How to Dispute a Fraudulent Credit Card Charge

See a charge you never made? Check it, gather proof, and send a written dispute to your card issuer within 60 days.

Written: October 5, 2026

You see a charge on your credit card that you never made. Learning how to dispute a fraudulent credit card charge starts with a few checks, then a written notice to your card issuer. Here is the path, step by step.

Step 1: Confirm the charge is fraudulent

Some charges look odd but are real. A shop may bill under a different name than the one on its door. Before you dispute a charge you do not recognize, ask any authorized users on your account if they made it. Check your receipts and order emails too.

Also check whether the charge has posted. Some card issuers will not take a dispute on a pending charge, because the amount may still change. If it is pending, wait for it to post, but watch the calendar. The clock on your dispute rights does not wait.

Step 2: Contact the merchant

Chase's guide says a merchant may fix a charge error in a few days, while a bank can take weeks. If the merchant agrees the charge is wrong, the fix may be faster than a dispute.

If you do reach out, save the messages. If the merchant will not help, or does not answer, that helps show you tried. Then move on to your card issuer.

Step 3: Gather your evidence

For a fraud claim, your proof is mostly about you. Pull together:

the statement that shows the charge, with its date and amount
a short note of where you were, if that helps show you did not make it
any messages you sent the merchant, with dates
a police report, if you filed one

Keep copies of everything you send, and write down the dates of any follow-up calls.

Step 4: Submit your dispute to your card issuer

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says to call the card company about a problem charge right away. It says the cardholder must also send a written billing error notice to protect their rights.

Regulation Z says the notice must reach the address your 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.

The exact steps differ at each card issuer. Depending on the issuer, you may be able to open a dispute by phone, in its app, by email or in writing. Check your issuer's own dispute page for its process and its billing error address.

Step 5: Understand your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act

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. Under Regulation Z, a charge not made by you or someone allowed to use your card is a billing error.

Regulation Z gives the cardholder 60 days to get a written notice to the card issuer. The 60 days start when the issuer sends the first statement that shows the error. The Fair Credit Billing Act counts the sixty days the same way. Do not wait for the merchant if that clock is running out.

Regulation Z says the cardholder need not pay the disputed amount or its related charges during the dispute. The issuer cannot try to collect it, even in court. It cannot report you as late for not paying it. It may report that the amount is in dispute. It also cannot close or limit your account because you used these rights in good faith. Keep paying the rest of your bill as usual.

Step 6: What happens during the investigation

Once your notice arrives, the card issuer has 30 days to confirm it in writing. That written reply is dropped if it resolves the error within those 30 days.

After that, it has 2 complete billing cycles to resolve the error, and never more than 90 days after it receives your notice. The Fair Credit Billing Act sets the same limits.

The 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. For more detail on this stage, read what happens after you dispute a charge.

Step 7: Possible outcomes and next steps

If the issuer finds the error, it must fix it, credit your account and send a correction notice.

If it finds no error, it must explain why in writing. Ask for copies of the proof it used. You can read what it saw and decide what to do next. If you lose, read what happens if you dispute a charge and lose.

A charge you already paid can still be disputed. But money already paid likely comes back only after the card company agrees with you.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to contact the merchant first?

Regulation Z says a cardholder need not contact the seller first about goods or services not delivered as agreed. American Express asks you to contact the merchant before you open a dispute.

Can I dispute a charge I already paid?

Yes. A paid charge can still be disputed, though the money likely comes back only if the issuer agrees with you.

Will I have to pay the charge while it is investigated?

Regulation Z says the cardholder need not pay the disputed amount or its related charges during the dispute. The issuer cannot collect it or report you as late for it.

What if the issuer says the charge was not fraudulent?

It must explain why in writing and send copies of its proof if you ask. Check valid reasons to dispute a charge to see if your claim fits. Read what to do before you dispute a charge if you skipped a step.