Credit Card Basics: Disputing Errors On Your Bill

Sometimes, opening your credit card bill can bring an unexpected and unpleasant surprise - erroneous charges. Credit card issuers are obligated, by law, to follow certain rules when it comes to correcting billing errors. A copy of these rules should have been sent to you when you first opened the account. If you’ve lost it, you can probably find a summary somewhere on the actual bill.

Unknown Charges

If you find charges on your credit card bill for purchases that you didn’t make, inform your credit card company immediately. It’s possible that your credit card information has been compromised - reporting it immediately is the best course of action you can take. Your issuer may have to give you a new credit card in such situations.

Billing Mistakes

The most common billing errors consist of wrong amounts being charged, being billed for a product that you didn’t accept and items you returned for one reason or another. If you find one of these mistakes on your list of transactions, you can withhold payment on those specific amounts. Make sure to file a dispute, though, as you can only keep off paying if the issuer agreed and are currently investigating the charge.

Even though you’ve informed the issuer’s customer service about the problem, you will still need to file a written dispute. Send a letter to the address for “billing disputes” or “billing inquiries” as indicated on your statement. Include information such as your credit card number, personal details and a clear description of the billing problem. Send it as soon as you notice the disputed item - the law only provides up to 60 days for you to respond from the date the statement was sent to you.

In turn, the credit card company is required to respond to your letter within the next 30 days. Any disputes will need to be settled within 3 months from the date it was filed.