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How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge

6 min read
Last Updated: September 13, 2024

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

  1. You should always check your credit card statement to make sure you recognize all the charges.

  2. There are many reasons for disputing credit card charges, including unauthorized charges, billing errors, non-receipt of goods, and more.

  3. You should try to resolve a dispute with the seller before involving your credit card issuer.

Have you ever found an error on your credit card statement? It can be an unsettling experience.

Most credit cards offer the ability to dispute a charge on your account, including:

 

  • Improper charges
  • Billing errors
  • Fraudulent transactions
  • Goods and services that were never delivered

 

If any of these happen to you, it’s important to act quickly to protect your finances, credit score, and overall security on your credit card account.

What is that charge on my credit card?

It starts when you open your credit card statement or use your online banking account to review your activity. You see a charge you don’t recognize or didn’t authorize. While it could be an honest mistake by a retailer, it could also be the result of someone stealing your card information and using it without your permission.

Even if you recognize the charges, some line items on your credit card statement may not look quite right. Common disputes may look like:

 

  • A restaurant accidentally double charging for a meal
  • A streaming service billing for a subscription canceled months ago
  • An online retailer failing to fulfill your order
  • A purchase you received arriving damaged and the retailer refusing to assist you

Reasons for a credit card dispute

The Fair Credit Billing Act protects credit card customers from being held responsible for certain charges. Under the act, there are three main categories under which you have the right to dispute a charge.

Did you know?

Discover® cardmembers are protected with a $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee. You’re never responsible for unauthorized purchases on your Discover Card.1

A transaction is considered fraudulent if there is unauthorized use of your credit card. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), federal law prohibits you from being responsible for any unauthorized charges over $50.

Billing errors are when merchants charge you for something by mistake, or when there’s an error on your billing statement. According to the FTC, examples of such errors you can dispute are:

  • Charges that list the wrong amount or date
  • Failure to post return credits
  • Failure to send bills to your current address (assuming the creditor has your change of address, in writing, at least 20 days before the billing period ends)

You can make a transaction dispute when a retailer refuses to correct a service issue. Service issues include:

  • You paid for something that a merchant didn’t deliver
  • There’s a quality issue with a purchase
  • What you paid for wasn’t delivered as agreed

While you’ll need to make a good-faith effort to solve the problem with the merchant first, you can also dispute a credit card transaction when there are these types of service issues.

Steps to dispute a credit card charge

When you need to dispute a charge, it can feel daunting at first. But if you have an issue with a charge on your credit card, consider these options to help you sort it out.

1. Review your credit card statement for errors

Make sure you aren’t missing errors or signs of fraudulent activity by reading your credit card statement thoroughly and confirming your statement balance each month. You can review your statement online or in your paper-based credit card bill that arrives by mail.

When you review your credit card statement, watch out for any unusual activity like:

 

  • Double charges
  • Transactions you don’t recognize
  • Purchases from strange locations
  • An unfamiliar company name

 

An unusual item or a strange merchant name can signify that something isn’t right.

2. Contact the retailer to dispute the transaction

You can resolve some unauthorized credit card charges with a simple phone call to the company where the charge originated. For example, if a store made a billing error by charging you twice for an item, they may offer you a refund.

A transaction from an unfamiliar name or location could mean a couple things, and a call to the merchant could clear things up. For example, they might operate their business under a different name than their storefront or have an office or warehouse in another town.

If you’re unsatisfied with a purchase, the store may agree to offer you a replacement or a refund without the need to dispute a charge. The most important lesson here is that you should reach out to the merchant or service company first and try to figure out what’s going on.

If you have concerns about what appears on your billing statement, you can reach out to your credit card company and dispute the unauthorized charge. The sooner you reach out the better.

3. Contact your card issuer to dispute a charge

If you can’t resolve a billing dispute directly with the merchant, the next step would be to contact your credit card issuer and work through their dispute process. You'll likely need to specify the name of the business as it appears on your statement, the date of the charge, the disputed amount, and the reason for the disputed charge. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau states that to protect their rights, consumers must send a written billing error notice to their credit card company within 60 days.

Per the FTC, credit card companies cannot charge you for the disputed amount and related charges while the investigation is ongoing. However, you’ll still need to pay the part of your bill not in question.

4. Be patient while your disputed charge is under review

It may take a while to complete the investigation. Look for messages from your credit card issuer, either asking for additional information or to inform you that the investigation has been completed. Quickly responding to these messages will help speed up the process.

If the merchant or credit issuer resolves the dispute in your favor, they’ll provide a credit card chargeback and the credit becomes permanent. If the investigation concludes that you’re not entitled to the credit, the original charge will be reapplied to your account and you’ll be responsible for payment.

You can settle most disputes one way or another in approximately 60 days. Check with your credit card company for specific timeframes.

The bottom line

When you find a strange charge on your credit card statement, you may immediately feel panicked or stressed, especially when facing the idea of late fees or interest charges that could affect your credit score. For greater peace of mind, check your statement diligently, understand your credit card company’s protection policy, and follow these steps to dispute an unauthorized charge.

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