What counts as a billing error
The protections apply to billing errors, which Regulation Z defines in section 1026.13(a). In everyday terms:
| Situation | Regulation Z |
|---|---|
| A charge you did not make or authorise | 1026.13(a)(1): an extension of credit not made to the consumer or to a person with actual, implied or apparent authority |
| A charge that is not identified properly, so you cannot tell what it is | 1026.13(a)(2) |
| Goods or services not accepted, or not delivered as agreed | 1026.13(a)(3) |
| A payment or credit not applied correctly | 1026.13(a)(4) |
| A computational or similar error of an accounting nature | 1026.13(a)(5) |
| A charge you need additional clarification or documentation for | 1026.13(a)(6) |
| A statement that was never sent to your current address | 1026.13(a)(7) |
Two things are not on the list. A purchase you made and regret is not a billing error. A dispute about the quality of goods or services you accepted is handled under a separate provision, Regulation Z 1026.12(c) on claims and defenses, which has its own conditions. Fraud, double charges, wrong amounts, missing credits and undelivered orders are squarely covered.
The steps
- Call the issuer right away. The CFPB's first instruction. A call can freeze a fraudulent card and start an informal review, but it does not start the legal clock.
- Send a written billing error notice within 60 days. Regulation Z counts the 60 days from when the creditor transmitted the first statement showing the error, and the notice must go to the address the issuer designates for billing inquiries, which is printed on the statement, not the payment address. State your name and account number, the charge, the amount and why it is wrong, and keep a copy.
- Pay everything else. The disputed amount may be withheld; the rest of the minimum payment is still due.
- Keep records of the notice, the dates, and any calls, as the CFPB advises.
issuer: acknowledgment within 30 days; resolution within 2 billing cycles, never more than 90 days
What the issuer must do
Once a proper notice arrives, Regulation Z 1026.13(c) sets the issuer's duties: a written acknowledgment within 30 days of receiving it, unless the dispute is resolved sooner, and resolution within two complete billing cycles and in no event later than 90 days. Resolution means one of two things. If the error is confirmed, the charge and any related finance charges are removed. If the issuer concludes the bill was correct, the CFPB says it must explain why in writing and tell you how much you owe and when payment is due; you can ask for copies of the documents it relied on. Meanwhile, under 1026.13(d), you need not pay and the creditor may not try to collect any portion of the disputed amount, and it may not report it as delinquent.
One dispute, dated
A statement dated March 5, 2026 shows a charge you did not make.
| Deadline | Date | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Last day for your written notice | May 4, 2026 | 60 days after the first statement showing the error |
| Issuer's acknowledgment, if notice received March 15, 2026 | by April 14, 2026 | 30 days after receipt |
| Issuer's resolution | by June 13, 2026 at the latest | two billing cycles, never more than 90 days after receipt |
Sending the notice in the first week rather than the eighth changes nothing about your rights and a great deal about how quickly the amount comes off the bill. The add or subtract days calculator gives the 60th day from any statement date, and the business days calculator the working days left to send it.
Lost or stolen cards
Unauthorized use has its own rule in Regulation Z 1026.12(b): a cardholder's liability for unauthorized use of a credit card shall not exceed the lesser of $50 or the amount obtained before notification to the card issuer, and even that only applies if the card was an accepted card and the issuer had given adequate notice of the liability rules and a way to report loss or theft. In practice, report the card the moment it is missing; charges after notification are not yours, and the fraudulent charges before it are billing errors to dispute as above.
After the dispute
- Check the next statement for the credit and for the removal of any interest charged on the disputed amount.
- If the issuer rules against you and you still disagree, you can submit a complaint to the CFPB; the written explanation the issuer owes you is the document to attach.
- Watch the balance you are carrying. A disputed amount sits on the account until resolution and can look like utilization; the guide credit utilization ratio explains the ratio, and the credit card payoff calculator what the rest of the balance costs.
- Pull your credit reports if the charge was fraud rather than a mistake; the guide how to read a credit report shows where new accounts and inquiries appear, and credit freeze vs fraud alert what to lock.
This guide describes the federal rules for credit cards in Regulation Z as the CFPB publishes them. Debit cards follow a different law with different deadlines, and the card agreement may offer more than the law requires, never less.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to dispute a credit card charge?
For a billing error under federal law, 60 days: the CFPB says to send a written billing error notice to the card company within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on your statement, and Regulation Z counts the 60 days from when the creditor transmitted the first statement showing the error. Call the issuer right away as well, but the written notice is what triggers the legal protections.
Do I have to pay a charge I am disputing?
Not the disputed amount. Regulation Z headlines it: the consumer's right to withhold the disputed amount, collection action prohibited. While the dispute is open you need not pay, and the issuer may not try to collect, the disputed portion or related finance charges; you still owe the rest of the bill on time.
How long does the card company have to resolve it?
It must send a written acknowledgment within 30 days of receiving your notice and resolve the dispute within two complete billing cycles, but in no event later than 90 days. The CFPB adds that if the company finds you are right the charge must be removed, and if it finds the bill correct it must explain why in writing and tell you how much you owe and when.
What am I liable for if my card is stolen?
For unauthorised use of a credit card, Regulation Z limits a cardholder's liability to the lesser of $50 or the amount obtained before you notified the issuer, and only if the card was an accepted card and the issuer gave you notice of the liability rules and a way to report loss. Report a lost or stolen card at once; after notification your liability is zero.
What if I already paid the bill?
The CFPB says you can still dispute the charge, but you probably will not get the money back until the company decides in your favour. The 60-day clock still runs from the statement that first showed the error, so the written notice should go out whether or not the bill was paid.
Sources
- CFPB: How do I dispute a charge on my credit card bill? (call the company, then send a written billing error notice within 60 calendar days of the statement; the company acknowledges within 30 days; if you are right the charge is removed, if not it explains in writing; disputing after paying)
- Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.13: billing error resolution (the definition of a billing error; the written notice within 60 days of the first statement; written acknowledgment within 30 days; resolution within two complete billing cycles and in no event later than 90 days; the right to withhold the disputed amount and the bar on collection)
- Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.12(b): liability for unauthorized use limited to the lesser of $50 or the amount obtained before notification, and its conditions