How Long You Have to Dispute a Charge

Credit card disputes get 60 days under the Fair Credit Billing Act. Debit card errors get 60 days under Regulation E. Here is how each clock works.

Written: October 5, 2026

Why time matters when you dispute a charge

How long you have to dispute a charge depends on the card you used. Federal law sets a 60-day window for both credit and debit cards, but the two clocks start in different places and come from different rules.

Credit card disputes: 60 days under the Fair Credit Billing Act

For a credit card, Regulation Z gives the cardholder 60 days to get a written notice to the card issuer. The Fair Credit Billing Act sets the same limit.

That is 60 days for the notice to reach the card issuer. Send it early enough that it reaches the issuer in time.

When the 60-day clock starts

Regulation Z starts the 60 days when the card issuer sends the first statement that shows the error. The Fair Credit Billing Act counts the sixty days the same way.

So the clock does not start on the day of the purchase. It starts when the card issuer sends the first statement that shows the error. Check each statement as it comes. A charge you skip now can cost you the window later.

What your written notice must include

Regulation Z says the notice must reach the address the card issuer gives for billing errors. It must let the issuer identify your name and account number. It should give the error's type, date and amount, and why you think it is wrong.

A notice sent electronically counts as written, if the card issuer says it accepts notices that way. Regulation Z also lets an issuer refuse notices written on the payment slip, if its billing rights statement says so. Use a separate letter, or the issuer's own dispute page if the issuer says it accepts notices that way.

Debit card disputes: 60 days under Regulation E

A debit card runs on a different rule. Regulation E says your bank must get your error notice within 60 days after it sends the statement showing the error.

Regulation E says your bank need not follow its error steps for a notice it gets more than 60 days after the statement. The same lesson applies: watch your statements and act fast.

Special rules for debit cards

Regulation E fills a few gaps. If your bank never sends a statement, you have 60 days from when it should have. After you ask for papers about a transfer, you have 60 days from when your bank sends them. And if you take back an error notice, you may raise it again within the first 60-day period.

How long the bank has to investigate

The rules also cap how long the investigation can run.

For a credit card, Regulation Z gives the card issuer 2 complete billing cycles after it receives the notice to resolve the error. It must resolve the error no later than 90 days after it receives the notice.

For a debit card, Regulation E says your bank must decide if there was an error within 10 business days of getting your notice. It may take up to 45 days if it gives provisional credit within 10 business days. It may take 90 days, not 45, for a debit card purchase at a store. The same applies to a transfer that did not start inside a state.

Read what happens after you dispute a charge for the full timeline.

Your rights while the dispute runs

On a credit card, Regulation Z says the cardholder need not pay the disputed amount or its related charges during the dispute. It bars the issuer from trying to collect the disputed amount during the dispute, such as in court. It also bars an issuer from closing or limiting an account because the cardholder used these rights in good faith.

If the issuer finds the error, it must fix it, credit the account and send a correction notice. If it finds no error, it must explain why in writing and send copies of its proof if you ask.

Past the deadline? Still try

Capital One suggests filing a credit card dispute within 60 days of the statement date, but may still help after that. Also check valid reasons to dispute a charge first, so your claim fits.

Common questions

Can I dispute a pending charge? Capital One will not take a dispute on a pending charge, because the amount may still change. Wait for it to post. See can you dispute a pending charge.

Can I dispute a charge I already paid? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says a charge already paid can still be disputed. Money already paid likely comes back only after the card company agrees with you.

What about a charge I do not recognize? Ask any authorized users on your account if they made it. Bank of America says many disputed charges are real charges that people do not recognize or remember.

Act now

Check your statement today. If you see a bad charge, gather your proof and send written notice right away. The 60-day clock does not wait.