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If you see a credit-card charge you did not authorize, contact the card issuer immediately, then send a written billing-error notice to the issuer’s billing-disputes address. To preserve federal billing-error rights, the issuer must receive that notice within 60 calendar days after the statement containing the charge was sent. During a qualifying investigation, you can withhold the disputed amount and related finance charges, but you must keep paying every undisputed charge by its due date.
This process is for U.S. consumer credit cards. Debit-card purchases and unauthorized bank-account transfers follow different rules, so do not use the credit-card timeline for them.
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What to do as soon as you spot the charge
Speed reduces the chance of additional transactions and gives you a clear record of when you reported the problem. Work through these actions in order.
1. Call the issuer using a trusted number
Use the telephone number printed on the physical card or on a statement. Tell the representative that the charge is unauthorized and ask what fraud-dispute channel the issuer requires. If the card or account number may be compromised, request a lock or replacement card. Ask whether recurring payments or digital-wallet tokens need to be updated after replacement.
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Do not rely on a phone call alone to preserve the formal billing-error procedure. A call starts the investigation, but the written notice described below protects your statutory rights.
2. Identify exactly what you are disputing
Record the merchant name as it appears on the statement, transaction date, posting date if shown, amount, and the last four digits of the account. Distinguish a genuinely unfamiliar transaction from a merchant using a different billing name, a delayed posting, a duplicate authorization, or a subscription you previously accepted.
3. Secure the account and related services
Change the card-account password and the email password used for account recovery if you suspect unauthorized access. Review recent statements, pending transactions, authorized users, mobile-wallet devices, and saved-card locations. Remove any device or user you do not recognize. These steps limit further loss but do not replace the issuer’s dispute process.
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Mail or submit a written notice according to the issuer’s instructions. Use the billing-inquiry or billing-disputes address printed on the statement or listed in the card agreement—not the address used for ordinary payments. The issuer must receive the notice within 60 calendar days after the statement containing the charge was sent to protect the federal billing-error rights described by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Trade Commission.
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Include the information the issuer needs
- Your name and mailing address.
- The account number or another account identifier requested by the issuer.
- The merchant name, transaction date, and exact dollar amount.
- A plain statement that you did not authorize the transaction, or a precise explanation of the billing error.
- A request that the issuer remove the disputed amount and related finance charges while it investigates.
- Copies of relevant records, such as a fraud alert, cancellation confirmation, or correspondence with the merchant. Send copies, never irreplaceable originals.
A practical notice format
Name: Your full name
Address: Your mailing address
Account: Last four digits or issuer-requested identifier
Date: Date sent
I dispute the following credit-card charge as unauthorized:
Merchant: Merchant name shown on statement
Transaction date: Date shown
Amount: Exact amount
Statement date: Date the statement was sent
I did not authorize this transaction and did not receive any benefit from it. Please investigate it as a billing error, remove the disputed amount and related finance charges as required while the investigation is pending, and send me your written determination.
Enclosures: Copies of statement page and supporting records
Signature: Your nameFollow the issuer’s specific submission instructions if it requires a form, secure message, fax, or another channel. Keep a complete copy of everything you send and proof of delivery. A dated postal receipt, delivery confirmation, or saved electronic-submission receipt can establish when the issuer received the notice.
How to avoid paying the fraudulent amount without missing other payments
For a qualifying credit-card billing error, you may withhold the disputed amount and related finance charges while the issuer investigates. You still must pay every correct, undisputed charge by its normal due date. This distinction is critical: withholding an entire statement balance can create late fees, interest, or credit-reporting problems on amounts that were never disputed.
Separate the statement into two amounts
- Add the charges you recognize and any other undisputed fees.
- Pay that undisputed total by the due date using your normal payment method.
- Do not include the disputed transaction or finance charges attributable to it while the qualifying investigation is pending.
- Keep proof of the payment and check the next statement for how the issuer credits or re-bills the account.
If the issuer’s instructions tell you to make a temporary payment or use a particular reference number, follow those instructions and retain the confirmation. Card agreements can provide protections that are stronger than the federal baseline, so read the agreement for your account.
What happens after you report the charge
The issuer generally must acknowledge a written billing-error notice within 30 days, unless it has already resolved the dispute. Federal Trade Commission guidance describes the resolution period as within two billing cycles and no more than 90 days after the issuer receives the complaint.
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During the investigation
- The disputed charge may continue to appear on online activity or a statement. Its appearance does not by itself mean the dispute was rejected.
- Continue reviewing every statement and report any additional unauthorized transactions promptly.
- Keep all acknowledgment letters, requests for information, provisional-credit notices, and adjustment entries with your original notice.
- Respond by the stated deadline if the issuer asks for clarification or documents.
When the issuer decides
If the issuer agrees that the charge is unauthorized or otherwise a billing error, it should correct the account and explain the adjustment. If it concludes the bill is correct, it must explain the reason in writing and state the amount owed and when it is due. Read that letter carefully: it may identify evidence the issuer relied on, the date payment becomes due, and any next step available under the card agreement.
How liability works in common fraud situations
Federal law limits liability for unauthorized credit-card use to $50 in specified circumstances. If a lost or stolen card is reported before anyone uses it, you cannot be held responsible for unauthorized charges. When the physical card was not lost and only the account number was stolen, CFPB guidance says consumers generally have no liability. Your card agreement may provide even broader zero-liability protection.
| Situation | What the federal guidance establishes | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Lost or stolen physical card, reported before use | No responsibility for unauthorized charges made before use is reported. | Report the loss immediately and request a replacement. |
| Physical card used without permission | Liability is capped at $50 in specified circumstances. | Notify the issuer promptly and send the written notice within the 60-day statement period. |
| Only the account number was stolen | Consumers generally have no liability under CFPB guidance. | Report the compromised number, replace the account credentials, and monitor for further activity. |
| Someone you previously allowed to use the card | Use may remain authorized until you tell the issuer that permission has ended. | Revoke access with the issuer promptly and identify the date permission ended. |
When a previously authorized user makes the charge
“Fraudulent” does not automatically mean “unauthorized” in the legal sense. If you gave a spouse, relative, employee, roommate, or other person permission to use the card, a later purchase can remain authorized—even if the person exceeded the purpose you had in mind—until you notify the issuer that the person no longer has permission.
Contact the issuer to remove the authorized user, cancel the card if necessary, and document when you withdrew permission. Explain which transactions occurred before and after that date. The issuer may evaluate those groups differently.
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Credit-card charge versus debit-card or bank-account transaction
A debit-card purchase or unauthorized electronic transfer from a bank account is governed by a different statutory framework. Notice timing, investigation duties, and the effect of delay can differ, and money may leave your deposit account while the bank investigates. Contact the bank or credit union immediately and follow its electronic-transfer procedure rather than relying on the credit-card billing-error timeline.
| Question | Credit card | Debit card or bank-account transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Primary process | Issuer’s billing-error and fraud-dispute process; written notice to the billing-disputes address protects federal rights. | Bank or credit union’s electronic-transfer process. |
| Key notice timing | Written billing-error notice received within 60 calendar days after the statement containing the error was sent. | Different notice deadlines apply; contact the bank immediately. |
| What is at stake during review | You can withhold the qualifying disputed amount and related finance charges while paying undisputed charges. | Funds may already have been withdrawn from the deposit account while the bank investigates. |
| Effect of delay | Delay can jeopardize the federal billing-error protections and may affect liability analysis. | CFPB guidance warns that timing can affect liability and recovery under the electronic-transfer rules. |
When the purchase itself is the problem
A charge can be authorized even when the product or service was defective, never delivered, misrepresented, or not what you agreed to buy. That is a different dispute from a stolen-card transaction. Do not describe a merchant-quality complaint as unauthorized if you approved the purchase; inaccurate descriptions can slow the review.
Start with the seller
Ask the merchant for a refund or other remedy and keep the order confirmation, delivery record, warranty terms, cancellation request, and the merchant’s response. State the problem, the date you contacted the seller, and the remedy you want.
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If the seller does not resolve the issue, contact the card issuer and explain that the transaction was authorized but the goods or services were not delivered as agreed or were defective. The issuer can tell you whether its billing-error or another dispute procedure applies and what documentation it requires. Product-quality complaints are not automatically treated as unauthorized charges.
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If the issuer denies the dispute
Read the written denial instead of ignoring it. The issuer must explain why it considers the bill correct and tell you the amount owed and its due date. Preserve the denial, the original statement, your notice, delivery proof, and every supporting document.
Check the explanation for factual errors
- Is the merchant name or transaction date wrong?
- Did the issuer overlook proof that the physical card was not present?
- Did it treat a canceled authorized-user relationship as still active?
- Did it apply a payment to the wrong account or fail to credit a returned purchase?
If the explanation identifies a specific reconsideration or documentation channel in your card agreement, use it and meet its deadline. The sources available here do not establish a universal appeal route or guarantee that a denied dispute will be reversed.
Escalate factual or procedural concerns
You can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or report suspected fraud to the Federal Trade Commission, as appropriate. These agencies can route or track complaints, but neither channel guarantees that the issuer will reverse a charge. If the amount is substantial or the facts are contested, consider obtaining advice from a consumer-law attorney or a local legal-aid program.
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Records and follow-up that make a dispute stronger
- Create a timeline beginning with when you noticed the charge, when you called, and when the issuer received your written notice.
- Save statements showing the charge, subsequent statements, payment confirmations, and every issuer message.
- Keep screenshots of online account activity with the date visible, but do not rely on screenshots alone when the issuer asks for a statement copy.
- Record the names or identification numbers of representatives, the time of each call, and the instructions you received.
- Use one folder—paper or digital—for the dispute so that a new request can be answered quickly.
- Review credit reports and other accounts if the card number may have been exposed, and replace reused passwords.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for certainty: report an unfamiliar charge while you investigate whether the merchant name is merely unfamiliar.
- Sending the notice to the payment address: use the billing-inquiry or billing-disputes address specified by the issuer.
- Missing the 60-day window: calendar the statement date and allow mailing time so the issuer receives the notice on time.
- Stopping every payment: pay undisputed charges by the due date.
- Sending originals: retain originals and provide copies.
- Calling only: complete the written process even after a representative opens a phone dispute.
- Calling an authorized purchase unauthorized: describe a nondelivery or quality problem accurately and use the merchant-dispute process.
- Assuming debit rules apply: contact the bank immediately for debit-card and account-transfer transactions.
A concise action checklist
- Call the number on the card or statement and report the transaction.
- Ask the issuer to lock or replace a compromised card and explain its required dispute channel.
- Collect the merchant name, amount, dates, statement, and supporting records.
- Send written notice to the billing-disputes address so it is received within 60 calendar days after the statement was sent.
- Keep delivery proof and copies of everything submitted.
- Pay all undisputed charges on time while withholding the qualifying disputed amount and related finance charges.
- Track the issuer’s acknowledgment, investigation requests, and written decision.
- If denied, review the explanation, follow any account-specific reconsideration process, and consider CFPB or FTC complaint channels for unresolved concerns.
The federal guidance summarized here is for U.S. consumer credit cards. Mailing addresses, online forms, temporary credits, authorized-user terms, and additional protections vary by issuer and account agreement. Business cards and non-U.S. accounts may follow different rules; check your statement and agreement and contact the issuer promptly.
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