Charged twice? How to dispute a duplicate charge

Is it really charged twice? Pending vs posted

When you buy something, the bank often puts a hold on the money before the merchant has charged it. Georgia's consumer protection office describes a hold as a way of assuring payment to the merchant. It shows up as pending. Then the real charge posts. For a short while you can see both.

The hold should go away. The same office says a merchant's hold generally lasts for not more than a day, and that some card companies allow up to three days for banks to clear transactions. Gas stations, hotels, rental cars and restaurants use holds most. At the pump, it says Visa and Mastercard allow a hold of up to $175, and it should adjust to the real amount after you finish.

What to do, in order

1. Look at the receipt or the order email. Confirm you didn't order twice. Note the dates and amounts of both charges.
2. Wait a day or two if one is pending. If the pending one is gone, you're done.
3. Contact the merchant. Ask them to refund the duplicate to the same card. Ask for a confirmation number or an email saying so.
4. Contact your card company or bank. If the merchant won't help, or the refund doesn't land, tell the bank. The CFPB's advice for a credit card is to call right away. Do this inside the 60 days below even if the merchant says a refund is coming.
5. Keep records. The CFPB says to keep copies of everything and write down the dates of your follow-up calls.

Your rights on a credit card

For credit cards, the Fair Credit Billing Act sets a dispute process. The FTC describes it like this: your letter must reach the card company within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent to you. Send it to the address for billing inquiries, not the one for payments. Include your name, address, account number and a description of the mistake. Send copies of receipts, not originals, and keep a copy of your letter.

Within 30 days of getting it, the company must acknowledge it in writing, and within 90 days it must resolve the dispute, the FTC says. If it finds you're right, the charge comes off your bill. If it doesn't, it has to tell you why in writing and say how much you owe and when it's due. You can hold back the disputed amount while it looks, but the FTC says you're expected to pay the part of the bill that isn't in question.

Your rights on a debit card

Debit card errors fall under Regulation E. The rule says the bank must receive your notice no later than 60 days after it sends the statement showing the error. You can tell the bank by phone or in writing. It may ask for written confirmation of a phone call within 10 business days, and the CFPB warns that if you don't give it, the bank may not have to issue a temporary credit.

Credit card vs debit card: how a double charge is handled

On a debit card, Regulation E counts an incorrect electronic transfer and an unauthorized one as errors. A charge you did not make at all is a different problem from a duplicate; see how to dispute a charge on a debit card, or work out an unfamiliar name with what is this charge on my card.

A short script for the call

You don't need to argue. Say the facts, ask for one thing, and ask how it will be recorded.

"Hi, I see two charges from [merchant] for $[amount], on [date] and [date]. I only bought once. Can you tell me whether both are posted? If so, I'd like the second one refunded to this card. Could I get a confirmation number, and can you tell me how many days it takes to show up?"

If you're calling the bank instead, change the middle: "I want to report a billing error and open a dispute for the second charge. What do you need from me in writing, and what is today's date on the claim?" Write down the date, the name and the reference number.

When both of you share an account

On a joint card or account, either of you can spot it first, and each assumes the other will call. Decide who does it, and tell the other. The 60 days count from the statement, not from when you noticed.