Seeing an unrecognizable charge on your card transactions can be an unsettling experience, but you’ve got options. In this article, we’ll outline how to dispute an unauthorized transaction.
Lost or stolen card
If you believe your card is lost or stolen, contact support right away. See “Report a lost or stolen card.”
Contact merchant
The first question our support team will ask is “Have you contacted the merchant directly?” Asking the merchant directly for a refund is also often the fastest way to resolve or verify the legitimacy of a charge, as you may be able to return an item or cancel an order.
Creating a written record
When possible, record the merchant’s decision in writing to help support your case.
Contact support
If the merchant can’t resolve the transaction, contact support to open a dispute. Support will walk you through the dispute process, asking for the merchant’s name, the reason for the dispute, and whether you already attempted to resolve the issue with the merchant. They may ask you to fill out a form.
What to expect next
After your dispute is filed, it's reviewed to determine what happened. Investigations can take time, and we'll keep you updated by email along the way.
Save documentation
Hold on to any documentation related to the charge until your dispute is resolved. Support may request it during the review.
Frequently asked questions about disputes
What’s a chargeback?
A chargeback is a charge that is returned to a payment card after a member successfully disputes an item on their account statement or transactions report.
What are non-fraudulent charges?
A non-fraudulent dispute is one where you did business with the merchant. You recognize the merchant, and meant to make a purchase, but something about the charge is wrong. You're not saying, "Someone stole my card," you're saying "this specific transaction isn't right."
Some common examples include:
You were charged twice for the same purchase.
You were charged the wrong amount (receipt says $40; your card shows $50).
You returned an item, but the refund never showed up.
You canceled a subscription or service and got billed anyway.
You paid for something that never arrived or was never delivered.
A free trial quietly converted to a paid charge.
The dividing line is authorization.
A fraudulent charge means you didn't authorize the transaction and have no real relationship with that merchant, so contacting them is pointless. Plus, it means your card security is compromised or stolen, and we need to lock the card.
A non-fraudulent charge means there’s a legitimate relationship between you and the merchant, and the merchant can usually fix it.
How long do you have to dispute a transaction?
You have 60 days from the date of the statement showing the charge to report it, unless there are extenuating circumstances like extended travel or hospitalization.