How Long Do I Have to Dispute a Credit Card Transaction?
The time frame to file a chargeback typically varies depending on the card issuer and the type of transaction. Generally, you can initiate a chargeback up to 120 days from the transaction date. However, some banks may allow up to 180 days (or longer) for specific cases.
It’s essential to review the specific terms and conditions of your card provider and contact them as soon as you suspect any issues with a transaction to ensure you meet the necessary deadlines. That said, we can give some general figures here, too.
You can dispute chargeback resulting from unauthorized purchases (i.e. fraud). You can also dispute a charge if there was a billing error by the seller, or if there was an issue with the purchase.
Billing Error Claims
Under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA), you have the right to contest errors on your credit card bill, and creditors are obligated to investigate your dispute promptly.
If you notice a mistake on your credit card statement, you must submit your dispute to the card issuer within 60 days of receiving the statement that contains the error. This timeframe provides you with more than 60 days from the transaction date since the statement covers transactions from earlier weeks. Nevertheless, it’s advisable not to delay until the final moment to take action.
Examples of these include:
- Charges for a product not delivered or refused
- Absence of credits for returned items or payments
- An incorrect date associated with a charge
- A discrepancy in the charged amount
- Failure to receive a bill at your current address despite updating your billing details at least 20 days prior to the close of the billing cycle
The credit card issuer is required to confirm receipt of your dispute within 30 days, and during their investigation, you are not required to pay the disputed charge or any interest that might accumulate. Typically, the investigation period may extend up to two billing cycles, or roughly 60 days, but if your billing cycle is longer, creditors have up to 90 days to complete it.
If an error is confirmed, the card issuer must amend it and reimburse your account for the contested amount. Additionally, federal regulations cap your responsibility for unauthorized transactions at $50, although many card issuers and networks provide zero liability assurances.
Other Issues
You have the right to contest a charge if there is a concern regarding the quality of products or services purchased using your credit card. For instance, if you order an item online and it arrives in a damaged condition or does not match the description provided at the time of sale, you can request a resolution for these issues. These disputes are commonly referred to as chargebacks.
The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) specifies certain conditions you need to meet to be eligible for legal protections:
- The transaction must exceed $50
- It should occur within your residential state or within a 100-mile radius of your billing address; however, online or telephone purchases might be exempt from this requirement.
- You must attempt to amicably address the issue with the merchant, for example, by requesting a refund or an exchange.
The billing error dispute process outlined by the FCBA is not applicable to these types of disagreements because they do not qualify as billing errors. Nonetheless, credit card networks such as American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa may implement their own policies if they are more favorable than existing state or federal regulations. Occasionally, you might have up to 120 days following a transaction to start a chargeback process.
