If you see a charge you do not recognize, check the transaction details, then contact your bank or card issuer promptly through a phone number on your card or statement, or its authenticated account portal. The next steps and deadlines depend on whether the transaction came from a debit account or another electronic fund transfer (EFT), or from a credit card. This guide covers U.S. consumer accounts; rules and procedures may differ elsewhere.
How do I check whether a charge is really unfamiliar?
Start with the exact posted date, amount, merchant descriptor, and account. A statement may show a processor or parent company rather than the store or service name you remember. Check receipts, recent online purchases, subscriptions, travel, transactions made by authorized users, and purchases routed through a payment intermediary.
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A small charge can also be a test of stolen payment details, so do not dismiss an entry solely because the amount is low. If you still cannot identify or authorize it, report it promptly rather than waiting for another statement.
What should I do first?
- Contact the provider using a trusted channel. Use the number printed on the card or statement, or sign in to the provider’s authenticated app or website and use its dispute channel. Avoid numbers or links in unexpected messages.
- Describe the transaction clearly. Say that you do not recognize or authorize it, and provide the date, amount, and exact descriptor. Ask the provider to treat it as a possible error or unauthorized transaction and explain which notice procedure applies.
- Ask about securing access. If card details, a PIN, or another access device may be compromised, ask whether to lock or replace the card and whether to change the PIN.
- Record the report. Save the claim or reference number, date and method of contact, and representative’s name if available. Keep the statement, transaction details, correspondence, and dated notes together.
Does the debit/EFT or credit-card process apply?
Identify how the payment was made before relying on a deadline. Regulation E generally governs many consumer electronic fund transfers, including debit-card purchases, ATM transactions, some online bill payments, and preauthorized deductions. Regulation Z governs credit-card billing-error claims. These procedures are not interchangeable.
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| Payment type | Notice route and timing | Investigation and payment while pending |
|---|---|---|
| Debit card or other EFT from a consumer account | Notify the financial institution as soon as possible. CFPB guidance says to report an unauthorized withdrawal no later than 60 days after the statement showing it was sent. If a card or PIN was lost or stolen, notice within two business days of learning of the loss or theft is important to the more protective liability tier. | Generally 10 business days to investigate, or 20 business days for an account open less than 30 days. If more time is needed, provisional credit is generally required, subject to exceptions and conditions. |
| Credit card | Call promptly, then send a written billing-error notice using the billing-dispute address or other method in the billing-rights notice. The notice is generally due within 60 days after the first periodic statement reflecting the error was transmitted. | Generally 30 days to acknowledge the written notice unless the issuer resolves it within that period, and up to two complete billing cycles to investigate. Pay undisputed charges on time; CFPB guidance says the disputed amount and related finance charges need not be paid while the dispute is pending. |
The time periods above are general federal rules, not a guarantee of a particular outcome. Account type, transaction facts, notice timing, and applicable exceptions matter. Check the institution’s statement and billing-rights notice for its required contact method and address.
How do I dispute a debit-card or other EFT transaction?
Notify the bank or credit union quickly and give it the transaction details. An oral report may be followed by a request for written confirmation; respond within the requested period, because failing to do so can affect provisional credit.
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Under CFPB guidance, the usual initial investigation period is 10 business days. For an account open less than 30 days, it is generally 20 business days. If the institution cannot complete its investigation in that time, it generally must provisionally credit the disputed amount, with a maximum of $50 withheld, while continuing the investigation; exceptions apply. The general outer resolution period is 45 days, and may be as long as 90 days for certain cases, including foreign transactions, point-of-sale debit purchases, or transactions within 30 days of opening an account. If an error is established, the institution generally must correct it within one business day and report its findings within three business days.
Do not assume that debit-card fraud always has a $50 liability cap. Under Regulation E, the possible liability tier depends on the facts and when notice is given: it can be up to $50, up to $500, or potentially more than those amounts in some circumstances. Report loss or unauthorized activity promptly and ask the institution how the rules apply to your situation.
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How do I dispute a credit-card billing error?
Call the issuer promptly, then use the written billing-error route described in the billing-rights notice. Send the notice to the billing-dispute address, which may differ from the payment address, or use another method the notice specifies. Include enough information to identify the account and explain the suspected error; give its type, date, and amount as far as possible. Keep a copy and proof of delivery or submission.
The general Regulation Z deadline for written notice is 60 days after the first periodic statement reflecting the error was transmitted. The issuer generally must acknowledge the notice within 30 days unless it resolves the dispute in that time, and it may take up to two complete billing cycles to finish investigating. Continue paying undisputed charges on time and follow the issuer’s statements and notice instructions for the disputed balance.
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If the issue is goods or services that were not accepted or delivered as agreed, federal billing-error rules do not require you to contact the merchant before sending the billing-error notice to the creditor. Contacting the merchant may still help resolve an ordinary service problem, but it should not delay a time-sensitive notice to the issuer.
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Ask what information supported the decision. For an EFT claim, CFPB guidance says the institution must promptly provide the information it relied on when you request it. For a credit-card billing error, the issuer must explain in writing why it found no error and state what amount is owed and when it is due; you may also request documentary evidence of the alleged indebtedness.
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Keep the decision, your original notice, and any requested supporting information together. Note any date by which you must respond or pay an amount the issuer says is due. Do not assume that a denial automatically establishes fraud or resolves a separate merchant-service complaint.
Which details can change the applicable rules?
- Whether the charge was a debit/EFT or credit-card transaction.
- Whether a card, PIN, or other access device was lost or stolen, and when you learned of it.
- When the statement reflecting the transaction was sent or made available.
- Whether the claim concerns unauthorized use, an accounting or duplicate-charge error, or goods and services not delivered as agreed.
- Whether the provider needs more time to investigate and whether provisional credit is required.
A credit card used through a payment intermediary can still qualify for certain goods-or-services billing-error claims when credit funded the purchase contemporaneously, but the result depends on the transaction details.
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