When you use your Chase credit card to buy products and services, Chase, as the credit card issuer, provides you with certain protections as a consumer, whether you have a Visa or a Mastercard. One of the important protections available to you is the opportunity to dispute charges if you’re billed improperly or notice any kind of billing error, if you didn’t receive a product or service you paid for, or if you’re dissatisfied with the quality of a product or service.
It’s important to know the specific guidelines for disputing a charge with Chase, however, because it can be different than – let’s say – disputing a charge through American Express (Amex). Every credit card, and company associated with that card, will have their own procedures for consumers to deal with disputed charges, and also for dealing with fraudulent charges.
While you can submit a Chase dispute on a credit card charge, it is up to you as a consumer to check your statement carefully so you spot problems. If you were charged improperly, Chase won’t know and can’t do anything unless you report the charge and provide evidence the charge was illegitimate or that the product or service you paid for wasn’t delivered as promised.
Chase provides a limited time to dispute credit card charges, so you should also check your credit card statement on a regular basis so you’ll be able to take swift action as soon as an issue arises. If you spot something wrong, you can follow these steps to initiate a dispute with customer service.
Contact the Merchant First
First and foremost, when you spot a problem with a charge on your Chase credit card, you should contact the merchant first before Chase bank. For example, if a merchant has charged you the wrong amount or has charged you for a product or service you never got, reach out to the merchant to let them know of the issue.
In most cases, talking with the merchant is the fastest and easiest way to get an inaccurate charge reversed. As long as the merchant acknowledges you were charged improperly, they can reverse the transaction or credit you back the amount that they overcharged you. You won’t have to go through a dispute process and wait for Chase customer service to review all of the information if the merchant accepts that something went wrong.
Sadly, not all merchants will acknowledge that they overcharged you or that they failed to deliver acceptable goods or provide you with a promised service. In cases where a merchant won’t cooperate with reversing an improper charge, you’ll need to escalate your efforts to a Chase credit card dispute in order to get your money back.
Be sure to keep track of any correspondence regarding your dispute resolution with the merchant and take note of who you spoke to and when you made the request to reverse the charge. This can help you when you contact Chase about fixing the issue.
Contact Chase if You Can’t Get the Merchant to Reverse the Charge
If a merchant won’t cooperate, it’s time to contact Chase. However, the process for doing so differs depending on whether you’re disputing improper charges or you suspect you were the victim of fraud.
>> Read More: Protect Yourself From Credit Card Fraud
Fraud is an unauthorized charge you didn’t make. If you suspect you were the victim of fraud—perhaps because someone stole your credit card number for your Chase account—you need to contact Chase at the phone number 1–800–432–3117 if you have a personal card or at 1–888–262–4273 if you are a Chase Sapphire customer. For debit card fraud concerns you should call 1-800-935-9935. You may ultimately need a new card in this case.
If you believe a merchant charged an improper amount or if you were charged for goods or services that are defective or were never received, then you’ll initiate a dispute. You can do that by either writing to Chase at Customer Service, P.O. Box 15299, Wilmington, DE 19850-5299 or by signing into your online account and then:
- Going to “Things you can do” or clicking on the “More options” menu
- Choosing “Account services”
- Clicking “Dispute a transaction”
You’ll be taken to a “Manage Disputes” screen as part of online cardmember services and provided with a list of transactions you can dispute. Click on the charge you believe was improper, and then select the “Dispute Transactions” button.
You’ll be asked to provide documentation about why you are disputing the charge. The merchant will also be able to provide evidence to show that the charge was a proper one, and Chase will decide whether the disputed charge should be reversed or not.
Can You Successfully Dispute a Charge on Your Chase Card?
You can submit a Chase dispute on credit card charges only if the charge has posted to your account and is showing up on your billing statements. If the charge is pending, you’ll need to wait until it posts.
Charges for billing disputes also must be initiated within 60 days of the time when the error first appeared on your statement from the financial institution.
If the disputed transaction is related to dissatisfaction with goods or services you purchased, you can dispute it only if:
- The purchase was made within your home state or the purchase was made within 100 miles of your current address. If you buy online or over the telephone, that counts as fulfilling this criterion.
- The purchase was for more than $50.
- The purchase was made using your credit card.
- You have not paid in full for the purchase.
Disputing a charge does not guarantee you’ll get your money back. But if Chase finds you were billed improperly, didn’t receive goods or services, or received substandard goods or services, you should be able to successfully recover your funds.
How Long Does a Chase Dispute Take?
Disputes typically take a few weeks to resolve, although sometimes they can take longer if the merchant fights the dispute.
While the dispute is pending, Chase won’t try to collect the disputed amount. And, if Chase finds in your favor, you will not only have the charge refunded but will also be refunded any interest charges associated with the disputed amount, as part of their consumer protection standards.
Watch Your Chase Card Carefully and Take Action if Problems Occur
Chase has an easy online process to dispute improper charges, including in cases where you didn’t receive a product or service or where the item you received didn’t meet your expectations.
It’s up to you to monitor your credit card statement carefully and make a timely report of any inaccurate charges so you can put Chase’s customer protections to work for you.
If you don’t take action using the Chase online form but you just try to avoid it by not paying it, it can affect your credit score. While it can be a headache to deal with a disputed transaction, it’s worth the time and effort.