Search "how long do I have to dispute a charge" and you'll find confident answers saying 60 days — and equally confident answers saying 120 days. They're both right. They're describing two different clocks that run at the same time, and misunderstanding which one binds you is the single most common way people lose disputes.
The Fair Credit Billing Act is a US federal law covering credit cards. It says you have 60 days from the date your statement was sent to dispute a billing error in writing. Two details make this rule trickier than it sounds:
This law is powerful: while the dispute is investigated, you can withhold the disputed amount, and the issuer can't report it as late. But miss the 60-day written notice and you lose this layer of protection.
Separately, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover each publish dispute rules giving cardholders up to 120 days from the transaction date to file. For goods or services never received, the window starts at the expected delivery date instead (capped at 540 days from the transaction).
This is network policy, not federal law — it's the rule your issuer follows when processing the chargeback through the network. It generally gives you more time than the FCBA, and it applies regardless of whether you put anything in writing.
If your card was issued in the US, both clocks run simultaneously. The 60-day federal window is usually the tighter one, and it has the strict written-notice requirement. The 120-day network window is the backstop.
The strategy that satisfies both:
The FCBA is US-only. In other countries, the card-network 120-day rule is typically the main clock, plus whatever local consumer protections apply. In the UK, for example, credit card holders also have Section 75 claims — a completely separate route with up to 6 years from the breach.
Enter your dates once — get both deadlines, the binding one highlighted, and your next steps.
Both are real and run at the same time (US cards). The FCBA gives 60 days from your statement date to dispute in writing; card networks allow up to 120 days from the transaction date. File before the earlier of the two.
A call starts the process, but the federal 60-day protection requires written notice. Always follow up a call with a written dispute — a secure message in your banking app usually counts.
Usually the transaction date. For goods or services never received, it starts at the expected delivery date instead — capped at 540 days from the original transaction.
That's normal — and it's why the 60-day federal clock can actually end later than you'd expect from the purchase date alone. Count 60 days from when the statement was sent, not from when you bought.
