Credit Card Chargeback Win-Probability & Reason Code Evaluator (FCBA)
Evaluate your federal Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) dispute rights and match your claim to official Visa/Mastercard/Amex Chargeback Reason Codes.
1. Enter Your Case Details Runs in your browser
2. Your result Live Output
- Billing Error — 90%+ Win Rate: Merchandise or service was NEVER delivered, or event/flight was canceled without refund (Visa Code 13.1 / MC 4855) — Non-delivery of goods or services is a statutory 'Billing Error' under 15 U.S.C. § 1666(b)(3).
- Canceled Recurring Transaction: Recurring subscription charged AFTER I canceled or without clear affirmative consent (Visa Code 13.2) — Provide a screenshot of your cancellation confirmation email or account settings.
- Not as Described / Defective: Item received was defective, counterfeit, or 'Not as Described' and I attempted to return it (Visa Code 13.3) — Document that you contacted the merchant first and offered to return the defective item.
- Timely Under FCBA & Card Network Rules: Statement date of the disputed charge is within the last 60–120 calendar days — FCBA requires written notice within 60 days of the statement; Visa/MC allow up to 120 days from transaction or expected delivery.
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3. How the rule works
Who this is for
US cardholders deciding whether to dispute a credit card charge, and how to do it within the time limits.
Debit cards are covered by different rules (the Electronic Fund Transfer Act), and card network rules add their own deadlines.
What to have ready
- The statement showing the charge and its statement date.
- Your correspondence with the merchant.
- Order confirmation, tracking or cancellation proof.
- The issuer's billing-error address from your statement.
The rule
The Fair Credit Billing Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1666, lets a cardholder dispute a billing error, including unauthorized charges, goods not delivered as agreed, and math errors, by sending written notice to the card issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent. The issuer must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles and no more than 90 days. While the dispute is pending, the issuer cannot collect the disputed amount or report it as delinquent. Regulation Z, 12 C.F.R. § 1026.13, sets out the details.
Separately, § 1666i lets a cardholder assert claims and defenses about the quality of goods or services against the issuer, if the purchase was over $50 and made in the cardholder's home state or within 100 miles, and the cardholder first tried in good faith to resolve it with the merchant. Liability for unauthorized use is capped at $50 under § 1643. Card networks such as Visa and Mastercard have their own dispute reason codes and longer time limits, but those are private rules, not law.
Read the official text:
- 15 U.S.C. § 1666 (billing errors)
- 12 C.F.R. § 1026.13 (Regulation Z)
- CFPB: how to dispute a credit card charge
Worked example: an undelivered order
A $640 online order never arrives. The charge first appears on the statement dated April 5.
Written billing-error notice due = within 60 days -> by June 4 Issuer acknowledgement = within 30 days of receipt Resolution = within 2 billing cycles, max 90 days During the dispute = $640 cannot be collected or reported late Network rules may allow 120 days, but the FCBA protections need the 60-day notice
Common mistakes
- Disputing by phone only. FCBA rights depend on written notice to the billing-error address.
- Using the purchase date instead of the statement date to count 60 days.
- Skipping the merchant. Quality disputes require a good-faith attempt to resolve with the seller first.
- Paying the disputed amount and then disputing it, which can complicate a quality claim under § 1666i.
Limits of this tool
- Dispute rights vary by card type; debit and prepaid cards follow different rules.
- The checklist cannot predict how the issuer or network will decide.
- Business cards may have different terms.
Sources were last checked in October 2026. Statutes are amended often; if the official text differs from this page, the official text controls.
4. Clear Next Steps & Statutory Action Plan
- Contact the merchant and keep the correspondence.
- Send written notice to the issuer's billing-error address within 60 days of the statement.
- Keep paying the undisputed part of your bill on time.
5. Frequently Asked Statutory Questions (15 U.S.C. § 1666 (Fair Credit Billing Act — FCBA) & § 1666i; Regulation Z (12 C.F.R. § 1026.13))
What is the difference between a billing error and a quality dispute?
A billing error under § 1666 includes unauthorized charges and goods not delivered as agreed, with a 60-day notice rule. A quality dispute under § 1666i covers unsatisfactory goods or services, with the $50 and 100-mile conditions and no fixed statutory deadline.
Can my card issuer charge interest on the disputed amount?
Not collect it while the dispute is being investigated. If the issuer decides there was no error, it can then bill the amount and finance charges that accrued.
How much am I liable for if my card was stolen?
At most $50 for unauthorized credit card use under 15 U.S.C. § 1643, and many issuers waive even that.