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This guide summarizes Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) guidance for U.S. credit-card holders. Credit-card and debit-card protections differ, and an issuer investigates each report under its agreement and applicable law.
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Take these steps first
- Call the issuer now. Use the issuer’s official mobile app or a telephone number printed on a statement or other verified issuer communication—not a number in a suspicious text or email. Explain that the card may have been swapped, stolen, or used without authorization.
- Lock or cancel the affected card. A temporary lock can stop new purchases while you investigate, but ask whether the issuer recommends permanent cancellation. Request a replacement card and a new number if account details may be exposed.
- Review the account with a representative. Ask the issuer to identify all recent authorizations, pending transactions, cash advances, fees, and digital-wallet activity. Fraudsters sometimes test a card with a small purchase before making larger charges.
- Report every transaction you do not recognize. Provide the posting or transaction date, merchant descriptor, amount, and why you believe the charge is unauthorized. Ask which dispute channel and documents the issuer requires.
- Secure access to the account. Change the online-account password and any reused password, sign out of unrecognized devices, and turn on multifactor authentication if available. Do not give a caller a one-time code unless you independently initiated the call to the verified issuer number.
The CFPB’s written consumer guidance states: “Contact your bank or card provider immediately if you suspect an unauthorized debit or charge.” That advice applies even when the amount is small or the physical card is still in your wallet.
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Determine which situation you have
“Swapped” can mean that someone took your physical card and left another card in its place. It can also describe copied account details while your original card remains with you. Tell the issuer which facts fit, because the liability analysis and investigation can differ.
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| Situation | What to tell the issuer | Immediate focus |
|---|---|---|
| Physical card missing or replaced with another card | When and where you last saw the genuine card; when you discovered the switch; whether the replacement card is yours | Cancel the card, issue a new number, and review transactions from the last known possession |
| Card still in your possession, but details may be copied | That the physical card never left your control and which account details or transactions look compromised | Block the account number and investigate online, mail-order, digital-wallet, and recurring charges |
| Unfamiliar charge with no known card loss | Exact merchant descriptor, amount, date, and whether anyone in the household could have made the purchase | Confirm whether it is a legitimate recurring, delayed, or renamed merchant before disputing it as fraud |
| Former partner, employee, or family member previously had permission | Who had permission, when it ended, and how and when you notified the issuer | Explain the permission history accurately; the issuer may treat use as authorized until it was notified that permission ended |
Know the U.S. credit-card liability rules
For a U.S. credit card, reporting a lost or stolen card before it is used generally prevents liability for later unauthorized charges under CFPB guidance. If unauthorized use occurred before you reported the loss, the maximum liability described by the CFPB is $50. Many card agreements waive even that amount, but you should not delay reporting while checking your agreement.
If the physical card was never lost and only the account number was stolen, the CFPB says consumers generally have no liability for unauthorized use. You still must notify the issuer promptly and cooperate with its investigation. “No liability” does not guarantee that every claim will be approved; the issuer reviews the facts and may request documentation.
| Rule or deadline | Applies to | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| $50 maximum liability | U.S. credit card that was lost or stolen and used before you reported it | CFPB guidance available in 2024; many issuer agreements provide stronger protection |
| No liability generally | U.S. credit-card account number stolen while the physical card remains with you | CFPB guidance; report promptly and follow the issuer’s procedures |
| 60 calendar days | Written credit-card billing-error notice | Send it within 60 calendar days after the disputed charge appears on the statement to protect the formal billing-error process |
| About 30 days | Issuer acknowledgment of a written billing-error notice | The issuer generally must acknowledge receipt within 30 days unless it completed the required resolution process within that period |
The 60-day written-notice deadline is separate from the practical instruction to call immediately. Calling starts the investigation, but a prompt written notice preserves the federal billing-error procedure.
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How to dispute an unfamiliar charge
Collect the transaction details
Before contacting the issuer, capture a screenshot or download the statement showing the merchant descriptor, amount, transaction date, and posting date. Note whether the charge is pending or posted. Check household receipts, subscriptions, app-store histories, and travel bookings so you can distinguish an unfamiliar descriptor from genuine fraud.
Open the dispute through the issuer’s channel
Use the issuer’s app, secure message center, or the address and method specified in your card agreement. State that the transaction is unauthorized, list each disputed charge separately, and answer questions about possession of the card, device access, and prior permission. Ask for a case number and the expected next step.
Send written notice when required
For U.S. credit-card billing-error rights, mail or submit the written notice using the billing-dispute instructions in the agreement within 60 calendar days after the charge first appeared on the statement. Include your name, account identifier, the disputed amount, transaction date, merchant, and a clear explanation that you did not authorize it. Keep a copy of the notice and proof of delivery or electronic submission.
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Track the issuer’s response
Record the date and time of every call, the representative’s name or ID, the case number, documents sent, and promises made. The CFPB says the company generally has 30 days to acknowledge a written notice unless it finishes the required billing-error resolution during that period. Continue making at least the required minimum payment on undisputed portions of the bill unless the issuer gives different written instructions; a dispute does not automatically suspend the entire account’s payment obligations.
If the physical card was swapped
Preserve the substitute card, envelope, receipts, and any evidence of where the switch may have occurred. Do not use the substitute card, even if it carries your name, until the issuer confirms whether it is genuine. Write a timeline: the last time you used or saw the real card, locations visited afterward, when you noticed the swap, and the first suspicious transaction.
Tell the issuer whether a wallet, purse, mailbox, vehicle, or workplace could have been accessed. If the issuer asks for a police report, provide one, but do not wait for a report before blocking the card and disputing charges. The issuer—not a police report alone—handles the account investigation and replacement.
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Continue checking after the first report
Review pending and posted activity daily at first, then each statement cycle until the issuer confirms the matter is closed. Look for small verification charges, transactions from unfamiliar locations, new cash advances, digital-wallet enrollments, changes to contact information, and recurring payments you did not set up.
When a replacement card has a new number, update legitimate automatic payments, subscriptions, transit accounts, and digital wallets directly with those merchants. Do not provide the new number to a merchant you cannot verify. If a recurring charge remains after you canceled it, document the cancellation and raise a separate dispute.
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Check whether the affected account is a credit card or a debit card before relying on a deadline. Debit-card funds leave a bank account immediately, and the CFPB describes different reporting windows.
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| Issue | Credit card | Debit card |
|---|---|---|
| Lost or stolen card reported promptly | Reporting before use generally avoids liability; if used before reporting, CFPB guidance describes a $50 maximum | CFPB guidance describes reporting within two business days after discovering the loss to limit potential liability to no more than $50 under the stated rule |
| Account number or transaction compromised while card remains present | Unauthorized use generally carries no liability under CFPB guidance | Different electronic-fund-transfer rules apply; contact the bank immediately |
| Statement-related notice | Written billing-error notice within 60 calendar days after the charge appears on the statement | A separate statement-related 60-day deadline can apply to certain unauthorized transactions |
The debit-card two-business-day period is measured from discovery of the loss, not from the date a transaction eventually appears. Because exceptions and account terms matter, notify the bank immediately rather than trying to calculate a safe delay.
When another person had permission
Do not describe a former authorized user’s purchase as a stranger’s theft if that person once had permission. Explain when permission was granted, the date and method used to withdraw it, and when the issuer was informed. CFPB guidance says use can remain authorized until the issuer is notified that the person is no longer authorized. Cancel the card or remove the authorized user through the issuer’s documented process, then dispute transactions that occurred after the relevant notice if appropriate.
Look for wider identity-theft signs
If the issuer says account details were exposed, inspect other bank, loan, payment, and investment statements for unfamiliar activity. Consider obtaining your credit reports when there are signs that someone may have applied for credit or changed identifying information. Keep the card-fraud file separate from unrelated disputes, but preserve a single timeline of account changes, calls, letters, and case numbers.
Escalate unresolved concerns through the issuer’s formal complaint channel and consult current CFPB consumer guidance for U.S.-specific options. Neither a monitoring service nor a new wallet can reverse a compromised account; the issuer must block the card and investigate the transactions.
Common mistakes that weaken a claim
- Waiting to see whether more charges appear: prompt notice limits further use and protects your ability to document when the loss was discovered.
- Disputing only the largest transaction: list every unfamiliar charge, including tiny tests and pending items.
- Relying only on a phone call: use the issuer’s required written channel within the 60-calendar-day credit-card window.
- Confusing a merchant-name mismatch with fraud: check receipts, subscriptions, and payment processors before making a definitive statement.
- Applying debit rules to credit cards: identify the account type and follow the correct deadline.
- Omitting prior permission: provide an accurate account of who could use the card and when that authority ended.
- Discarding evidence: retain statements, screenshots, replacement-card notices, correspondence, and delivery confirmations until the dispute is fully resolved.
A record-keeping checklist
- Date and time you discovered the card was missing, swapped, or compromised
- Date and method of the first report to the issuer
- Issuer representative names, case numbers, and promised follow-up dates
- Transaction dates, descriptors, amounts, and screenshots
- Written dispute notice, submission method, and delivery proof
- Police or incident report number, if the issuer requests one
- Replacement-card date and a list of legitimate recurring payments that need updating
- Dates you reviewed later statements and the outcome of each dispute
These records create a consistent timeline for the issuer and help you spot additional misuse while the investigation is open. U.S. liability figures and deadlines cited here reflect CFPB guidance available through August 28, 2026; your card agreement, current law, and country of residence may provide different requirements.
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