Dispute a Transaction and Request a Chargeback
Document the transaction and your resolution attempt with the merchant, then meet the issuer’s deadline.
Published 2026-07-21
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 structure the winning file. The grounds first: goods not delivered, service not rendered, unauthorized transaction, double billing figure among the eligible reasons; mere dissatisfaction with an item as described does not. The resolution attempt next: the issuer requires proof of first trying to settle with the merchant, dated emails and screenshots in support. The deadline last: the agreement sets a dispute window running from the statement. The credit received stays provisional during the investigation, recoverable if the merchant demonstrates compliance, and becomes final at a favourable closing. This article details the eligible grounds, the assembly of the evidence file and the standard chronology of a dispute run by the rules — documents first, indignation never.
Verify the grounds are eligible
A chargeback is not a general right of refund: it answers precise grounds, listed in the card agreement and the payment network's rules. The classic grounds: goods never delivered, service not rendered, item not as described, unauthorized transaction, double billing, merchant ceased operations. What is not there: mere dissatisfaction with a conforming item, buyer's remorse, disagreement about subjective quality. That distinction is verified before starting the process, because 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 with the merchant before opening a dispute. That requirement is satisfied in writing: dated emails to customer service, screenshots of the conversations, file numbers obtained, and the replies or the absence of them. Three follow-ups over three weeks constitute a solid file; an undocumented phone call is worth nothing. That step also has a use of its own: a good share of disagreements settle directly with the merchant, faster than a chargeback, and the assembled file then serves if the resolution fails.
Respect the dispute deadline
The agreement sets a window for disputing, calculated from the statement or transaction date depending on the case, often thirty to a hundred and twenty days. That deadline is firm, and it poses a dilemma when the merchant promises a resolution that never arrives: waiting patiently can let the right to dispute expire. The prudent rule counts the days from the moment the problem is identified, sets a personal deadline well before the real one, and opens 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
The issuer accepting a dispute often credits the account quickly, but that credit stays provisional during the investigation. The merchant has a right of reply: if they demonstrate delivery, conformity or authorization, the credit is reversed and the amount returns to the balance. That reversibility deserves knowing before spending the credited sum. The investigation generally lasts a few weeks, during which any information request from the issuer is handled quickly, an incomplete file closing in the merchant's favour. A favourable closing makes the credit final, and the complete file gets archived: the same evidence serves if the merchant later attempts collection.
Quebec scenario: compare before confirming
Ordered in November, never delivered, seller gone silent: a customer in Sainte-Sophie finds herself out $340 with a merchant site that no longer answers emails. Before calling her bank, she prepares the ground, because a chargeback is a structured remedy, not a magic button. The grounds first: goods not delivered is among the eligible reasons, unlike mere dissatisfaction — an item that matches its description but disappoints cannot be disputed. The resolution attempt next: the issuer requires proof of first trying to settle with the merchant; her three unanswered emails, screenshots dated, satisfy the condition. The deadline finally: her agreement provides a dispute window running from the statement, and she acts on day 42, comfortably 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, spelling 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; the credit becomes final on day 51. She archives the complete file and draws a habit from it: for any notable online purchase, confirmations are kept until delivery, because 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
Frequently asked questions
Which grounds justify a chargeback?
The eligible grounds in your agreement: goods not delivered, service not rendered, unauthorized transaction, double billing. Mere dissatisfaction with an item as described is not among them: the remedy targets failures, not disappointments. Verify the ground before building the file.
What must I do before contacting the issuer?
Try to resolve with the merchant and document it: dated emails, screenshots, replies or silence. The issuer requires that proof of attempt. Add the order confirmation, the delivery promise and the statement, then act within the agreement's deadline.
Is the provisional credit final?
No: provisional means recoverable if the merchant demonstrates during the investigation that the transaction was proper. The credit becomes final when the file closes in your favour. Until then, keep the complete file and answer any information request from the issuer quickly.