Can You Dispute a Charge From 2 Years Ago? The Honest Answer

The short answer: a card chargeback for a charge from two years ago will almost always be refused. The network window is normally 120 days, and even the longest delayed-delivery exception caps at 540 days from the transaction — about 18 months, not two years. The important exception is UK Section 75: for a credit-card purchase of £100–£30,000 with a direct supplier link, the limitation period is generally six years. So the right question is not 'can I chargeback?' but 'which route, if any, is still alive for this payment method and country?'

The clocks that have already run out

US credit cards (FCBA, 15 U.S.C. § 1666): a billing-error notice must be sent in writing within 60 days of the statement date. Two years is far outside it.

US debit cards (Regulation E, 12 CFR § 1005.11): you must notify the bank within 60 days of the statement showing the error to preserve the strongest liability protection; after that, the bank's duty narrows sharply.

Card networks: Visa and Mastercard normally allow 120 days from the transaction (or expected delivery date for goods not received). For delayed-delivery cases the window can run from the expected delivery date, but never more than 540 days from the original transaction. A charge from 730 days ago is past even that outer cap.

The route that may still be open: UK Section 75

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the card issuer jointly liable with the supplier for a credit-card purchase of £100–£30,000 (single item price, direct supplier relationship — a payment through a third-party platform can break the link). The limitation period is generally six years in England and Wales, so a two-year-old purchase can still be claimed. This is a claim against the issuer, not a network chargeback, and it needs the same evidence discipline: contract, payment proof, proof the supplier breached the contract or misrepresented the goods, and proof you gave the supplier a chance to fix it. Debit cards and payments under £100 do not qualify.

What is still worth doing

Ask the bank in writing anyway. A short, factual letter costs nothing and occasionally succeeds where a phone call failed — especially if the charge only recently came to light (for example, a subscription you only just noticed). Do not expect success; do it because it creates the record.
Go to the merchant. A refund request has no network deadline. A goodwill refund, a warranty claim, or a consumer-protection complaint may still work.
Escalate properly. In the US, a CFPB complaint about a mishandled claim; in the UK, a formal complaint to the firm and then the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months of the final response. Neither revives an expired network window, but both matter if the bank mishandled a timely claim.
Small claims. Limitation periods for a contract claim are generally measured in years, not days — check your jurisdiction's limit before assuming it is closed, and weigh the filing cost against the amount.

What not to do

Do not re-date the problem, describe an old authorised purchase as recent fraud, or file the same claim repeatedly hoping for a different reviewer. A false statement turns a dead claim into a fraud file (see our guide on lying on a chargeback). And do not pay a 'recovery' company that promises to reopen a two-year-old chargeback for a fee — no company can extend a network deadline.

FAQ

Is there any chargeback window longer than 540 days?

For card networks, no: 540 days from the transaction is the outer cap for delayed-delivery conditions, and most conditions are 120 days. Longer routes are legal claims (Section 75, small claims), not chargebacks.

Does Section 75 work for debit cards?

No. Section 75 applies only to credit cards (and some store cards), for a single item costing £100–£30,000, with a direct supplier link.

What if I only just discovered the charge?

Tell the bank in writing immediately and say when you discovered it. Discovery does not reopen the FCBA 60-day or network windows as a rule, but it is the honest basis for asking — and it matters for some legal claims.

Can a recovery company reopen my old chargeback?

No. No company can extend a network deadline. Upfront-fee recovery promises for expired chargebacks are a red flag.