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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesUsually, no. Under the federal Truth in Lending Act and Regulation Z, a U.S. consumer generally has no liability when only the credit-card account number was stolen. If the physical card was lost or stolen, liability for unauthorized use before you notify the issuer is generally capped at the lesser of $50 or the value obtained. If you report the loss before anyone uses the card, you cannot be held responsible for unauthorized charges. You must still notify the issuer promptly and follow the written billing-error process, including a 60-calendar-day deadline after the statement first showing the error was sent.
The federal answer depends on what was stolen
Federal law distinguishes between a stolen account number and a lost or stolen physical card. It also distinguishes a truly unauthorized user from someone you previously allowed to use the account. These distinctions determine both your maximum statutory liability and the steps you must take.
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Only the account number was stolen
If someone obtained your card number and used it without your actual, implied, or apparent authority, you generally have no liability for those unauthorized credit-card charges. This is the common situation with online purchases made using a number, expiration date, and security code while the physical card remains in your wallet.
The physical card was lost or stolen
When the physical card is missing, federal liability before you notify the issuer is generally limited to the lesser of $50 or the value of money, property, labor, or services obtained through the unauthorized use. Regulation Z states: “The liability of a cardholder for unauthorized use of a credit card shall not exceed the lesser of $50 or the amount of money, property, labor, or services obtained by the unauthorized use before notification to the card issuer.”
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If you report a lost or stolen card before it is used, you cannot be held responsible for unauthorized charges. The CFPB summarizes the rule this way: “If you report a lost or stolen credit card before it is used, you can’t be held responsible for any unauthorized charges.”
Your card agreement may provide more protection
Many issuers voluntarily offer zero-liability protection that is broader than the federal minimum. That contractual policy may remove even the statutory $50 exposure, but its conditions can vary. Check your cardholder agreement for requirements about prompt notice, permitted transactions, business use, digital wallets, or other exclusions. A voluntary promise does not eliminate your obligation to report a suspicious charge and complete the issuer’s dispute process.
What “unauthorized use” means
Regulation Z defines unauthorized use as use by someone other than the cardholder who lacks actual, implied, or apparent authority and from which the cardholder receives no benefit. The authority and benefit elements matter in family, workplace, and household disputes.
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A stranger who used your number
A stranger who used your number without permission is the straightforward case. Tell the issuer which transaction you do not recognize, explain that you did not authorize it, and follow the billing-error instructions. Do not wait for additional charges before reporting a compromise.
A family member, coworker, or roommate
If you gave another person permission to use the card, a purchase can remain authorized even if you later dislike the transaction. For example, handing your card to a family member for groceries creates permission for that use. You should notify the issuer when permission ends; until then, the person may have actual, implied, or apparent authority. A dispute between you and an authorized user is not automatically the same as fraud by a stranger.
When permission has ended
Once you notify the issuer that the person no longer has permission, later transactions can be evaluated as unauthorized. Make that notice clearly and keep a record of when you gave it. The issuer may ask for details about the former permission and the date it ended.
What to do as soon as you see the charge
Prompt action protects your account, creates a record, and helps you meet the written-notice deadline.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute- Contact the issuer immediately. Use the number on the back of the card or the issuer’s official account channel. Report the specific transaction or suspected compromise, ask that the card or account be blocked, and request a replacement. If the physical card is missing, say so explicitly and state when you last had it.
- Secure the account. Follow the issuer’s instructions for replacing the card or account number and for changing access credentials if requested. Review recent transactions for other charges you do not recognize and identify each one to the issuer.
- Follow the billing-dispute instructions. The issuer should tell you where to send a written billing-error notice. Use the address designated for disputes; it may be different from the address used for payments.
- Send written notice within 60 calendar days. The clock starts when the issuer sent the first statement showing the error, not necessarily when you first noticed it online. Include your name, address, account number, the date and amount of each disputed charge, and a clear explanation that you believe the charge is unauthorized or otherwise incorrect.
- Keep evidence. Retain a copy of the letter, attachments, screenshots, call notes, and proof of delivery. Record the date and method of every contact and the case or confirmation number supplied by the issuer.
- Pay the undisputed balance on time. Continue paying charges you agree are correct. You may withhold the disputed amount and related finance charges while the issuer investigates, but you remain responsible for correct charges and any portion not covered by the dispute.
How the written billing-error process works
The 60-day notice rule
Send the written notice no later than 60 calendar days after the issuer sent the statement where the error first appeared. A phone call is useful for immediate blocking, but it does not replace the written notice required for the federal billing-error procedure. Send the notice even if the issuer has already opened a phone or online case.
What to put in the letter
- Your name and mailing address.
- The account number, or enough information for the issuer to identify the account.
- The transaction date, merchant description, and dollar amount.
- A statement that you believe the charge is unauthorized or otherwise a billing error.
- The reason, such as “I did not make or authorize this transaction; my card number was used without permission.”
- Copies of relevant documents, while keeping the originals.
Address the notice to the issuer’s designated billing-dispute address. Sending it only to the payment address can delay or jeopardize the process.
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Issuer acknowledgment and investigation
The issuer generally has 30 days to acknowledge a written billing-error notice. It may take up to two complete billing cycles to finish investigating. During the investigation, the issuer may not require payment of the disputed amount or related finance charges, and it may not report the undisputed payment as late when you paid that undisputed amount on time.
If the issuer says the charge is correct
If the issuer concludes that the transaction was valid, it must explain why, state the amount you owe, and provide the payment due date. Read the explanation carefully and compare it with your records. If the decision overlooks information, respond promptly with the missing facts and documents and continue meeting the stated payment obligations for amounts that are not genuinely disputed.
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Physical card versus stolen number
| Situation | Federal liability rule | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Account number used without the physical card being lost | Generally no liability for unauthorized use | Report the charge, request account protection or replacement, and send written notice within 60 days of the first statement showing it |
| Physical card lost or stolen; use occurred before notice | Generally no more than the lesser of $50 or the value obtained | Notify the issuer immediately and follow the written billing-error process |
| Physical card reported lost or stolen before any use | No liability for unauthorized charges under the federal rule | Report the loss before use and keep the confirmation |
| Issuer’s voluntary zero-liability policy | May provide broader protection than the statutory rule | Read the cardholder agreement and comply with its notice and eligibility conditions |
Credit cards are not debit cards
Do not import debit-card deadlines into a credit-card dispute. The credit-card billing-error process is governed by Regulation Z and centers on the 60-calendar-day written-notice rule described above. CFPB debit guidance, by contrast, discusses Electronic Fund Transfer Act timing that can include two-business-day and 60-day rules. Those debit rules concern money taken directly from a deposit account and do not replace the credit-card process.
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| Feature | Credit card | Debit card |
|---|---|---|
| Primary federal framework in this context | Truth in Lending Act and Regulation Z billing-error rules | Electronic Fund Transfer Act rules discussed in CFPB debit guidance |
| Key timing highlighted by CFPB guidance | Written notice no later than 60 calendar days after the statement showing the error was sent | Guidance can involve two-business-day and 60-day timing rules |
| Where the disputed money comes from | Credit extended by the issuer; the disputed amount can be withheld during the investigation under the billing-error process | Funds are transferred from a deposit account, so separate debit procedures apply |
Common situations and how the rule applies
An online purchase appears while your card is still with you
Treat this as a possible account-number compromise. Report the exact transaction, ask whether the issuer will replace the number, and send the written notice before the 60-day deadline. The fact that you still possess the plastic card does not make the online transaction authorized.
Your wallet was stolen and charges appeared the same day
Notify the issuer immediately and state when the wallet disappeared. Federal exposure for use before notice is generally capped at the lesser of $50 or the value obtained. Charges after your report should not create liability under the federal lost-card rule, and an issuer’s zero-liability policy may be even broader.
You gave a relative the card and the relative exceeded the amount you expected
Permission can make the transaction authorized even when the purchase violates your private instructions. Tell the issuer when permission ended and explain the facts accurately. Whether a later charge is unauthorized depends on the authority the person had at the time, not merely on whether you now object to the purchase.
You notice the charge months after the statement
Report it immediately, but recognize that the federal written-notice protection has a 60-calendar-day deadline measured from the statement that first showed the error. The issuer’s agreement or another law may provide additional rights, but do not assume a late dispute will receive the same statutory treatment.
How large is the problem?
The CFPB reported $9.8 billion in disputed credit-card charges and $5.9 billion in chargebacks in a 2025 report using 2024 data. Those figures describe the scale of disputes and do not mean that every disputed dollar was fraudulent or that every cardholder owed money. Your individual rights still turn on the transaction facts, notice, and the applicable agreement.
Practical checklist before you close the dispute
- Confirm that every unauthorized transaction is listed, including recurring or pending items that later post.
- Verify that the issuer has your current mailing address and the correct dispute correspondence address.
- Check that you paid the undisputed portion by its due date.
- Keep the issuer’s acknowledgment and investigation outcome with your account records.
- If the issuer determines the charge is correct, note the explanation and due date for any amount it says is owed.
- Continue monitoring statements until the replacement card or account number is active and no further unauthorized activity appears.
Bottom line for cardholders
A U.S. consumer generally is not liable for a credit-card charge made with a stolen account number. If the physical card was lost or stolen, federal law generally limits pre-notice liability to the lesser of $50 or the value obtained, and reporting the loss before use eliminates liability for unauthorized charges. Act quickly, send the written billing-error notice within 60 calendar days of the first statement showing the error, pay the undisputed balance on time, and check the cardholder agreement for any broader zero-liability protection.
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