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How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge

Last Updated: September 13, 2024
4 min read

Key Points:

  1. You should always check your credit card statement to make sure you recognize all the charges.

  2. There are many reasons for disputing credit card charges, including unauthorized charges, billing errors, non-receipt of goods, and more.

  3. You should try to resolve a dispute with the seller before involving your credit card issuer.

Have you ever found an error on your credit card statement? It can be an unsettling experience. It’s important to take action quickly to protect your finances, credit score, and overall security on your credit card account.

Most credit cards offer an opportunity for disputing a charge on your account. You should be able to dispute improper charges, billing errors, fraudulent transactions, and goods and services that were never delivered.

Hopefully, you never need to use this information. But if any of these things happen to you, it’ helpful to know how to dispute a credit card charge on your account. There are also useful protections you can apply to help avoid unauthorized charges.

What is that charge on my credit card?

It starts when you open your credit card statement or use your online banking account to review your activity. You see a charge you don’t recognize or didn’t authorize. While it could be an honest mistake by a retailer, it could also be the result of someone stealing your card information and using it without your permission. Classic credit card fraud.

Even if you recognize the charges, some line items on your credit card statement may not look quite right. Common disputes may look like:

  • A restaurant accidentally double charged for a meal
  • A streaming service billed for a subscription canceled months ago
  • An online retailer who never sent your order
  • A purchase you received was damaged and the retailer won’t assist you

If you have concerns about what appears on your billing statement, you can reach out to your credit card company and dispute the unauthorized charge. The sooner you reach out the better.

Reasons to dispute a charge on your credit card

The Fair Credit Billing Act protects credit card customers from being held responsible for certain charges. Under the act, there are three main categories under which you have the right to dispute a charge.

It’s a fraudulent transaction if someone is using your credit card without your permission. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), federal law prohibits you from being responsible for any unauthorized charges over $50. If you’re looking for even more protection, Discover® Cardmembers are protected with a $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee. You’re never held responsible for unauthorized purchases on your Discover Card.1

Billing errors are when merchants charge you for something by mistake, or when there’s an error on your billing statement. According to the FTC, examples of such errors you can dispute are:

  • Charges that list the wrong date or amount
  • Failure to post return credits
  • Failure to send bills to your current address—assuming the creditor has your change of address, in writing, at least 20 days before the billing period ends

You can make a transaction dispute when a retailer refuses to correct a service issue. Service issues include:

  • You paid for something that a merchant didn’t deliver
  • There’s a quality issue with a purchase
  • What you paid for wasn’t delivered as agreed

While you’ll need to make a good-faith effort to solve the problem with the merchant first, you can also dispute a credit card transaction when there are these types of service issues.

Steps to dispute a credit card charge

When you need to dispute a charge, it can feel daunting at first. But if you have an issue with a charge on your credit card, consider these options to help you sort it out.

Review your credit card statement for errors

To make sure you aren’t missing errors or signs of fraudulent activity, get in the habit of reading your credit card statement each month. You can review your statement online statement or in your paper-based credit card bill that arrives by mail.

When you review your credit card statement, watch out for any unusual activity. This could include double charges, transactions you don’t recognize, purchases from strange locations, or an unfamiliar company name. An unusual item or a strange merchant name can be signs that something isn’t right.

Did you know?

If you’re worried about your information online, consider Discover Identity Theft Protection. We monitor your credit file at all 3 credit bureaus and notify you when key changes2 are reported; Dark Web monitoring for your SSN plus up to 8 other types of personal info; and new bank account alerts and credit monitoring, and much more.

Contact the retailer to dispute the transaction

You can resolve some unauthorized credit card charges with a simple phone call to the company where the charge originated. For example, if a store made a billing error by accidentally charging you twice for an item, they may offer you a refund.

A transaction from an unfamiliar name or location could mean a couple things, and a call to the merchant could clear things up. For example, they might operate their business under a different name than their storefront or have an office or warehouse in another town.

If you’re unsatisfied with a purchase, the store may agree to offer you a replacement or a refund without the need to dispute a charge. The most important lesson here is that you should reach out to the merchant or service company first and try to figure out what’s going on.

Contact your card issuer to dispute a charge

It can be frustrating when you can’t resolve a billing dispute directly with the merchant. Your next step would be to contact your credit card issuer and work through their dispute process. You'll likely need to specify the name of the business as it appears on your statement, the date of the charge, the disputed amount, and the reason for the disputed charge.

Per the FTC, credit card companies cannot charge you for the disputed amount and related charges while the investigation is ongoing. However, you’ll still need to pay the part of your bill not in question.

Be patient while your disputed charge is under review

It may take a while to find out the results of the investigation. Look for messages from your credit card issuer either asking for additional information or to inform you that the investigation has been completed. Quickly responding to these messages will help speed up the process.

  • If the merchant or credit issuer resolves the dispute in your favor, they’ll provide a credit card chargeback and the credit becomes permanent.
  • If the investigation concludes that you’re not entitled to the credit, the original charge will be reapplied to your account and you’ll be responsible for payment.

You can settle most disputes one way or another in approximately 60 days. Check with your credit card company for specific timeframes.

Dealing with financial issues can sometimes be intimidating—especially when facing the idea of late fees or interest charges that could possibly affect your credit score. Checking your statement diligently and understanding your credit card issuers’ protection policies can help you when you have an unauthorized charge.

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  1. $0 Fraud Liability: An “unauthorized purchase” is a purchase where you have not given access to your card information to another person or a merchant for one-time or repeated charges. Please use reasonable care to protect your card and do not share it with employees, relatives, or friends. Learn more at Discover.com/fraudFAQ.

  2. Key changes include: New accounts, credit inquiries, address changes, potentially negative information such as delinquencies, and public records This product can only be agreed upon, purchased and delivered online. It is optional and voluntary. Full Terms and Conditionsopens modal dialog
  • Legal Disclaimer: This site is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional advice. The material on this site is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and does not indicate the availability of any Discover product or service. It does not guarantee that Discover offers or endorses a product or service. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, you may wish to consult a qualified professional.