Start a dispute by calling Bank of America or using their online portal within 60 days of the charge

Bank of America lets you report a charge you don't recognize or didn't authorize in two ways: by phone or through your online account. You have 60 days from the date the charge appeared on your statement to start the process. After 60 days, the bank is no longer required to investigate.

If you call, dial the number on the back of your card and tell them you want to dispute a transaction. If you use online banking, log in, find the transaction in your statement, and select the option to report it as unauthorized or incorrect. Either way, the bank will open a case and assign it a reference number — write this down, because you'll need it to check on your dispute later.

The bank will ask you basic questions: the date of the charge, the amount, and why you're disputing it. Be specific. "I didn't make this purchase" is weaker than "I was out of state that day" or "I never received the item." The clearer you are, the faster the bank can move.

Key Takeaways

  • You must report a disputed charge within 60 days of when it appears on your statement, or Bank of America can refuse to investigate.
  • Call the number on your card or log into your online account to start a dispute — both routes create an official case with a reference number.
  • The bank will usually return your money within two business days while they investigate, even if they haven't finished yet.
  • Bank of America has up to 45 days to finish their investigation, though many disputes resolve faster if the merchant responds quickly.
  • Keep all receipts, emails, and messages related to the charge, because the bank may ask you to prove your case in writing.

What happens after you report the dispute

Once you report the charge, Bank of America will usually put the money back in your account within two business days. This is a temporary credit while they investigate — it doesn't mean the dispute is closed. The bank is required to do this under federal law, as long as you reported it within 60 days and the charge is genuinely in dispute (not a billing error you caused yourself).

The bank then contacts the merchant — the store, website, or company that charged you — and asks them to explain the transaction. The merchant has a set time to respond, usually around 10 days. If the merchant doesn't respond or admits the charge was wrong, the bank closes the dispute in your favor and the temporary credit becomes permanent.

If the merchant says the charge was valid, the bank will ask you for proof that it wasn't. This is where your documentation matters. You might need to show emails proving you returned an item, screenshots of a conversation with customer service, or proof you were somewhere else when the charge happened.

How long the investigation takes

Bank of America has up to 45 days to finish investigating a dispute, though many take less time. The clock starts when you report the charge, not when the bank receives your written statement. If the merchant responds quickly or admits fault, you might see the dispute closed within two weeks.

During the investigation, you can check the status of your dispute online or by calling the number on your card. Use your reference number to speed things up. If the bank needs more information from you, they will contact you — usually by phone or through your online account — and give you a important date to respond. Missing that important date can slow things down or result in the dispute being closed against you.

Once the investigation is complete, the bank will send you a written explanation of the outcome. If you won, the temporary credit stays in your account. If you lost, the bank will remove the temporary credit and the charge goes back on your account.

Documents and information to gather before you dispute

The stronger your case, the faster the bank can resolve it. Before you call or go online, collect anything that supports your story. If you're disputing an unauthorized charge, gather proof of where you were or what you were doing at the time — a receipt from somewhere else, a timestamp from a message, a calendar entry. If you're disputing a charge for something you didn't receive, keep the order confirmation, shipping tracking, and any messages with the merchant about the missing item.

If you returned an item and were charged anyway, save the return receipt or tracking number showing the merchant received it back. If you were overcharged, keep the receipt showing what you actually paid versus what appeared on your statement. Screenshots of website prices, emails from customer service, and photos of damaged items all help. The bank may not ask for all of this, but having it ready means you can send it when ready if they do.

Don't throw away anything related to the charge until the dispute is fully closed — even after the bank says you won. Keep records for at least a few months in case the merchant challenges the outcome or the bank needs to verify something later.

What to do if the bank rules against you

If Bank of America investigates and decides the charge was valid, they will remove the temporary credit from your account and the charge stays. This doesn't mean you're out of options. You can ask the bank to reconsider if you have new evidence — for example, if the merchant later admits the charge was wrong, or if you find proof you didn't authorize it.

You can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) if you believe the bank didn't investigate fairly. The CFPB is a federal agency that handles complaints about banks. You can file online at consumerfinance.gov, and the CFPB will forward your complaint to Bank of America, which must respond within 15 days. This won't reverse the dispute decision, but it creates a record if there's a pattern of unfair handling.

If the charge was made by a merchant and not the bank itself, you may also have a claim against the merchant under your credit card agreement or state law. Some states give you stronger protections than federal law does. A lawyer or your state's attorney general's office can tell you what applies to your situation.

Disputes for debit cards versus credit cards

Bank of America handles disputes differently depending on whether you used a debit card or a credit card. With a credit card, you have strong federal protections — the bank must investigate and you get a temporary credit while they do. With a debit card, the rules are stricter and the timeline is tighter.

For a debit card dispute, you still have 60 days to report it, but the bank only has to give you a temporary credit if they believe your claim is valid. If they think the charge might be legitimate, they can hold the money while investigating. You also have less protection overall — the bank can take longer to investigate, and if you wait more than a few days to report it, you may lose some of your fraud protections.

If you use a Bank of America debit card, report disputes as soon as you notice them. The sooner you report, the stronger your case and the faster you'll get your money back.

Preventing disputes before they happen

The easiest dispute is the one you never have to file. Check your Bank of America statement every week, not just once a month. Many people catch unauthorized charges faster this way and can report them when ready. Set up account alerts through your online banking — the bank can notify you by text or email whenever a charge over a certain amount hits your account.

Keep receipts from in-person purchases for at least a few days, so you can match them against your statement. For online purchases, save your order confirmation email. If a charge appears that doesn't match your receipt, contact the merchant first before disputing with the bank — sometimes it's just a delay in how the charge posted, or the merchant used a different business name on the statement than you expected.

Use your credit card instead of your debit card when you can. Credit card disputes have stronger legal protections and don't affect your access to your own money while the bank investigates. If you must use your debit card, use it only at ATMs and merchants you trust, and monitor that account closely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I dispute a charge more than 60 days after it appears on my statement?

No. Bank of America is not required to investigate disputes reported after 60 days. The 60-day clock starts from the date the charge appears on your statement, not the date you received your statement. If you notice a charge late, contact the bank anyway — they may investigate as a courtesy, but they have no legal obligation to do so.

Will disputing a charge hurt my credit score?

No. Disputing a charge with your bank does not affect your credit score. Your credit score is based on your payment history and how much debt you owe, not on disputes you file. The dispute is between you and the bank, and it doesn't get reported to credit bureaus.

What if the merchant says I authorized the charge but I didn't?

Tell the bank that you did not authorize it and explain why — you didn't sign anything, you didn't receive a confirmation email, the charge was made in a place you weren't. If the merchant claims you authorized it but you have proof you didn't (like a message saying you cancelled an order), send that proof to the bank. The bank will weigh the evidence and decide who is more credible.

Do I have to pay the disputed charge while the bank investigates?

No. Bank of America will give you a temporary credit within two business days, so the charge is removed from your balance while they investigate. You don't owe that money during the investigation. If the bank rules against you, the charge goes back on your account and you would owe it then.

Can I dispute a charge if I'm unhappy with the product or service?

Not through a dispute. A dispute is for charges you didn't authorize or didn't receive. If you received what you paid for but don't like it, that's a customer service issue between you and the merchant, not a bank dispute. Try contacting the merchant for a refund or return first. If they refuse and you used a credit card, you may have other protections, but a dispute won't work.