How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge Step by Step

Check the charge, write to the merchant, then send a written billing error notice within 60 days. Here is the full path, and your rights along the way.

Written: October 5, 2026

You saw a charge on your card that looks wrong. Here is how to dispute a credit card charge, step by step, and what the law says you can expect along the way.

What is a credit card charge dispute?

A dispute is a formal claim to your card issuer that a charge on your bill is wrong. The Fair Credit Billing Act is the federal law on correcting billing errors. Section 1026.13 of Regulation Z is the federal rule on billing error resolution.

Valid reasons to dispute a charge

Regulation Z treats several things as billing errors:

a charge not made by you or someone allowed to use the card
a charge for the wrong amount
a charge for goods or services not accepted or not delivered as agreed
a payment or credit the statement fails to show properly
a math error the card issuer made on a statement

Regulation Z also covers a charge you ask the card issuer to explain, with documents as proof.

One thing does not count. Regulation Z does not treat a complaint about the quality of something you accepted as a billing error. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says defective goods or services may need a different dispute process. See valid reasons to dispute a charge for more.

How long you have to dispute: the 60-day window

Regulation Z gives you 60 days to get a written notice to the card issuer. The clock starts when the card issuer sends the first statement that shows the error. The Fair Credit Billing Act counts the sixty days the same way.

Step 1: Review your statement and gather evidence

Before you dispute a charge you 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.

Then pull together your proof: receipts, order emails, photos of what arrived, and any messages you sent the merchant. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says to keep copies and write down the dates of follow-up calls.

Step 2: Contact the merchant

Regulation Z says you need not contact the seller first about goods or services not delivered as agreed. Chase's guide says a merchant may fix a charge error in a few days, while a bank can take weeks. If a merchant promised a refund and gave none or only part of it, you may want to dispute the charge. To dispute a charge for a canceled subscription, keep a copy of any emails confirming you canceled.

Step 3: Submit your dispute to the card issuer

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says to call the card company about a problem charge right away. But a call alone is not enough. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says you must also send a written billing error notice to protect your rights.

Depending on the card issuer, you may be able to open a dispute by phone, in its app, by email or in writing. The exact steps can be different at each card issuer, so check your bank's own dispute page. Regulation Z says a notice sent electronically counts as written, if the card issuer says it accepts notices that way.

What to include in your written billing error notice

Regulation Z sets what the notice needs:

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

One trap to avoid. Regulation Z lets a card issuer refuse notices written on the payment slip, if its billing rights statement says so. Send your notice to the proper address instead.

What happens after you file a dispute

Regulation Z gives the card issuer 30 days after it receives the notice to confirm it in writing. It can skip that written reply if it resolves the error within those 30 days. After that, Regulation Z gives the card issuer 2 complete billing cycles to resolve the error. It must never take more than 90 days after it receives the notice. The Fair Credit Billing Act sets the same limit. Read what happens after you dispute a charge for the full picture.

Your rights during the dispute

Regulation Z says you need not pay the disputed amount or its related charges during the dispute. It also bars the card issuer from trying to collect the disputed amount while the dispute is open, such as in court. Regulation Z says card issuer autopay must skip a disputed amount if the notice arrives 3 business days before payment.

Holding back a disputed amount cannot add finance charges to the rest of your balance. And the card issuer cannot report you as late for not paying it, though it may report that an amount is in dispute. It can still collect the part of the bill not in dispute, and it can count the disputed amount against your credit limit.

Regulation Z also bars a card issuer from closing or limiting your account because you used these rights in good faith.

If the card issuer finds no error

Regulation Z says the card issuer must do a reasonable investigation before it finds there was no error. It cannot deny your claim only because you did not sign a sworn statement or file a police report. The Fair Credit Billing Act says it cannot deny a claim of goods not delivered unless it finds they were sent.

If it finds no error, Regulation Z says it must explain why in writing, and it must send copies of its proof if you ask. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says it must also say how much is owed and when. If the card issuer never explains in writing why there was no error, Regulation Z says it generally must credit the disputed amount.

If you still owe money, Regulation Z gives you at least 10 days to pay before a bad credit report. If you find there was no error after all, Regulation Z lets you withdraw the notice by phone, electronically or in writing.

Tips for a successful dispute

File fast. The 60-day window is short and it is yours to meet.
Put it in writing, even if you called first.
Send only true facts, and keep your copies.
A charge already paid can still be disputed. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says money already paid likely comes back only after the card company agrees with you.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to contact the merchant first? Not for goods or services not delivered as agreed. Regulation Z says you need not contact the seller first about goods or services not delivered as agreed.

Can I dispute a charge that has already posted and been paid? Yes. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says a charge already paid can still be disputed.

Can the card issuer close my account for filing a dispute? Regulation Z bars that if you used these rights in good faith.

What if my dispute is denied? Ask for the proof the card issuer used. Regulation Z says it must send copies if you ask. If it followed every step, it need not act again if you raise the same error.

For more on getting ready, see what to do before you dispute a charge.