You generally have 60 days from the date on the statement showing the charge to dispute it with your card issuer under federal law. That deadline applies to both credit and debit cards. Visa and Mastercard often allow longer through their own chargeback processes, commonly up to 120 days, but those are network rules rather than federal protections. The safest approach is to act within 60 days, because that is the window in which your statutory rights are strongest.
The 60-Day Credit Card Deadline
The Fair Credit Billing Act gives you 60 days from the date your card issuer sends the statement that first shows the error to submit a written dispute.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors Miss the deadline and the issuer can treat the charge as valid, even when it clearly wasn’t.
Your notice must go to the issuer’s billing inquiries address, which is printed separately from the payment address on your statement. A note scribbled on a payment stub does not count. Many issuers also accept disputes through their website or app, which creates a dated digital record.
The law covers a broad range of billing errors:
- Charges you never authorized.
- Wrong amounts, such as a $150 charge for a $15 purchase, or a math error that inflated your balance.
- Goods or services that never arrived or that you refused on delivery.
- Payments or refunds that never posted to your account.
- Statements sent to the wrong address, provided you gave the issuer your current address at least 20 days before the billing cycle ended.2eCFR. 12 CFR 1026.13 – Billing Error Resolution
While the investigation is underway, you do not have to pay the disputed amount or any related finance charges.2eCFR. 12 CFR 1026.13 – Billing Error Resolution If you use autopay, the issuer cannot pull the disputed portion as long as it receives your notice at least three business days before the scheduled payment.
Unauthorized Charges Specifically
For fraudulent credit card charges, federal law caps your liability at $50 per card no matter how much the thief ran up.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1643 – Liability of Holder of Credit Card Most major networks go further. Visa’s Zero Liability Policy, for example, eliminates your responsibility for unauthorized charges on both credit and debit cards entirely.4Visa. Zero Liability Policy Mastercard offers a similar voluntary guarantee. Report the fraud within the 60-day window anyway to preserve your full statutory protections.
The 60-Day Debit Card Deadline and Why Speed Matters More
Debit card protections under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act share the 60-day outer limit, but your out-of-pocket liability climbs the longer you wait, because unauthorized transfers pull money directly out of your bank account.
- Report within two business days of learning your card was lost or stolen and your liability is capped at $50, or the amount taken before you gave notice, whichever is less.5eCFR. 12 CFR 1005.6 – Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers
- Report after two business days but within 60 days of the statement date and your liability can rise to $500 for transfers that occurred after those first two days, if the bank can show reporting sooner would have prevented them.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693g – Consumer Liability
- Report after 60 days from the statement date and you lose federal protection entirely for unauthorized transfers that occur after the 60-day mark. Anything the thief takes from that point on, the bank does not have to reimburse.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693g – Consumer Liability
Debit card disputes can be reported by phone. The bank must start investigating as soon as it receives oral or written notice; it cannot stall while it waits for paperwork.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Electronic Fund Transfers FAQs It may ask you to follow up with a written confirmation within 10 business days, but the clock starts with your call.
What the Debit Card Rules Do Not Cover
The Electronic Fund Transfer Act protects you against unauthorized transactions, wrong transfer amounts, missing transfers on your statement, and ATM errors involving the wrong amount of cash. It does not cover disputes about the quality of goods or services you bought with a debit card. If you used your debit card to buy something that showed up broken or wasn’t what the seller described, your bank has no federal obligation to investigate. Your options in that situation are to work it out with the merchant or go through your card network’s chargeback process.
When 120 Days Applies: Card Network Chargebacks
Visa and Mastercard each run their own dispute systems on top of federal law. Visa generally allows chargebacks within 120 days of the transaction or expected delivery date, with certain fraud disputes carrying a shorter 75-day window. Mastercard likewise allows up to 120 days for most dispute categories and 90 days for authorization-related issues.
These are contractual rules, not statutes, and the networks can change them. They apply to credit and debit cards issued under the network’s brand. If you missed the 60-day federal window but are still inside your network’s chargeback period, call your bank anyway; the network rules may still allow a dispute. Keep in mind that the statutory protections above, including the liability caps and mandatory investigation deadlines, only attach when you file within the federal timeframes.
If the Item Was Defective and 60 Days Have Passed
A separate credit card provision may still help if the issue is that the product wasn’t what was promised rather than that the charge was unauthorized. Under the “claims and defenses” rule, you can withhold payment to your credit card issuer for goods or services that were not delivered as promised or were materially different from what the seller described.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666i – Assertion by Cardholder Against Card Issuer You can raise against the card issuer any legal claim you could have raised against the merchant, such as breach of warranty or misrepresentation.
Two conditions apply. The transaction must exceed $50, and the purchase must have taken place in your home state or within 100 miles of your billing address.9eCFR. 12 CFR 1026.12 – Special Credit Card Provisions Neither limit applies if the card issuer is also the seller or if the issuer mailed you the advertisement that led to the purchase. Try to resolve the issue with the merchant first, in good faith. The amount you can withhold cannot exceed the balance still owed on that transaction.
What Your Dispute Must Include
A credit card billing error notice must include three things: information identifying you and your account number, the dollar amount you believe is wrong, and an explanation of why you think it is wrong.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors A debit card dispute requires the same basic information but can be delivered by phone.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693f – Error Resolution
Supporting evidence speeds up the investigation even though the law does not require it. Gather receipts, order confirmations, screenshots of the merchant’s listing, and any messages between you and the seller. Photos help when an item arrived defective. Include proof of any attempt you made to resolve the issue with the merchant directly, such as a written refund request or chat transcript.
Send credit card dispute letters by certified mail with a return receipt, so you have proof of the delivery date. Double-check the billing inquiries address on your statement before mailing.
After You File
A credit card issuer must acknowledge your dispute in writing within 30 days of receiving it, unless it resolves the matter first. It then has two full billing cycles, but no more than 90 days, to finish the investigation and either correct the error or send you a written explanation.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors Throughout that period, it cannot try to collect the disputed amount, report it as delinquent, or close your account solely because you disputed.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666a – Regulation of Credit Reports
A bank investigating a debit card dispute must report its findings within 10 business days of receiving your notice. If it needs more time, it can extend to 45 days, but only if it provisionally credits your account for the full disputed amount within the initial 10 business days.12eCFR. 12 CFR Part 1005 – Electronic Fund Transfers The window stretches to 90 days for international transfers, point-of-sale debit transactions, and transfers on new accounts opened within the last 30 days.
If the Dispute Is Denied
Ask for the issuer’s written explanation, which it must provide after completing its investigation. Read it closely. If the issuer failed to follow the timelines or procedures the law requires, it may forfeit its right to collect the disputed amount.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors You can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if you think the bank mishandled the dispute.13Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Credit and Consumer Reporting Complaint Notice For smaller amounts, small claims court is another option and generally does not require a lawyer.