How Do I Dispute a Charge with American Express?

If you see a charge you don't recognize on your American Express account, you can get the matter resolved by disputing the charge. Before you initiate a dispute with American Express, you should try to dispute it with the merchant. If that doesn't help, disputing the charge with American Express is pretty simple. All you need to do is fill out a short online form.

Dec 9, 2022

If there's a charge you don't recognize on your American Express account, you may be worried. If that transaction isn't yours, then either fraud or a mistake of some kind is responsible, and both are problems. This article will help you dispute the charge with American Express so that you hopefully won't be held responsible for it.

First Things First

Before initiating the dispute with American Express, you should be sure that you aren't responsible for the charge. If anyone else is authorized to use your account, make sure that they aren't responsible for it. If they're not, the next step is to dispute the charge with the merchant. He or she may be able to get the matter taken care of more quickly than American Express can.

Disputing the Charge With American Express

If the merchant can't or won't help you, it's time to take the matter to American Express. Just follow these steps:

  1. Go to the American Express web page.
  2. Sign in to your American Express account.
  3. Go to your Statements & Activity page.
  4. Click on the transaction that you wish to dispute.
  5. Click on Dispute/Inquire about This Charge.
  6. Answer all the questions and follow any further instructions you are given.

After You Initiate the Dispute

After initiating the dispute, American Express will send you an email confirming that it has started its investigation. It will also remove the charge from your bill while it conducts an investigation. You can check on the status of the investigation by following these instructions:

  1. After signing into your account, go to the Inquiry and Dispute Center.
  2. Click on Manage My Disputes.
  3. Find your dispute under the View/Cancel Open Disputes header.
  4. Click on Cancel/View Status.

After the investigation is finished, American Express will send you an email with its decision. If it decides to uphold the charge, you will have it added back onto your bill. The investigation should take less than a month unless the issue is especially complicated.

Contacting American Express

If you need any help with issues arising from the dispute, you can contact American Express' customer service. You can do so by help forum or by phone.

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How Do I Dispute a Charge with American Express?

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