How to dispute a subscription charge

To dispute a subscription charge, start by asking the company for a refund and make sure the subscription is actually canceled. If that doesn't work, contact your card issuer, explain the charge, and follow up in writing. For credit cards, the Fair Credit Billing Act gives you 60 days from when the statement showing the charge was sent to get your written dispute to the issuer.

Before you dispute: gather your proof

Spend ten minutes pulling this together first. It makes every step easier.

• The charge itself: the date, amount, and merchant name from your statement.
• Your cancellation proof: confirmation emails, screenshots, or a confirmation number.
• Your notes: dates you called or chatted, who you spoke with, and what they said. The CFPB recommends writing down the dates of follow-up calls and keeping everything together in one file.
• The terms you agreed to, if you can find them, especially anything about trials, renewals, or refunds.

Step 1: Ask the merchant first

Most subscription problems get fixed fastest by the company that charged you.

1. Cancel the subscription if you haven't already, so another charge doesn't land while you sort this out.
2. Contact customer support by chat, email, or phone. Say clearly what happened and what you want, for example: "I canceled on [date] and was charged on [date]. Please refund this charge."
3. Get it in writing. Ask for a confirmation or reference number, and save any emails.

If the charge came through an app store, use their refund process:

• Apple: sign in at reportaproblem.apple.com, choose I'd like to, then Request a refund, and select the subscription. Apple says to expect an update in 24 to 48 hours.
• Google Play: Google says you may be able to get a refund within 48 hours of a purchase. After that, it suggests contacting the app's developer, which is often the quickest way to resolve it.

Give the company a fair chance to respond, but keep an eye on the calendar. Waiting on a merchant doesn't pause your dispute deadline.

Step 2: Dispute the charge with your card issuer

If the merchant won't help, it's time to go to your card company. The FTC says that if a company charged you extra or won't stop charging after you told it to cancel, you can file a dispute with your credit or debit card.

1. Call or start a dispute online. The CFPB says to call the card company and tell them about the problem right away. Many issuers also let you start a dispute in their app or website.
2. Follow up in writing. For credit cards, the CFPB says you also need to send a written billing error notice within 60 days. Send it to the address your issuer lists for billing inquiries, not the address where you send payments.
3. Include the basics. The FTC recommends including your name, address, account number, and a description of the mistake. Add copies (not originals) of your proof.
4. Get proof it arrived. The FTC notes that sending your letter by certified mail with a return receipt gives you proof of what the issuer received.
5. Keep copies of everything you send.

Your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act

The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) covers billing errors on credit cards and other revolving charge accounts. Here are the basics, from the FTC and CFPB:

• What counts as a billing error: unauthorized charges, charges with the wrong date or amount, charges for goods or services you didn't accept or that weren't delivered as agreed, math errors, and payments or credits that weren't posted.
• Your deadline: your letter should reach the issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent to you.
• The issuer's deadlines: it must acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days (unless the problem has already been resolved) and resolve the dispute within 90 days.
• Paying while you wait: you can withhold payment on the disputed amount and related finance charges during the investigation. You still need to pay the rest of your bill.
• The outcome: if the issuer agrees with you, the charge must be removed. If not, it must explain why in writing and tell you how much you owe and when it's due.

Disputes about the quality of something you bought have extra conditions. The FTC says the purchase generally must be over $50, made in your home state or within 100 miles of your billing address, and you must have tried to resolve it with the seller first.

Debit cards work differently

Charges on a debit card come straight out of your bank account, and they're covered by the Electronic Fund Transfer Act instead of the FCBA.

• Report fast. The CFPB says to notify your bank within 60 days after it sends the statement showing an unauthorized transaction. Your bank then generally has 10 business days to investigate.
• Revoke permission for automatic payments. For automatic payments from your bank account, the CFPB says to tell the company you're taking away its permission, then tell your bank too. After you've done both, the CFPB says further payments the company starts would be errors you can ask your bank to fix.
• Consider a stop payment order. Under federal rules (Regulation E), you can stop a preauthorized payment from your account by telling your bank, by phone or in writing, at least three business days before it's scheduled. The CFPB notes that banks and credit unions generally charge a fee for stop payment orders.

Tips and gotchas

• Don't let the clock run out. The 60-day windows start when your statement is sent, not when you notice the charge.
• A dispute doesn't cancel the subscription. Cancel it with the company too, or you may keep getting billed.
• Be specific. "I canceled on this date and was charged after" is much stronger than "I don't want this."
• If you're stuck, you can submit a complaint to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint, or report the company at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

How Stu will help

Stu is still in development, and unexpected subscription charges are one of the problems it's being built to help with. Stu will help you spot charges that look off, keep your cancellation proof organized, and draft a refund request or dispute for you to review. It will always ask before sending anything or taking action on your behalf. You can join the waitlist to hear when it's ready.

Sources

• FTC: Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
• FTC: Getting In and Out of Free Trials, Auto-Renewals, and Negative Option Subscriptions
• CFPB: How do I dispute a charge on my credit card bill?
• CFPB: How do I get my money back after I discover an unauthorized transaction or money missing from my bank account?
• CFPB: How do I stop automatic payments from my bank account?
• CFPB: Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.10 Preauthorized transfers
• Apple Support: Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple
• Google Play Help: Learn about Google Play refund policies