A charge you do not recognise is not automatically a loss. Card payments run on rules that were written for exactly this situation, and they give you a route back — but that route runs on deadlines and on paperwork, and both are unforgiving. The difference between a refund and a template rejection is usually not the merits of the case; it is how the claim was assembled and how quickly it moved.
Act fast
Contact your bank or card issuer as soon as you notice the charge and ask them to block the card if fraud is likely. Dispute and chargeback windows are time-limited, and the clock often runs from the transaction or statement date — the sooner you raise it, the stronger your position.
Build your case
A dispute is easier to win when it is easy to understand. Put together:
- The exact charge — date, amount, and the merchant name as it appears on the statement.
- Why it is wrong — you did not authorize it, it was duplicated, the amount differs from what was agreed, or goods and services were never delivered.
- Any related messages, receipts or order confirmations.
- Evidence that you still hold the card, if it was a card-present type of charge.
Use your dispute rights
Card networks provide a chargeback mechanism for exactly these situations. Ask your bank to open a dispute and note the reference number, keep copies of everything you submit, and respond promptly to any follow-up. If the merchant was a fraudulent platform rather than a genuine shop, say so clearly — the reason you give shapes how the case is handled.
Throughout, ignore anyone who offers to "reverse" the charge for an upfront fee or who asks for your card PIN, full card number by message, or wallet keys. Your bank never needs those to process a legitimate dispute.
If the bank says no
A first refusal is not the end of the road. Ask for the decision in writing along with the reason given, because that letter is what any further step is built on. In South Africa an unresolved dispute with a bank can be taken to the National Financial Ombud Scheme, which reviews complaints independently and free of charge — but it expects to see that you raised the matter with the bank first, and that you did so within its stated timeframes.
