Chargeback window calculator
How long can a customer still dispute this charge?
Enter the charge date. You get the latest date the card networks let the customer’s bank file a dispute, reason by reason. Most reasons run 120 days from the charge. Some run from the end of the service period instead, which can matter for annual plans, and Visa stops those at 540 days.
Visa figures as of the October 2026 edition of the Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules. Mastercard figures as of the 19 May 2026 edition of the Mastercard Chargeback Guide (Merchant Edition).
Visa windows for this charge
Enter the charge date and the dates for each window appear here.
What this does and does not tell you
- It shows the latest date the network rules let an issuer file. It does not predict that a customer will dispute, or that any dispute would be valid.
- Day zero is the processing or settlement date. A rule that says “120 calendar days” allows filing on the 120th day after it, and not on the 121st.
- Rules change. Check the current edition with the card network or your payment processor before you rely on a date.
- It covers the standard card-not-present path outside Mainland China. Regional variations, Maestro, PIN debit, travel and entertainment merchants and gift cards are not modelled.
- Amex and Discover are not calculated. Check them with the network or your processor.
- It does not replace the deadline Stripe shows on an open dispute. That deadline is for sending your evidence and is a different date.
Where the numbers come from
- Mastercard: Chargeback Guide, Merchant Edition, 19 May 2026. Cardholder Dispute (4853), No Cardholder Authorization (4837) and Point-of-Interaction Error (4834).
- Visa: Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules, October 2026. Dispute Conditions 10.4, 12.6, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.6 and 13.7.
- Each result row has a “how this was counted” section with the page or table it comes from.
Mastercard figures as of the 19 May 2026 edition of the Mastercard Chargeback Guide (Merchant Edition). The card networks can change these rules without notice.
Common questions
How long can a customer dispute a credit card charge?
For most dispute reasons the card networks give the customer’s bank 120 calendar days, counted from the date the charge was processed. A few run longer. For services not received on Visa, the 120 days can also run from the last date the customer expected the service, up to 540 days after the charge. Mastercard charged-twice and wrong-amount disputes are shorter, at 90 days. Figures are as of the October 2026 Visa rules and the 19 May 2026 edition of the Mastercard Chargeback Guide, and networks can change them.
Does an annual plan give a customer longer to dispute?
On Visa it can, for some reasons. A services-not-received dispute can run 120 days from the end of the service period, so a 12-month plan can leave that window open for about 16 months from the charge, up to the 540-day cap. On Mastercard the longer window applies when an ongoing service is interrupted, counted from when the customer learns the service stopped, with a 540-day stop. A cancelled-recurring dispute stays at 120 days from the charge on both networks.
How are the days counted?
The processing or settlement date is day zero. A rule that says 120 calendar days allows a dispute to be filed on the 120th day after that date, and not on the 121st. The clock starts at the network’s processing date, which can be later than the date shown on your charge.
Does this tell me whether a customer will dispute?
No. It shows the latest date the network rules allow a dispute to be filed for each reason. It is not a prediction about a specific customer or case. Rules change, so confirm with the card network or your payment processor before relying on a date.
Next
A late dispute is not the only risk. Your dispute rate is.
Check how close your account is to the 0.75% line where Stripe can act. Verdact is in beta and is free during the beta. Nothing is filed without your approval.