How to dispute or chargeback a card charge (step by step)

A 'chargeback' is when your card issuer reverses a charge and pulls the money back from the merchant. It exists for real problems: an unauthorized charge, a double charge, goods that never arrived, or a subscription you cancelled but were billed for anyway. It is not a substitute for asking the merchant for a refund first — and using it that way ('friendly fraud') can get your claim denied. This guide walks the US process in order.

Step 1 — Identify the charge before you dispute

Half of 'wrong' charges aren't wrong — they're a processor's name, a forgotten subscription, or a family purchase. Before disputing, confirm what the charge actually is. Search the exact statement text (our charge lookup and 5-step unknown-charge check are built for exactly this). Disputing a charge that turns out to be your own real subscription just wastes time and can be reversed later.

Step 2 — Contact the merchant first

For most billing mistakes, the merchant's own refund is faster than a formal dispute. Open the transaction, find the seller, and ask for a refund or cancellation in writing (chat or email, so you have a record). Many charges — app-store subscriptions, Merchant-of-Record billing like Paddle or FastSpring — can be cancelled and refunded directly. Only move to a formal dispute if the merchant refuses, can't be reached, or the charge is genuinely unauthorized.

Step 3 — File a billing-error dispute with your card issuer

If the merchant can't fix it, dispute it with your card issuer. Under the FCBA you generally have 60 days from the date the first statement showing the charge was sent to file a billing-error dispute. Most issuers let you start this in the app or online, but for full FCBA protection the law expects a written billing-error notice to the issuer's billing-dispute address (usually printed on your statement).

1. Start the dispute in your card app / online, or send a written billing-error notice to the issuer's billing-dispute address
2. Give the exact date, amount, and merchant name, and say clearly why it's wrong (unauthorized, duplicate, not delivered, cancelled but charged)
3. Attach copies (never originals) of evidence: receipts, the cancellation confirmation, screenshots of chats
4. Keep paying the rest of your bill — you can withhold only the disputed amount and its related finance charges while it's investigated

Step 4 — Know the timeline

After it receives your written notice, the issuer generally must acknowledge it within 30 days, and must resolve the dispute (or explain in writing why it's rejecting it) within two billing cycles — and no more than 90 days. During the investigation the disputed amount can't be treated as late, and it shouldn't be reported as delinquent while genuinely in dispute.

Step 5 — If your dispute is denied, escalate

A denial isn't always the end. Ask the issuer for the reason and the evidence they used, fix any gap (for example, add the cancellation email you forgot to include), and re-submit. If you believe the issuer mishandled it, you can file a complaint with the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); banks must formally respond to CFPB complaints, which often moves a stuck case. For deceptive merchants, you can also report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

• FTC — Using credit cards and disputing charges
• CFPB — How do I dispute a charge on my credit card bill?

This is general information about the US card-dispute process, not legal advice, and it doesn't decide whether any specific charge will be reversed. Exact steps, deadlines, and outcomes depend on your card issuer, your card type (credit vs debit), and your country's rules. Outside the US, check your local consumer-protection body and your card network's chargeback rules.