Three months after a charge appeared, you're wondering if it's too late to dispute it. The reassuring news first: in most cases, no — 3 months is about 90 days, which sits comfortably inside the ~120-day card-network dispute window. You likely still have around a month of runway. But there's one catch worth understanding before you file.
Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover each publish dispute rules giving cardholders up to 120 days from the transaction date to file. At ~90 days, you're inside that window for the standard dispute types: unauthorized charges, wrong amounts, duplicates, subscriptions that kept billing, and goods that arrived nothing like described.
That said, "usually" does real work here. Your cardholder agreement can set slightly different terms, and a small number of fraud-related reason codes carry shorter windows than the standard 120 days. So treat 90 days as probably in time, but don't dawdle — every day you wait is a day closer to the edge.
If your card was issued in the US, the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA, 15 USC §1666) gives you 60 days from the date your statement was sent to dispute in writing. At 3 months past the transaction, this federal window has likely already closed — depending on when your statement was actually sent.
What does that mean practically? You may have lost the federal layer of protection (the one that lets you withhold the disputed amount during investigation), while the card-network window remains open. The dispute can still go through the network route — it just means the 120-day clock is now your main (and possibly only) path. This is exactly why you should check both deadlines rather than assuming one number.
Enter your transaction and statement dates. We'll show every deadline that applies and which one binds you.
A few situations can close the door even before 120 days:
If your bank tells you 3 months is too late, ask which deadline they're applying and have them confirm it against your transaction and statement dates. If the network window is genuinely still open, ask them to file under it — and don't hesitate to request a supervisor review.
Usually yes — about 90 days is inside the ~120-day card-network window. But the US 60-day federal written-notice window may have closed, so file immediately and in writing.
In most cases no. Card-network rules generally allow up to 120 days from the transaction date, so 90 days is typically still in time — though a few fraud reason codes have shorter windows.
File right away in writing (a secure message in your banking app usually counts), gather receipts and correspondence, and note both your transaction date and statement date.
Filing sooner is always better, but being at 3 months doesn't by itself weaken a valid dispute filed inside the published windows. Fresh evidence and a clear written record matter most.
Ask which specific deadline they're applying and confirm your transaction and statement dates. If the network window is still open, ask them to file under it — and request a supervisor review if needed.
