Dispute process — chargebacks and billing errors
protection · 4 min read
Two kinds of disputes
1. Billing error (FCBA protected) — wrong amount, unauthorized charge, goods not delivered. Must dispute within 60 days of the statement. 2. Chargeback (Visa/Mastercard/Amex rules) — merchandise issues, quality issues. Different rules per network.
How to file
- Through the issuer app or web portal — NOT the merchant.
- Document everything: order confirmations, emails, photos, shipping tracking.
- Issuer reverses the charge pending investigation. Merchant has 30 days to respond.
When to eat it
If the merchant gave you what they promised and you just changed your mind — that's not a chargeback, that's a return dispute. Filing a chargeback on legitimate transactions is fraud.
The goodwill route first
Many issues resolve faster by calling the merchant. Chargebacks kill merchant relationships and can get you blacklisted (Amazon, Best Buy, etc. will close accounts over repeat chargebacks).