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Credit Cards

How to Dispute a Citibank Credit Card Charge

Updated Mar 10, 2023   |   4-min read

You’ve just checked your Citibank credit card account online and noticed a charge you don’t recognize. While it’s not a life-altering amount of money owed, you don’t want to pay for something you didn’t authorize, and you’re worried your credit card information may be compromised with more charges possibly popping up.

The good news is you’re in capable hands. Citibank is one of the biggest banks in the United States, so you’re not going to throw anything at them they haven’t seen before. Citibank is used to working with credit card charge disputes every day, and its customer service representatives will easily walk you through the process to get to the bottom of the issue.

This article will discuss the steps you’ll have to take to get those charges removed from your Citibank Mastercard or Visa credit card — and other important information you’ll need to know about the Citibank dispute process along the way.

On this page:

How Can I Dispute a Citibank Credit Card Charge?

When you want to dispute a credit card charge, you have two options. The first option is to place a phone call to Citibank and explain the problem to a customer service employee. That can take a while, especially if you’re trying to call over your lunch break or after work when call volumes might be high. You could find yourself on hold for several minutes until a representative is free to talk to you.

>> Read More: How long do you have to dispute a credit card charge?

The faster alternative, if you already have an online account set up, is to look at your “account details” page online. Here is how you do it:

  • Sign into your account (or create one, if you haven’t already). An online account is good for more than just disputing charges, so you’ll be glad you have one set up.
  • You’ll see a list of all your charges, organized by transaction date. You’ll also see a down arrow next to each entry. Select the down arrow on the charge you want to contest.
  • Click the button that says “dispute charge.” This will start the process quickly and alert Citibank that you think there is a problem with a charge on your account.

Is a Disputed Charge Different Than a Fraudulent Claim?

Some people don’t know there is a difference between disputed charges and fraudulent claims, but there is. A disputed charge could be something you approved at some point, such as an annual magazine subscription that, unbeknownst to you, automatically renews. You may not realize it is set to automatically renew, so you might not initially know what it is or understand that you consented to further charges when you initially signed up for a product or service.

Fraud is a different story entirely. That’s when someone uses your card without your authorization. Fraud continues to be a huge problem with credit card companies, so they take immediate steps to shut it down whenever it crops up.

What Kind of Charge Disputes Are Likely to Get Resolved?

Not all charges will be stricken from your credit card. The ones most likely to be resolved in your favor are mistaken charges, duplicate charges in which you were charged twice for the same product or service, and incorrect charges. It’s often easier to have fraudulent charges erased, provided you report them in a timely fashion.

Other charges are more difficult to dispute successfully. Things like faulty products, services you didn’t receive, or purchases you regret making aren’t going to be negotiated by Citibank. You’ll have to call the vendor directly and try to resolve the issue with them. If you do so successfully, they will reverse the charge.

>> Read More: Can you dispute a credit card charge for bad service?

Bottom Line

Disputed charges can be enough to ruin your day, but they don’t always have to put a damper on your checkbook balance. While they are annoying, they are often reversible. Before you file a complaint with your credit card company, it may be worth a quick call to the vendor to see if they’ll give your money back so you don’t have to go through the extra step of contacting Citibank for an inquiry.

If you suspect a fraudulent charge, call Citibank right away. They’ll likely issue you another account number in case your overall account security is at risk. By following the steps in this article, you’ll have a much better chance of getting any unauthorized charges removed from your credit card bill.