Dispute a Credit Card Charge: The 60-Day Process

Quick Answer: To dispute a credit card charge, first try the merchant, then contact your card issuer and send a written billing error notice that reaches it within 60 days of the first statement showing the charge, as the Fair Credit Billing Act requires. Include your name, account number, the charge and why it is wrong. The issuer must acknowledge it within 30 days and resolve it within 90.

Disputing a credit card charge is a paperwork process with legal deadlines. You identify the exact transaction on your statement, contact the merchant if that makes sense, then notify the card issuer in writing within 60 days of the statement that first showed it. You may withhold the disputed amount while the issuer investigates, but must keep paying everything else.

This article explains the process and the records involved. It is not legal advice; for a large or complicated dispute, the CFPB and your state attorney general's consumer office are the places to ask.

Which kind of dispute are you making?

People use "dispute," "chargeback" and "billing error" interchangeably, but the rules behind them differ. Picking the right one tells you which deadline applies.

The full list of billing errors in Regulation Z also covers charges that are not identified clearly enough for you to recognise, requests for clarification or documentation, and statements the issuer failed to send to your current address.

If you have not yet worked out whether a charge is fraud at all, the guide to detecting fraud on a statement covers the warning signs. This page starts once you know which charge you are challenging.

How do you dispute a credit card charge step by step?

1. Find the transaction on the statement. Note the posting date, the amount and the exact merchant descriptor as printed. Also note which statement it first appeared on and that statement's closing date, because the 60-day clock runs from when that statement was sent. The credit card statement walkthrough shows where each of those fields sits.
2. Contact the merchant, if it is safe to. For a duplicate or wrong amount, the merchant can often reverse it faster than a bank investigation. Chase's guidance makes the same point: merchants may fix errors within days, while bank investigations can take weeks. Skip this step for clear fraud.
3. Call or message the issuer. The CFPB recommends contacting the card company immediately. Most issuers let you start a dispute online; Chase's dispute page (read on 26 October 2026) says to sign in, find the transaction, choose the arrow next to it and follow the instructions.
4. Send the written notice. A phone call or online form may resolve it, but the legal protections attach to a written billing error notice sent to the address the issuer lists for billing inquiries, which is often different from the payment address. The FTC suggests certified mail with a return receipt.
5. Keep paying the rest of the bill. You can withhold the disputed amount and any related interest, but the undisputed balance and minimum payment are still due.
6. Log every follow-up. Date, person, reference number, what was said.

What goes in the written notice

Regulation Z says the notice must let the creditor identify your name and account number, and must state that you believe there is a billing error, why, and the type, date and amount of the error. A short letter does the job:

• Your name, address and the last digits of the card number.
• The statement date and the line in question: date, merchant name as printed, amount.
• One or two sentences on what is wrong ("charged twice on 3 May," "order cancelled on 12 April, item never shipped").
• What you want: removal of the charge and related fees or interest.
• Copies, not originals, of your evidence.

Records to gather before you file

The strength of a dispute is almost entirely in the paper trail. Pull these together:

• The statement page showing the charge, plus the next one if the charge repeated.
• Receipts, order confirmations and cancellation emails, with the dates visible.
• Messages with the merchant, which show you tried to resolve it.
• Delivery evidence: tracking showing non-delivery, photos of a damaged item, a return shipping receipt.
• The merchant's terms for cancellations and refunds, if they support your case.
• For services not rendered, the booking or contract, and anything showing the date the service should have happened.

If the problem is a recurring charge you thought you had cancelled, it helps to see every occurrence in one place. Convert several months of card statements into a spreadsheet and filter by merchant name; QuickBankConvert does that from the PDF statements, and the CSV export on your issuer's website works for recent months. The subscription audit guide shows how to spot repeats.

What happens after you file?

The timeline comes from Regulation Z section 1026.13:

While the investigation runs, the issuer may not try to collect the disputed amount, may not report it as delinquent, and may not close or restrict your account just because you used these rights.

There are two possible endings. Either the issuer agrees there was an error, removes the charge and related interest and fees, and on the merchant's side that reversal is the chargeback. Or it finds the charge was correct and must tell you promptly, in writing, how much you owe and why. According to the FTC, if you then pay within the time the issuer allows, it cannot report you as delinquent for the period of the dispute.

Services not rendered and bad service

Searches for "dispute credit card charge for services not rendered" and "chargeback for bad service" describe two different situations:

• Not rendered. You paid for a service that did not happen as agreed: a contractor who never showed, a cancelled event without a refund. That fits the billing error definition of services not delivered as agreed, so the 60-day written notice applies.
• Rendered badly. The service happened but was poor. That is a quality dispute. The CFPB lists the conditions for refusing to pay the remaining balance: you tried to resolve it with the seller, the purchase was over $50, it was made in your home state or within 100 miles of your address, and you have not paid it in full yet. Outside those conditions, the issuer may still review it under its own policy and the card network's rules, but the merchant will be asked for its side.

If the dispute is denied

Ask for the evidence: Regulation Z requires the issuer to send copies of the documents showing you owe the amount if you request them. If you still believe the charge is wrong, you can submit a complaint to the CFPB online or by phone, as its refund page explains. Keep paying the account while you do, so a disagreement does not turn into a late payment.

Related guides

• How to read a credit card statement
• Detect fraud on a bank statement
• Statement balance vs current balance
• CFPB: How do I dispute a charge on my credit card bill?
• CFPB: Regulation Z, section 1026.13, billing error resolution
• FTC: Using credit cards and disputing charges