Dispute a Transaction and Request a Chargeback
Document the transaction and your resolution attempt with the merchant, then meet the issuer’s deadline.
In this article
The chargeback is the cardholder's most powerful remedy and the worst used, because it gets treated as a magic button rather than a procedure. Three conditions make a winning file. First the grounds: goods not delivered, service not rendered, unauthorized transaction or double billing are among the eligible reasons. Mere dissatisfaction with an item as described is not. Then the resolution attempt: the issuer requires proof that you first tried to settle with the merchant, with dated emails and screenshots in support. Finally the deadline: the agreement sets a dispute window running from the statement. The credit you receive stays provisional during the investigation and can be taken back if the merchant shows everything was in order. It becomes final at a favourable closing. This article details the eligible grounds, how to assemble the evidence file and the standard chronology of a dispute run by the rules: documents first, never indignation.
Verify the grounds are eligible
A chargeback is not a general right of refund. It answers precise grounds, listed in the card agreement and in the payment network's rules. The classic grounds include goods never delivered, service not rendered, item not as described, unauthorized transaction, double billing and a merchant that has ceased operations. Not on the list are mere dissatisfaction with a conforming item, buyer's remorse and disagreement about subjective quality. Check this distinction before you start. A file built on ineligible grounds fails after weeks of processing, during which the dispute deadline keeps running.
Document the resolution attempt
Issuers almost always require proof of an attempt to resolve things with the merchant before they open a dispute. That proof is made in writing: dated emails to customer service, screenshots of the conversations, file numbers obtained, and the replies or the lack of them. Three follow-ups over three weeks make a solid file. An undocumented phone call is worth nothing. This step has its own use too: a good share of disagreements settle directly with the merchant, faster than a chargeback, and the file you have built then serves if the resolution fails.
Respect the dispute deadline
The agreement sets a window for disputing, counted from the statement or transaction date depending on the case, often thirty to a hundred and twenty days. That deadline is firm. It creates a dilemma when the merchant promises a resolution that never arrives: waiting patiently can let your right to dispute expire. Count the days from the moment you spot the problem, set a personal deadline well before the real one and open the dispute on that date, even if the merchant is still promising. An open dispute can always be withdrawn if the merchant settles. An expired deadline never reopens.
Understand the provisional credit's nature
An issuer that accepts a dispute often credits the account quickly, but that credit stays provisional during the investigation. The merchant has a right of reply: if it shows delivery, conformity or authorization, the credit is reversed and the amount returns to the balance. Know this before you spend the credited sum. The investigation generally lasts a few weeks. Answer any information request from the issuer quickly, because an incomplete file closes in the merchant's favour. A favourable closing makes the credit final. Then archive the complete file: the same evidence will serve if the merchant later attempts collection.
Quebec scenario
A customer in Sainte-Sophie ordered an item in November that was never delivered. The seller has stopped answering, and she is out $340. Before calling her bank, she prepares her file, because a chargeback is a structured remedy, not a magic button. First the grounds: goods not delivered is among the eligible reasons, unlike mere dissatisfaction. An item that matches its description but disappoints cannot be disputed. Next the resolution attempt: the issuer requires proof that she first tried to settle with the merchant. Her three unanswered emails and dated screenshots satisfy the condition. Finally the deadline: her agreement provides a dispute window running from the statement, and she acts on day 42, well inside it. The submitted file contains the transaction, the order confirmation, the delivery promise and the chronology of follow-ups. The issuer posts a provisional credit within ten days and spells out its nature: provisional means recoverable if the merchant proves delivery during the investigation. The merchant answers the issuer no more than it answered her, and the credit becomes final on day 51. She archives the complete file and draws a habit from it: for any significant online purchase, she keeps the confirmations until delivery. A dispute is won with documents, not with indignation.
Checklist
- Verify the ground is among the eligible ones
- Attempt resolution with the merchant first
- Document each dated attempt
- Gather the confirmation, promise and statement
- Act within the agreement's deadline
- File a complete case with the issuer
- Understand the credit's provisional nature
- Answer information requests quickly
- Archive the file after closure
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