A duplicate charge from a hotel, a “subscription” you never signed up for, a fraudulent online purchase, a service that never delivered — these are all chargeback-eligible under Visa / Mastercard / Rupay rules. The bank must process the dispute, the merchant has 45 days to defend, and you typically get a credit in 60-90 days. This page is the operational walk-through that most cardholders never read.
Citizen Crisis Response Network — chargeback rule
Raise the dispute through your card issuer's app / website within 120 days of the transaction (some categories 540 days). The card networks (Visa / Mastercard / Rupay) do not accept direct cardholder disputes — always go through your issuing bank.
To file a credit card chargeback in India: (1) attempt resolution with the merchant first (most reverse on request), (2) if unsuccessful, raise the dispute through your bank's app / website within 120 days under the right category (fraud / non-receipt / double-charge / cancelled / merchant credit not processed / unrecognised), (3) provide supporting documents (invoice, communication trail, proof of cancellation), (4) bank issues a temporary credit during investigation, (5) merchant responds within 45 days, (6) full refund in 60-90 days if dispute is upheld. Banking Ombudsman (cms.rbi.org.in) if bank stalls.
A chargeback is a forced reversal of a credit / debit card transaction, initiated by the issuing bank on the cardholder's request, processed via the card network (Visa / Mastercard / Rupay / Amex), against the merchant's acquiring bank. The merchant must defend the charge or the money is reversed.
Chargebacks differ from refunds:
If the merchant cooperates, ask for a refund first. Chargebacks are the escalation when the merchant refuses or doesn't respond.
Standard reason codes (Visa / Mastercard examples):
| Reason | Example | Time-window from transaction |
| Fraud / unauthorised | Card not present; not your transaction | 120 days |
| Non-receipt of goods / services | Online order never delivered | 120 days |
| Cancelled merchandise / services | Subscription cancelled, still charged | 120 days |
| Defective merchandise | Item arrived broken, merchant refuses | 120 days |
| Credit not processed | Refund promised, never reflected | 120 days from refund-promise date |
| Duplicate processing | Charged twice for one transaction | 120 days |
| Recurring transaction | Cancelled subscription, still billed | 120 days from cancellation |
| Cardholder dispute (services) | “Premium service” undelivered | 120 days; up to 540 for travel |
Each network publishes the full reason-code list. Your bank's dispute form mirrors these.
If the charge is fraud / unauthorised:
If the charge is disputed (not fraud) — e.g., service not delivered, subscription you cancelled:
A single combined PDF makes the bank's job easier.
To,
The Disputes Cell,
[Bank Name] Credit Card Operations,
[Address]
Subject: Dispute of credit card charge — Card last 4 [____] —
Transaction [date / amount / merchant] — Reason: [code]
Sir / Madam,
I, [Full name], holder of credit card ending [last 4], dispute the
following transaction(s) under network reason [code]:
Date : ___
Amount : ₹___
Merchant : ___
Reason : [Fraud / Non-receipt / Cancelled / Duplicate / Credit not
processed]
Brief facts:
[3-5 sentences with timeline]
Documents attached:
1. Original purchase confirmation
2. Email / chat with merchant
3. Proof of cancellation (where applicable)
4. Police FIR / 1930 reference (fraud cases)
I request:
a) Temporary credit within 10 working days
b) Submission of chargeback to network within 7 days
c) Written confirmation of chargeback ID
d) Resolution within 90 days; in default, escalation per RBI 2017
framework / RB-IOS 2021
Yours faithfully,
[Signature, Name]
[Phone, Email, Date]
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[Process timeline] "Chargeback pipeline" T+0 : merchant resolution attempt T+7d : bank dispute filed T+10d : temporary credit T+45d : merchant defence T+90d : final outcome / refund [Decision tree] "Is this chargeback-able?" Authorised by you? → no chargeback Within 120 days? → eligible Fraud / non-receipt / duplicate / cancelled? → file Other → check network reason codes [Compensation ladder] direct refund (chargeback) + interest if temp credit late + mental harassment ≤ ₹1 lakh (RB-IOS) + consumer forum for negligence
++++ Can I chargeback an EMI conversion? | You can dispute the principal transaction; converting to EMI doesn't waive chargeback rights. However, EMIs already disbursed are reversed only on principal-dispute success. ++++
++++ My card was issued by a co-branded fintech (Slice / Uni / OneCard). Same process? | Yes — co-branded cards still ride Visa / Mastercard / Rupay rails. Dispute through the fintech app; the fintech routes to the underlying bank. ++++
++++ Can I chargeback for a service I “didn't like”? | “Quality” disputes are harder. Chargebacks succeed where service was not delivered or materially different from what was advertised, not for subjective dissatisfaction. ++++
++++ Will my credit score be impacted by a chargeback? | No — disputes don't affect credit score. Only unpaid balances / defaults do. ++++
++++ How does the bank decide who's right? | Network rules + evidence. Merchant must provide compelling evidence (signed receipt, IP / device match, delivery proof). If they can't, you win by default. ++++
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| “Chargeback is for fraud only.” | All 12+ network reason codes apply. |
| “Banks discourage chargebacks.” | RBI 2017 framework requires banks to process unauthorised-charge disputes. |
| “Chargeback hurts your credit.” | Disputes don't impact credit score. |
| “120 days is from billing date.” | 120 days is usually from transaction date; some categories from delivery / cancellation date. |
| “Card networks favour merchants.” | Networks favour evidence; cardholders win clear non-receipt / fraud disputes. |
Chargebacks are a citizen's secret superpower in card transactions — built into Visa / Mastercard / Rupay rules, regulated by RBI's customer-protection framework, and free to use. The single discipline that wins them is paperwork: invoice, email trail, cancellation proof, statement screenshot. File within 120 days, attach everything, and let the network rules do the work.
This page is part of RTI Wiki's Citizen Crisis Response Network. Updates tracked through RBI Master Directions, network rule books, and Banking Ombudsman awards.