Chargeback

Sometimes you may want to dispute a card transaction because:

the transaction was not authorised by you
the supplier did not deliver the goods or services you paid for
the goods were delivered to you but were faulty or not as described.

You should contact the supplier first, to seek a refund. If the supplier will not refund your money and you paid using a credit or debit card, your card provider may agree to reverse the transaction.

This is called a chargeback. In order to start a chargeback, you should contact your card provider (the bank or credit card company who issued the card) immediately. Give them details of the transaction you are disputing and request that they follow it up with the merchant’s card processor. This is the bank that processes card transactions for the shop or company that debited your card.

The reasons you can request a chargeback are set out under the rules of the various card schemes, such as Visa, MasterCard, Laser or Maestro. In order to issue these cards, your provider signs up to these rules and they must investigate any transaction you dispute.

If you request a chargeback and you are not happy with the response from your card provider, you can make a complaint.

Dispute rules for each card scheme vary. This can be important if a retailer or service provider you have done business with goes out of business.

If there is a transaction on your bank account or credit card statement that you do not recognise, contact your bank or card issuer without delay.