How long do I have to dispute a credit card charge?

Under the Fair Credit Billing Act (Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.13), you have 60 calendar days from the date the first statement showing the charge was sent to submit a written billing-error notice to your card issuer.

How long do I have to dispute a debit card charge?

Under Regulation E (12 CFR 1005.6), report unauthorized charges within 2 business days of noticing to cap liability at $50, or within 60 days of the statement to cap it at $500. Billing errors must be reported within 60 days of the statement.

Does the dispute clock start at the charge date or the statement date?

The statement date. Both the Fair Credit Billing Act and Regulation E start the 60-day clock when the statement showing the charge is sent, not on the day the purchase happened.

Tool — deadlines

Dispute window calculator

60-day clock

The most common reason disputes fail isn't the charge — it's the deadline. The 60-day clock starts on the statement date, not the purchase date. Enter the date your statement with the charge was sent and this tells you exactly where you stand.

Credit card rules (FCBA · Reg Z 1026.13)

60 calendar days from the statement date to send a written billing-error notice — wrong amounts, duplicate charges, unauthorized charges, undelivered goods.
Your issuer must acknowledge within 30 days and resolve within 2 billing cycles (never more than 90 days).
You don’t have to pay the disputed amount or its interest while the investigation runs.
Unauthorized charges: liability is capped at $50 (most issuers waive even that under zero-liability policies).

Deadlines are federal-law minimums; issuers and card networks can use longer windows. The safest move: file as soon as you spot the charge, and use written notice for credit cards.

JavaScript off — the rules in one line

Credit cards: written notice within 60 days of the statement date (FCBA). Debit: unauthorized charges — 2 business days for $50 liability, 60 days from the statement for $500; billing errors — 60 days from the statement (Reg E). When in doubt, dispute today.

What counts as a billing error?

Charges you didn't authorize or make — including charges made by someone with access to your card.
Wrong amounts, duplicate charges, or charges for goods and services never delivered.
Refunds or credits that never posted to your account.
Not sure the charge is even an error? Hold or charge? triages it first — most "errors" are subscriptions or holds.

Why written notice matters

Phone calls are great for urgency, but the FCBA's 60-day protection is triggered by a written billing-error notice — an email or portal submission your issuer accepts counts. When you're ready, the dispute letter generator produces one in seconds, and the 2026 confusion study shows how often deadline math is the difference between a refund and a dead end.

This calculator implements federal-law minimums (12 CFR 1005.6, 12 CFR 1005.11, 12 CFR 1026.13). Issuer policies and card-network rules can extend windows. Nothing here is legal or financial advice.

Credit card rules (FCBA · Reg Z 1026.13)

What counts as a billing error?

Why written notice matters

Statutory Deadlines & Dispute Playbooks