How to dispute a credit card charge with AI (letter template and deadlines)

Work out what kind of dispute it is (and your deadline)

In the US, the Fair Credit Billing Act covers billing errors on credit cards: charges you didn't make, wrong amounts or dates, things you didn't accept or that weren't delivered as agreed, and payments or returns that weren't credited. Quality problems (it arrived but it's broken or not as described) work differently: you're expected to try to fix it with the seller first. Paste your details and ask the AI to sort it:

Help me dispute a credit card charge. Here's what happened: [describe it, with dates].
Charge: $[amount] from [merchant as it appears on the statement], posted [date], on the statement dated [date].
1. Is this most likely an unauthorized charge, a billing error (wrong amount, duplicate, not delivered, credit not applied) or a quality problem with something I received? Explain in one sentence.
2. List what I should gather as evidence.
3. Remind me of the deadline I should check: 60 days from the statement date, and count the date for me.
Don't give legal advice beyond that and don't invent card issuer policies.

The 60-day clock comes from the FTC's guide to disputing credit card charges: your letter should reach the issuer within 60 days after the first bill showing the error was sent. Check the date math yourself on a calendar. Debit cards fall under different rules with shorter windows for unauthorized charges, so report those to your bank right away.

Build a timeline and evidence list

Turn my notes into a dated timeline table: date, what happened, proof I have (receipt, email, screenshot, tracking number), and what's still missing.
Use only what I tell you. Where a date or detail is missing, write [CHECK] instead of guessing.
My notes: [paste order emails, chat transcripts, your notes, with card numbers removed]

The [CHECK] markers become your to-do list: find the order confirmation, the cancellation email, the return tracking number. Issuers decide disputes on documents, so this step matters more than the wording.

Ask the merchant first

For quality problems you're expected to try the seller first, and for everything else it's often the fastest fix. Keep it short and put a date on it:

Write a short, polite message to [merchant] customer support.
Facts: order [REF], charged $[amount] on [date], problem: [one sentence].
Ask for: [a refund of $X / reversal of the duplicate charge / cancellation confirmation] by [date 7-10 days out].
Mention that I'll dispute the charge with my card issuer if it isn't resolved by then. Under 120 words, no threats, no sarcasm.

Save the reply, or the fact that there wasn't one, with the date. Don't let this step eat your 60 days: if the merchant stalls, dispute anyway. Our complaint letter and bill negotiation guide has an escalation ladder if a company keeps ignoring you.

Write the dispute letter

Most issuers have an online dispute form, which is usually fastest. The FTC's process is to write to the issuer at the address for billing inquiries (not the payment address) with your name, address, account number and a description of the error, and keep a copy. Use the same draft for both:

Write a credit card billing dispute letter using only these facts.
Include: my name and address [placeholders], account number shown as [ACCOUNT NUMBER], the date and amount of the charge, the merchant name as it appears on the statement, the statement date, a 2-3 sentence description of the error, what I already did to resolve it with the merchant, and a clear request to remove the charge and any related fees or interest.
List the enclosed documents (copies, not originals): [list].
Plain, factual, under 300 words. Then write a 3-line version I can paste into an online dispute form.
Timeline: [paste your timeline]

If you mail it, certified mail with a return receipt gives you proof of when the issuer got it. While the issuer investigates, the FTC says you can withhold payment on the disputed amount, but keep paying the rest of your bill on time.

Track the investigation

Make me a simple tracker for this dispute: date I sent it, how I sent it, the reference number, the date the issuer should acknowledge it (30 days after they receive it) and the date it should be resolved (within 90 days), plus a reminder to check each new statement for the temporary credit.
Format it as a short checklist I can paste into my notes app or calendar.

Under the FTC's summary of the law, the issuer must acknowledge your dispute in writing within 30 days of receiving it (unless it's already resolved) and resolve it within 90 days. Put both dates in your calendar.

If the dispute is denied

If the issuer decides you owe the charge, it has to explain why in writing, and you can ask for the documents it relied on. Ask the AI to compare the explanation with your evidence:

Here's my card issuer's decision letter and my original timeline. List each reason they gave and whether my evidence answers it. Then draft a short, factual appeal letter that addresses only the points I can back up with documents.
Decision: [paste]
Timeline: [paste]

The FTC says to appeal within the payment period the issuer gives you or 10 days of getting the explanation, whichever is later. If you think the process wasn't followed, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. For a bigger-picture fix, our monthly budget guide shows how to catch forgotten subscriptions before they bill again.