You've filed the dispute. The only question that matters now: when do I actually get my money?
The answer has two parts, and confusing them causes most of the frustration around disputes. There's the temporary credit many issuers give you within days — and then there's the final resolution, which commonly takes 30 to 90 days. Here's the full timeline, what speeds it up, what slows it down, and what to do while you wait.
Soon after you file — often within a few business days — many issuers post a provisional credit: a temporary refund while the investigation runs. It appears in your account like any other credit, and in most cases you can spend it.
But treat it as provisional in the full sense of the word: it can be reversed. If the merchant successfully fights the dispute (representment), the issuer will debit the amount back. Spending a provisional credit you couldn't afford to repay is the single most common way a dispute causes a second financial headache.
Not every issuer offers provisional credit, and policies vary — confirm with your issuer what to expect in your case.
The investigation itself — your issuer reviewing the claim, the merchant getting a chance to respond, the final decision — commonly takes 30 to 90 days from the date you filed. Once the decision goes in your favor, the credit becomes permanent, usually within a few business days of the decision.
So the realistic end-to-end timeline looks like this:
Complex cases — large amounts, cross-border transactions, second-round arbitration — can run longer. UK Section 75 claims, which are a separate legal process rather than a network chargeback, can also take longer than a standard dispute.
Faster: filing with complete evidence on day one; straightforward fraud cases (unauthorized charges are often the quickest to resolve); merchants who don't respond — issuers generally decide in your favor by default when the merchant stays silent.
Slower: missing documents or unanswered requests from your issuer; the merchant fighting back with representment; disputes filed near the deadline with thin evidence; cases escalated to pre-arbitration or arbitration.
The factor most in your control is responsiveness. Every time your issuer asks for something — a receipt, a photo, a written statement — answer the same day if possible. Stalled paperwork is the number-one cause of disputes dragging past 90 days.
Timing matters more with debit cards, because the money under dispute actually left your bank account — unlike a credit card, where you're disputing a balance you haven't paid yet. A provisional credit restores your available balance, but until the final decision the funds aren't truly yours.
US debit disputes fall under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (Regulation E), which generally gives you 60 days from your statement date to report an error. Investigation timelines are similar to credit disputes, but because your own cash is tied up, file early and follow up promptly if the case stalls.
A chargeback is only useful if you file it in time. Enter your card network and dates to get your exact deadline.
Many issuers post a temporary (provisional) credit within days of filing. The final decision — when the credit becomes permanent — commonly takes 30 to 90 days.
No. Provisional credit is temporary and reversible: if the merchant successfully contests the dispute, the issuer can debit it back. Only the final decision in your favor is a true refund.
In most cases the issuer decides in your favor by default once the merchant's response window expires — which usually speeds things up, not slows them down.
In most cases as a credit back to the same card or account the charge came from. If you've closed the account, ask your issuer how the funds will reach you.
Follow up and ask for a concrete timeline — and if the answers stay vague, escalate through the bank's formal complaints process. Regulators (CFPB in the US, the Financial Ombudsman in the UK) are the next step after that.
