How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge

The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) gives consumers the right to dispute billing errors on credit card statements.

What you can dispute:

Unauthorized charges (fraud)

Charges for goods or services not received

Charges for goods or services that were different from what was described

Billing errors (wrong amount, duplicate charges)

Charges where the merchant did not apply a credit or return properly

Steps to dispute:

Contact the issuer promptly. You have 60 days from the statement date to dispute in writing. Most issuers also accept phone and online disputes.

Send a written dispute. Mail a letter to the billing inquiries address (not the payment address). Include your name, account number, the disputed amount, and why you believe it is an error.

Keep copies. Save copies of your dispute letter and all supporting documentation.

What happens next:

The issuer must acknowledge your dispute within 30 days.

The issuer must investigate and resolve within two complete billing cycles (no more than 90 days).

During the investigation, you do not have to pay the disputed amount, and the issuer cannot report it as delinquent.

If the dispute is resolved in your favor, the charge and any related finance charges are removed.

If resolved against you, you must pay the charge plus any accumulated interest. You can request documentation of the investigation.

Debit cards. Different rules apply under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA). Report within 2 business days for maximum protection.

This is legal information, not legal advice.