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If a credit-card charge is not yours, contact the card issuer immediately and send a written billing-error notice within 60 calendar days after the statement containing the charge was sent. Ask the issuer to secure the account, keep paying every undisputed charge by its due date, and retain copies of your notice and records. Federal law generally limits liability for unauthorized credit-card use to $50 when statutory conditions are met, but the result depends on the facts, timing, and your card agreement.
This guide covers U.S. credit cards. Debit-card and bank-account transactions follow different rules and deadlines, so do not apply this process to a debit purchase.
First, decide whether the charge is truly unauthorized
An unfamiliar merchant name is not automatically fraud. Statement descriptors can differ from a store’s sign, a parent company can appear instead of a brand name, and a household member or authorized user may have made the purchase. Before opening a dispute, compare the transaction with your receipts, email confirmations, delivery records, subscriptions, and the activity of anyone authorized to use the account.
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Check the transaction details
- Compare the amount, posting date, and transaction date with your records. A tip, tax adjustment, hotel deposit, or later completion of a pending transaction can change the final amount.
- Look for recurring billing. A free trial, annual renewal, in-app purchase, or previously forgotten subscription can post under a different descriptor.
- Ask authorized users and family members whether they recognize the purchase.
- Review the issuer’s online transaction details. If the descriptor remains unclear, ask the issuer for the merchant information it can disclose.
If, after those checks, you did not authorize the transaction and no authorized user did, treat it as a suspected unauthorized use and act promptly. Separate a fraud claim from a disagreement about a legitimate purchase: a product that arrived damaged, a service you canceled, or a merchant that failed to provide a refund may involve a different billing-error category and different evidence.
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What to do immediately when a charge is unauthorized
- Call the issuer. Use the telephone number printed on the back of the card or on the statement, not a number from an unsolicited message. State clearly that the transaction was not authorized and ask for the issuer’s fraud and billing-dispute instructions.
- Secure the account. Ask whether the card should be locked, canceled, or replaced and whether online credentials, digital-wallet tokens, or additional cards on the account need attention. Change the account password if you suspect login access was involved, using a unique password and the issuer’s official app or website.
- Record the call. Write down the date and time, the representative’s name or identification number, the case or reference number, what the issuer promised to do, and any deadline it gave you. A phone report is useful for speed, but it does not replace the written notice needed for the federal billing-error procedure.
- Send written notice. Mail or submit the notice using the billing-dispute address and method specified on your statement or card agreement. Do this within 60 calendar days after the statement containing the error was sent.
- Pay the undisputed balance. Continue making at least the required payment for every amount you agree is correct. Do not voluntarily pay the disputed amount while the issuer investigates, unless you choose to do so for another reason.
How to inspect a statement before reporting
Download or save the statement that first showed the charge. Note the statement date, the date it was sent or made available under the account’s normal delivery method, the transaction descriptor, amount, and any reference number. Preserve a screenshot of the online activity if the charge could later disappear from the pending list.
Distinguish pending and posted transactions
A pending authorization may change or vanish before it posts. The issuer can tell you whether the transaction is still pending and whether a dispute can be opened immediately. If it posts on a later statement, use the statement containing the posted error to calculate the 60-day written-notice period. Report suspected misuse while it is pending; prompt reporting helps the issuer protect the account even when the formal billing-error clock has not started.
Check for account-wide compromise
Review recent statements, digital-wallet activity, stored payment methods, and authorized-user cards for other transactions you do not recognize. Ask the issuer whether the same card number was used elsewhere and whether replacement cards will receive new numbers. If a new number is issued, update legitimate automatic payments that were tied to the old number; otherwise, rent, utilities, subscriptions, or other recurring bills may fail.
Send the written billing-error notice within 60 days
The Fair Credit Billing Act process is preserved by written notice sent to the issuer’s designated address. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau states: “To protect your rights you must also send a written billing error notice to the card company within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on your statement.” Use the address for billing disputes, billing errors, or inquiries. It may be different from the payment address printed elsewhere on the statement.
Find the correct address and submission method
Read the reverse side of the statement and the billing-rights section of the card agreement. Follow any instruction requiring postal mail, a particular online form, or a specific department. If the issuer offers electronic submission, save the confirmation page or downloadable receipt. When mailing, use a service that provides a dated mailing record and delivery confirmation. Do not send your only original receipt or document.
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Include enough information to identify the error
- Your name and current mailing address.
- The account number or the last four digits if the issuer’s instructions request limited information.
- The transaction date, posting date if shown, merchant descriptor, and exact dollar amount.
- A concise statement that you did not authorize the charge and that you are requesting a billing-error investigation and correction.
- Copies of receipts, order confirmations, cancellation messages, travel records, police or identity-theft reports, or other records that support your statement. Keep the originals.
- The date you first noticed the transaction and the date you contacted the issuer, if useful to explain the timeline.
Keep a complete copy of the signed notice, every enclosure, proof of delivery, and any electronic confirmation. A simple subject line such as “Billing error—unauthorized transaction on [statement date]” helps the issuer route the request; put any variable information in the actual letter rather than relying on a phone representative’s notes.
What the notice can say
I am disputing a $[amount] transaction listed as “[merchant descriptor]” on my statement dated [date]. I did not authorize this transaction, and no authorized user made it. Please investigate it as a billing error, remove the disputed amount and related charges if the investigation confirms the error, and send me the written result. My account number is [account number or requested identifier]. Copies of supporting records are enclosed.This wording is a starting point, not a substitute for the issuer’s required form or address. Follow the card agreement if it asks for additional information.
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During a billing-error investigation, you may withhold the disputed amount and charges that relate directly to it, but you remain responsible for correct, undisputed charges. Pay those amounts by the statement due date. If the payment system asks for a minimum payment that includes the disputed amount, contact the issuer for instructions rather than guessing.
Under CFPB guidance, an issuer cannot require payment of the disputed amount while it investigates and cannot treat the account as late when you timely pay the undisputed amount. The disputed transaction may continue to appear on statements during the review; its appearance alone does not mean the issuer has rejected your claim. Keep proof of each payment and verify that late fees or interest are not being added to the undisputed balance incorrectly.
Investigation deadlines and possible outcomes
Acknowledgment
The issuer generally must acknowledge a written billing-error notice within 30 days unless it has already resolved the matter. An acknowledgment may arrive by letter, secure message, email, or another method allowed by the agreement. Save it with your dispute file.
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Resolution
The issuer generally has up to two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days, to complete the investigation. If it finds an error, it must correct the account. Check for removal of the charge, related finance charges or fees, and any corrected balance or available credit. Compare the corrected statement with your records rather than assuming every line was fixed.
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The issuer should explain its decision in writing, state how much is owed, and provide the due date. Read the explanation carefully: it may rely on an authorized-user record, a chip or digital-wallet authentication record, a prior recurring-payment authorization, or information you did not provide. Ask the issuer what reconsideration or appeal channel is available under your account agreement. There is no single federal appeal form for every issuer, so follow the instructions in the decision letter and keep sending undisputed payments on time.
Liability for unauthorized credit-card use
Federal law generally caps a cardholder’s liability for unauthorized credit-card use at $50, subject to statutory conditions. The statutory rule in Title 15, section 1643, addresses circumstances such as unauthorized use occurring before the issuer is notified. The cap is not a promise that every claim will be approved automatically, and it does not eliminate the need to report the transaction or provide requested information.
Many card agreements provide protections beyond the federal minimum, but the agreement for your account controls those additional terms. Report suspected misuse as soon as you see it, even if you believe the eventual liability will be zero. Delaying notice can complicate the issuer’s investigation and may affect the protections available under the law or agreement.
When the charge may indicate identity theft
One unauthorized transaction can be an isolated card-number compromise. Multiple unfamiliar charges, new accounts you did not open, address changes, password-reset messages, or missing identification documents suggest broader identity misuse. Contact the issuer first for the immediate account-specific response, then use the Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov service for a recovery plan and reporting steps.
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Escalate your account review
- Ask the issuer whether other cards, authorized users, or account contact details were changed.
- Review credit reports and other financial accounts for activity you do not recognize.
- Secure email and financial-account passwords, enable multifactor authentication where available, and remove unknown devices or sessions.
- Keep the issuer’s case number and any identity-theft report with your dispute records.
Do not wait for an identity-theft report before notifying the card issuer. The issuer can lock or replace the card while you complete the broader recovery steps.
Credit-card disputes versus debit-card transactions
The following distinction prevents a common and costly mistake: the credit-card billing-error process is not the same as the rules for an electronic transfer from a checking account or debit card.
| Issue | Credit card | Debit card or bank-account transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate contact | Contact the card issuer using the number on the card or statement. | Contact the bank or financial institution that holds the account. |
| Written-notice rule discussed here | Send billing-error notice within 60 calendar days after the statement containing the error was sent. | Different electronic-transfer rules and deadlines apply; do not use the 60-day credit-card instruction as a substitute. |
| Payment during review | Pay undisputed credit-card charges on time; the disputed amount may be withheld under the billing-error process. | Account debits and provisional-credit rules follow the bank’s separate procedure. |
| Liability summary | Federal law generally describes a $50 maximum for unauthorized use, subject to statutory conditions. | Liability and timing depend on the separate electronic-fund-transfer framework and prompt reporting. |
If you are unsure whether a transaction was made with a credit line, debit card, prepaid product, or bank transfer, ask the financial institution which process applies before relying on a deadline.
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A well-organized file makes it easier to prove when you acted and what the issuer decided. Keep digital copies in a secure location and paper copies if the issuer requires mail.
- The statement that first displayed the charge, with its statement date.
- Screenshots or downloaded transaction details, including pending and posted status.
- Your written notice, attachments, mailing receipt, delivery confirmation, or electronic submission receipt.
- A call log showing dates, times, representatives, case numbers, and promised actions.
- Copies of every issuer letter, secure message, email, and corrected statement.
- Proof that you paid undisputed amounts by each due date.
Set calendar reminders for 30 days after the issuer receives the notice and for 90 days after that receipt. These reminders are for follow-up, not permission to delay your initial notice. If the issuer misses a deadline or fails to explain its decision, ask for the status in writing and preserve the response.
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Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Sending the letter to the payment address
Payment processing and billing-error review may use different addresses. Sending the notice to the wrong location can delay handling. Copy the dispute address exactly from the statement or agreement.
Relying only on a phone call
A call can stop further misuse quickly, but a written notice is the step official guidance identifies for protecting rights under the billing-error process. Complete both.
Missing the 60-day window
Do not wait for a merchant to answer before notifying the issuer. Send the written notice as soon as you identify the charge, even if you are still gathering supporting records.
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Withholding the disputed amount does not excuse payment of legitimate purchases, fees, or other balances. Paying nothing can create avoidable late-payment problems.
Sending original evidence
Provide copies unless the issuer specifically requests an original. Keep the originals and a complete duplicate of everything submitted.
Assuming replacement fixes recurring billing
A replacement card may have a new number, expiration date, or security code. Update legitimate automatic payments after confirming the new account details, and monitor the first statements for both unauthorized and incorrectly declined transactions.
When to complain to a regulator
If the issuer does not acknowledge or resolve the written dispute within the applicable time, does not provide the required written explanation, or continues to treat the account as delinquent after you paid undisputed amounts, you can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Include a concise timeline, copies of your notice and delivery proof, the issuer’s responses, and payment records. Do not send originals. The issuer-specific reconsideration process may still be available, so check the decision letter and card agreement at the same time.
Authoritative rules and guidance
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s consumer answer “How do I dispute a charge on my credit card bill?” was last reviewed April 15, 2024. Its page “How to fix mistakes in your credit card bill” was modified June 4, 2025. The Federal Trade Commission explains unauthorized-use liability and credit-card dispute steps in its consumer guidance, including “Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges,” “What To Do if You’re Billed for Things You Never Got, or You Get Unordered Products,” and “Fair Credit Billing Act.” The 2024 edition of the U.S. Code, Title 15, section 1643, contains the statutory liability rule. These sources describe the federal baseline; your current statement and card agreement may add instructions or protections.
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