There may come a point when you’re surprised to see a fee on your credit card statement. No matter how hard you try to figure it out, you don’t know why you were hit with the fee.
Rather than chalk it up as a loss and hope that it doesn’t happen again, it’s best to take immediate action. And that starts with contacting your credit card company to ask for clarification.
A quick call or live chat can go a long way in helping you understand the fee. Furthermore, if it was an error, it’ll only take a few minutes to clear it up.
Here are some basic steps you can take to dispute a credit card fee:
Ask what the fee is for
Once you get the right person on the phone, ask them to explain the reason for the fee. For example, if you paid late, it could be a late fee. Or perhaps you have an annual fee attached to your account. Either way, you can’t successfully dispute the fee until you know what it is.
File a Dispute
This is as simple as telling the credit card company representative that you don’t agree with the fee. For instance, if it’s a late fee and you know that you paid on time, make this clear.
Back up your Dispute with Proof
Sticking with the example above, find proof that you paid your bill on time. This can be anything from a bank statement that shows when you paid to a confirmation number. When you can back up your claim, it’s more difficult for the credit card company to stick you with the fee.
Ask for Help
There’s nothing wrong with simply asking for the fee to be waived. If you’ve never done so in the past and you’re a long-standing customer with a reliable history, there’s a good chance the representative will help you out. But again, you have to ask.
If your credit card company has to look into your dispute, don’t stop paying your bill. It only make things more complicated in the long run.
Take the time to check in often, such as once a week, for information on where your dispute stands. It’s important to carefully review every credit card statement to ensure that there are no errors.
Should you come across a fee that you don’t recognize, contact your issuer and file a dispute, if necessary.
Have you ever disputed a credit card fee? Were you successful? How long did it take for the process to unwind?
