If a merchant does not respond to a dispute, you keep the refund. The provisional credit your bank posted when you filed the chargeback becomes permanent once the merchant’s response window closes, and the transaction amount is pulled back from the merchant’s account and returned to the issuing bank. Card networks and federal regulations both treat merchant silence as a default, so a missed deadline has the same effect as a conscious decision not to fight the claim.
The Deadline the Merchant Has to Meet
A chargeback formally begins when your bank (the issuer) transmits the dispute to the merchant’s bank (the acquirer). The acquirer notifies the merchant and gives them a set number of days to submit “representment,” which is the merchant’s evidence package arguing the charge was legitimate. Signed delivery confirmations, correspondence with the customer, proof of service completion, and refund-policy disclosures are the typical documents.
Each card network sets its own clock. Visa generally gives merchants 20 days from notification. Mastercard and other networks use their own timelines, and acquirers sometimes impose shorter windows through merchant agreements. Across major networks, the practical range runs from about 20 to 45 calendar days depending on the network and the dispute reason code.
These deadlines are rigid. Missing the window by a single day has the same effect as never responding at all. The acquirer records the non-response and reports it to the card network, and the merchant’s chance to defend the transaction closes. No extensions, no appeals at that stage.
How Your Provisional Credit Becomes Permanent
When you file a dispute, your bank typically issues a provisional credit, a temporary refund that gives you access to the funds while the investigation plays out. If the merchant responds with compelling evidence, that credit can be reversed. If the merchant stays silent, it converts to a permanent credit and the refund is final.
The conversion happens automatically once the response window closes. The merchant’s bank debits the transaction amount from the merchant’s account and remits it through the network to the issuing bank. From your side, the credit simply stays put and is no longer labeled as temporary. The issuing bank sends a notice confirming the investigation is complete and the funds are yours to keep.
Credit Card Disputes vs. Debit Card Disputes
The card-network mechanics are largely the same for credit and debit, but the federal laws behind them are different, and those differences shape the timeline you should expect.
Credit Cards Under Regulation Z
Credit card disputes are governed by the Fair Credit Billing Act and its implementing rule, Regulation Z. When you notify your issuer of a billing error, the issuer must acknowledge the notice within 30 days and resolve the dispute within two complete billing cycles, which can never exceed 90 days.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors During that investigation period, the issuer cannot try to collect the disputed amount or report it as delinquent.
If the merchant never responds, the issuer resolves the dispute in your favor and the credit is permanent. Federal law caps your maximum liability for an unauthorized credit card transaction at $50, and most major issuers waive that through zero-liability policies. An issuer that fails to follow the investigation procedures forfeits the right to collect the disputed amount, up to $50.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors
Debit Cards Under Regulation E
Debit disputes carry higher stakes because the money has already left your account. Regulation E requires the bank to investigate within 10 business days of receiving the error notice. If the bank needs more time, it can extend to 45 calendar days, but only if it provisionally credits your account within those first 10 business days.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1005.11 – Procedures for Resolving Errors The bank must also inform you of the provisional credit amount and date within two business days of posting it.
Consumer liability for unauthorized debit transactions depends on how quickly the card is reported compromised. Reporting within two business days caps liability at $50. Between two and 60 days, the cap rises to $500. After 60 days, there is no federal cap at all, meaning you could be liable for the full amount. This is the single biggest reason credit disputes are friendlier to consumers than debit disputes.
When the merchant does not respond to a debit chargeback, the outcome tracks the credit process: the provisional credit becomes permanent. The bank must report its findings to you within three business days of completing the investigation and correct any confirmed error within one business day.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1005.11 – Procedures for Resolving Errors
When the Bank Might Still Deny You
Merchant silence makes a consumer victory overwhelmingly likely, but not automatic. The issuing bank still conducts a final internal review before closing the case, and in rare situations it may deny the claim even without merchant opposition.
The most common reason is that the dispute does not fit any recognized chargeback reason code. Chargebacks exist for specific scenarios: unauthorized transactions, goods not received, services not rendered, duplicate charges, and similar billing errors. If you filed a dispute because you regret a purchase or missed return-policy fine print, the bank can deny it, because buyer’s remorse is neither a billing error under Regulation Z nor an “error” under Regulation E.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1026.13 – Billing Error Resolution
A bank can also deny a claim it suspects is fraudulent on the cardholder’s side. If the investigation turns up evidence that you did receive the goods, authorized the transaction, or have filed repeated dubious claims, the provisional credit can be reversed. Under Regulation E, when a bank reverses a provisional credit, it must notify you of the reversal date and amount, and must continue to honor checks and preauthorized payments from the account without overdraft fees for five business days after sending that notice.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1005.11 – Procedures for Resolving Errors You also have the right to request the documents the bank relied on to reach its decision.
These denials are uncommon in non-response cases. Most of the time, the merchant’s silence removes the only source of contrary evidence, and the bank simply confirms the claim.
Can the Merchant Come After You Later?
Winning a chargeback does not necessarily end the legal relationship between you and the merchant. The chargeback process is a card-network mechanism, not a court proceeding. A merchant who loses a chargeback still has the option of pursuing the underlying debt through other channels.
The most direct route is small claims court. A merchant can sue for the original transaction amount, arguing the goods or services were delivered and payment is owed regardless of the chargeback outcome. Filing fees generally range from $30 to several hundred dollars depending on the jurisdiction and claim amount. For low-value transactions, the economics rarely justify this step, but merchants dealing with high-value orders or suspected friendly fraud do sometimes pursue it.
A merchant could also send the unpaid balance to a third-party collection agency. If that happens, the agency must comply with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which defines “debt” as any obligation arising from a consumer transaction for personal, family, or household purposes.4Federal Trade Commission. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act You retain all FDCPA protections, including the right to dispute the debt in writing within 30 days and the right to be free from deceptive or harassing collection tactics.
The card networks also give merchants a narrow window to reopen a resolved dispute through pre-arbitration and formal arbitration. Both paths involve strict deadlines and upfront fees. Visa’s arbitration filing fee rose to $600 as of April 2025, and the losing party bears the full cost. Mastercard’s fees are comparable. That expense reserves arbitration for high-dollar disputes; nobody is paying $600 to fight a $50 refund. A merchant that could not upload a few documents during representment is unlikely to escalate months later.
If Your Bank Rules Against You
If your bank denies the claim despite the merchant’s non-response, or mishandles the investigation timeline, you have regulatory options. The main avenue is filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The CFPB accepts complaints about billing disputes, error resolution, and bank investigation practices. Once a complaint is filed, the financial institution generally responds within 15 days, with a final response due within 60 days for more complex cases.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a Complaint
A CFPB complaint does not guarantee a different outcome, but it forces the bank to formally document and justify its decision to a federal regulator. Banks that failed to meet Regulation E’s 10-business-day investigation window or Regulation Z’s two-billing-cycle resolution deadline are especially vulnerable to these complaints, because the violation is procedural and easy to verify.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1005.11 – Procedures for Resolving Errors You can also file a complaint with your state banking or financial services regulator, which may have additional enforcement authority over state-chartered institutions.