How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge

The charge is on the statement, the package never came or the amount is twice the receipt, and the merchant has stopped replying. The assumption that costs people the most is that a phone call to the card company finishes the job. The federal billing error process is built around a written notice, and its clock starts from the statement date, not the purchase date.

Contact the merchant first and keep the record

The FTC's page on disputing credit card charges says that if the problem is the quality of an item, contact the seller before contacting the issuer. Save the order number, the delivery tracking, and screenshots of every chat or email. Those become the evidence the card company asks for.

File the dispute in the issuer's app or website

The CFPB's page on fixing mistakes in a credit card bill says to call the number on the card or file the dispute online. That is the fast route and the sensible first move. What follows is the issuer's own investigation, and separately a chargeback the issuer may run through the card network. The chargeback is the network's process, run by the issuer, not a form a cardholder files.

Send the written notice within 60 days of the statement

The CFPB's answer on disputing a charge on a card bill says to send a written billing error notice to the card company within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on the statement. The FTC page says to use the address given for billing inquiries, not the address for sending payments, and to look on the statement, the card company's website, or the card agreement to find it. The FTC's sample dispute letter lists what to include: name, account number, the dollar amount, the charge date, and why the charge is incorrect. It suggests certified mail with a return receipt.

Keep paying the undisputed part of the bill

The CFPB page states that the disputed charges do not have to be paid but that correct charges are still owed on time, and that the disputed amount may still appear on the bill alongside a note saying it does not have to be paid while the investigation runs. The FTC page says that during the investigation the issuer cannot take legal action to collect the disputed amount or report the account as delinquent over it.

Track the two response deadlines

The CFPB page says the card company has 30 days to confirm it received the letter, and another two billing cycles to finish looking into the dispute. The FTC page states the issuer must resolve the dispute within 90 days of getting the complaint. Note both dates when the letter goes out.

If the investigation goes against you. As of September 2026 the CFPB's complaint form is live and states that most companies respond within 15 days. The FTC takes reports about a business at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, listed on the FTC contact page, and its pages point to a state attorney general as the other route.

Sources. CFPB, fixing mistakes in a card bill, CFPB, disputing a charge, FTC, disputing credit card charges, FTC, sample dispute letter, CFPB complaint form, FTC contact page.