How to dispute a fraudulent credit card transaction

Before submitting your dispute

Checklist: you recognize the transaction but there’s an issue with it

Make sure the transaction has been posted to your account. You can dispute a pending transaction only if you don’t recognize it and you suspect it’s fraudulent. 

You need to first attempt to resolve the issue with the merchant, unless they’re bankrupt or out of business.

Contact the merchant in person, by phone, by email or through their website. There may also be contact information on the transaction receipt.

If your attempt is unsuccessful, or you haven’t received a response after 2 business days, you can initiate a digital dispute.

Note: If you receive a response from the merchant while your dispute is in progress, contact CIBC immediately.

You may need to submit documentation or evidence relevant to your dispute as part of the digital dispute process. This may include transaction receipts, emails with the merchant, credit vouchers or any other evidence to support your claim.

Checklist: you don’t recognize the transaction and suspect it may be fraudulent

If you have any authorized users on your account, ask them if they recognize the transaction.

Some merchants have different names in the credit card network. If you don’t recognize the merchant’s name, you may recognize the transaction amount or location.

Similarly, some merchants, such as airlines, have processing centres in different cities. If the location is unfamiliar, you may recognize the merchant’s name or the purchase amount.

Transactions can take 5 to 7 business days to post to your credit card account. Consider whether you made a purchase around the date of the transaction.

Merchants, such as hotels or car rental companies, may apply delayed or adjusted charges for their services. For example, a hotel may initially place a hold on your credit card as a deposit. Later, this charge may be adjusted to reflect the actual amount you need to pay, which may be different than the original deposit amount. If you don’t recognize the transaction amount, consider whether it may be part of a delayed or adjusted transaction.

Some trial offers automatically enrol participants in a recurring subscription unless they’re cancelled before a certain date. Consider if you’ve signed up for any trial offers and, if so, make sure you’ve read the terms and conditions.

Note: For your protection, when you submit a fraud dispute, we cancel your card. We’ll send a new one to your mailing address on file within 10 business days, or 30 business days for remote areas.

How to submit a dispute for a fraudulent credit card transaction online

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Frequently asked questions