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Charged twice for the same thing: what to do

Two lines with the same name are not always a mistake. One can be a hold and one the final bill, or they can be two real purchases. If both have posted and you did not buy twice, ask the merchant first, then the bank or card issuer. The day counts below are the ones official pages print. This page does not invent a Canadian credit card window of 60 days.

Last checked: Oct 2026

Hold, or a real second charge

Check whether one line is still pending. Pending and posted charges explains why a hotel, gas station, or rental can approve more than the final bill. When the real amount posts, the pending line should drop.

If both lines have posted, compare the dates and the amounts. Two purchases on different days can be real. A second posted line for one purchase is the case to dispute.

Expenvo flags possible duplicate charges and lists subscriptions from a statement PDF in the app, and it does not dispute the charge.

United States: credit card

The CFPB says to call the card company right away and also send a written billing error notice. The notice has to reach the issuer no later than 60 days after the issuer sent the first statement that shows the charge. The CFPB's question page describes that as 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on the statement. The company has 30 days to confirm it received the dispute, unless it has already finished. It must resolve the dispute within two complete billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after it received the notice. Two complete billing cycles means two actual billing cycles, not a length of time equal to two cycles.

A billing error includes a charge you did not make and no one you allowed made. If the company agrees, the charge comes off. If it disagrees, it must explain in writing, say how much you owe, and say when it is due. Calling the merchant is still the first practical step. The written notice is what starts the billing-error clock.

United States: debit card

A debit dispute is a different rule, Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.11. Tell the bank no later than 60 days after it sends the statement that shows the transfer. You can tell them orally or in writing. The bank may require a written confirmation within 10 business days of an oral notice. It has to tell you that and give the address, and it must not delay the investigation while it waits for the writing.

The bank generally investigates within 10 business days. It can take up to 45 days if it provisionally credits you within 10 business days. It may withhold up to $50 of that credit for an unauthorized transfer when 12 CFR 1005.6(a) applies. New accounts and some other cases have longer times. Read 12 CFR 1005.11 for those cases rather than guessing a second number. The bank reports the result within three business days after it finishes, and corrects an error within one business day after it decides one occurred.

Canada

FCAC says to report an unauthorized transaction and that the institution must investigate. For a bank-issued credit card, the maximum liability is $50 unless you were grossly negligent. In Quebec the test is gross fault. Tell the institution without delay. The institution cannot hold you responsible only because a PIN or other authentication was used.

If you complain to the bank, FCAC says the bank must give you a detailed written response within 56 calendar days. That 56 days is the complaint response. It is not a 60 day credit card dispute window, and it is not the 90 day window FCAC prints for a pre-authorized debit. Start with the merchant, then the number on the statement. How to cancel a subscription is the page for a charge that keeps coming after you took permission away.

Questions

Should I dispute a charge that is still pending?
Wait until you know it posted. A pending hotel, gas, or rental approval often drops when the final amount posts. Two posted lines are the ones to compare.
How long do I have to dispute a US credit card charge?
The CFPB says the written billing error notice must arrive no later than 60 days after the issuer sent the first statement that shows the charge. The company then has 30 days to acknowledge it, unless it is already done, and two complete billing cycles, no later than 90 days, to resolve it.
Is the Canadian deadline also 60 days?
Do not use 60 days as the Canadian credit card rule. FCAC prints a $50 maximum liability unless there was gross negligence, says to report without delay, and says a bank's written complaint response is due within 56 calendar days. The 90 day figure on FCAC's pre-authorized debit page is for those debits, not for a credit card purchase.
Will Expenvo file the dispute?
No. Expenvo flags possible duplicate charges on the statement and lists subscriptions. You dispute with the merchant or the issuer.

Sources

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