How to Spot and Stop a Duplicate Charge
A duplicate charge is the same purchase billed more than once. Identify the repeated amount and merchant, rule out legitimate recurring bills, contact the merchant, and dispute the extra charge with your issuer within 60 days if it is not reversed.
Duplicate charges happen when a payment is submitted twice — a double tap at checkout, a retried card, or a system glitch. Because the amount looks familiar, it is easy to miss on a busy statement.
Step by step
Identify the repeated charge
Look for two or more identical amounts from the same merchant on or near the same date.
Rule out legitimate recurring bills
Confirm the repeat is not a subscription or installment you agreed to, which can also show the same amount on a regular schedule.
Contact the merchant first
Ask the merchant to reverse the extra charge; many will refund a clear duplicate without a formal dispute.
Dispute it as a billing error
If it is not reversed, dispute the duplicate in writing with your card issuer within 60 days of the statement, since being billed twice for the same thing is a billing error under the FCBA.
Key facts
Being billed twice for the same purchase is a billing error you can dispute under the Fair Credit Billing Act. (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
During the dispute, you may withhold payment on the disputed amount and the issuer cannot report it as delinquent. (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
Sources
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Consumer protections vary by situation and by state.