Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA)
Understand your rights under federal law to dispute billing errors and remove unfair late payments
What is the Fair Credit Billing Act?
The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) is a federal consumer protection law that provides a mechanism for consumers to dispute billing errors on their credit card accounts and protect their credit scores from unfair late payments.
CFPB Official Interpretation
"The FCBA provides a specific process for resolving billing errors on credit card accounts and other 'open end' credit accounts. This process gives consumers important rights and imposes strict deadlines on creditors."
Source: CFPB Supervision and Examination Manual, Section 1026.13
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Unauthorized charges
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Charges with wrong amounts
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Mathematical or accounting errors
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Failure to credit payments or returns
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Failure to send statements to correct address
Reference: 15 U.S.C. § 1666(b)
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60-day dispute window
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Creditor must acknowledge within 30 days
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Resolution required within 90 days
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No negative credit reporting during investigation
Reference: Regulation Z, 12 CFR § 1026.13(c)
Dispute Resolution Process
Step 1: Written Notice Required
Send written notice to creditor's designated address within 60 days of the first bill containing the error.