chargeback is the card network process (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) that pulls money back from the merchant's bank. When you dispute, your issuer usually files one behind the scenes. Network rules have their own time limits, and issuers often accept disputes outside the FCBA window as a matter of policy.
• A claim against the merchant for poor-quality goods is a separate FCBA right with its own conditions. It lets you withhold payment for a bad purchase rather than correct a billing mistake.

What counts as a billing error

• a charge you did not make or authorize
• a charge for the wrong amount or on the wrong date
• a charge for goods or services you did not accept, or that were not delivered as agreed
• a payment or credit, such as a refund for a return, that was not posted
• a math error on the statement
• a charge you want explained or backed up with documents
• a statement sent to an old address, if you gave the issuer your new one at least 20 days before the billing period ended

How to dispute a charge, step by step

1. Check the details. The merchant name on a statement can differ from the store's brand name, and a refund may still be pending. Many "mystery" charges turn out to be a parent company or a subscription renewal.
2. Contact the merchant if it makes sense. A duplicate charge or missing refund is often fixed in a day. This is optional for billing errors, and you should not let it run past your 60-day window.
3. Write to your issuer at its billing-error address. Your statement lists the address for billing inquiries, which is usually not the payment address. If you dispute online or by phone, also send a letter, or ask the issuer to confirm that its online form counts as written notice.
4. Keep proof. Use certified mail with a return receipt, or save the online confirmation. Attach copies, never originals, of receipts, emails, tracking records or cancellation confirmations.
5. Pay the rest of your bill. You can withhold the disputed amount and related finance charges, but pay at least the minimum on everything else.

What the issuer must do, and what it cannot do

Once your written dispute arrives on time, the issuer has to:

• acknowledge it in writing within 30 days, unless it fixes the problem sooner
• finish its investigation within two complete billing cycles, and no later than 90 days
• either correct the error and remove related finance charges and fees, or explain in writing why the charge is correct and send you documents if you ask

While the dispute is open, the issuer cannot try to collect the disputed amount, cannot report it as late to the credit bureaus, and cannot close your account just because you disputed. It can still count the amount against your credit limit.

If the issuer decides there was no error, it must tell you what you owe and give you the usual time to pay. If you still disagree and say so in writing within that time, it can report the amount as late only if it also reports that you dispute it.

Unauthorized charges and the $50 cap

Federal law caps your liability for unauthorized use of a credit card at $50. If only your card number was stolen and you still had the card, as in most online fraud, you owe nothing for the unauthorized charges. Most major issuers also offer zero-liability policies.

1. Call the issuer now on the number on the back of your card and ask for a new card number.
2. Review recent statements for small test charges, which fraudsters often run first.
3. Follow up in writing within 60 days of the statement.
4. Check for identity theft. If someone opened new accounts in your name, see identity theft and credit freezes.

Problems with something you bought

Goods or services that never arrived

Paying for something that was not delivered as agreed is a billing error, so the 60-day rule and the issuer's deadlines apply. Keep the order confirmation, the promised delivery date and any tracking record. If the promised date has not passed you can wait, but if your 60-day window is about to close, send the dispute anyway and explain.

Goods that arrived broken or not as described

If the item was defective or not what was promised, the FCBA lets you withhold payment of the unpaid balance on that purchase if:

• you made a real attempt to resolve it with the merchant first
• the purchase was more than $50
• it was made in your home state or within 100 miles of your billing address

The amount and distance limits do not apply if the issuer owns or runs the merchant, or mailed you the ad. Card network rules and issuer policies often go further than the law, especially for online purchases, so ask even if your purchase does not meet these conditions.

If the issuer rules against you

• Ask for the documents the issuer relied on, such as a receipt or proof of delivery, and point out anything that does not match.
• Send any new evidence and ask for another look.
• Pursue the merchant directly, including in small claims court.
• Complain to the issuer and, if needed, a regulator. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is one place consumers complain about card issuers. See how to file a complaint against a company.

Before you apply for a new card, you can check card issuers' complaint records or look up any company to see how it tends to respond.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Some states add protections of their own.

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