How to Dispute Credit Card Charges

Undoubtedly, credit cards provide significant protections to people, one of which is filing a credit card dispute. It means you don't agree with a charge on the credit card. Also, you want the credit card issuing company to remove that charge, which means you no longer owe the money.

It is important to know that disputing charges on your credit card will save a fortune, especially if you were a victim of any fraudulent activity. However, you need to follow certain rules and take a few steps to dispute charges successfully. Let us tell you how to dispute credit charges. Read on!

The Dispute Process

The process of dispute varies based on the credit card issuing company. However, most credit card issuing companies offer two ways to dispute your credit card charge.

First, you have to call the phone number given on the back of the card and once you are talking to the customer support, you will have to inform them about disputing a charge. A customer support representative will then get all the necessary information from you and file the credit card dispute.

Second, you can use your online account to dispute your credit card charges. For this, it is important to include detailed information or reasons for disputing the credit card charge via the online form. The credit card issuing company will ask for documentation that supports your dispute. Some companies wait for the response from merchants before requesting evidence from you.

We recommend you to collect evidence first and then dispute the credit card charge. Remember, if your dispute is due to a problem with a purchase you made, then you have to contact the merchant first to resolve the matter.

According to the Fair Credit Billing Act, consumers should handle purchase issues with the merchant before deciding to file a dispute. During the dispute process, the credit card issuing company will remove the charge from the statement. It means you won’t have to pay it until they decide the dispute. So, if you win, you won’t pay the charges.

Duration of Disputing a Charge

Normally, you have two months to dispute it from the date of a charge, which appears on your credit card statement. The time limit is clearly mentioned in the Fair Credit Billing Act. So, it applies to dispute a purchase or a fraudulent charge.

It is important to check the card-member agreement to confirm the time for disputing the charge on your credit card. Usually, people receive this in the mail after they open credit cards. However, the information is also available online. You can find this information in the billing rights section.

Remember, if you fail to start the dispute process within the allotted time frame, you will get stuck paying money. That’s why you must read the credit card statement regularly and check for any unauthorized charges.

Lastly, if the company has denied your dispute, the charges will go back on the card. You can ask the company to explain why they denied the dispute and how you can appeal against the decision.

Thomas Moore is a proud American with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego. He has been in the financial industry for many years holding numerous licenses in multiple states. He currently helps operate cashkingco.com and is our resident expert on all things finance and a great writer. LinkedIn Profile