Commonwealth Bank: How to dispute credit card charge

Credit card users these days have become more vigilant than ever before. And they tend to have a good idea of what constitutes as a consumer right. This also means that banking or financial institutions have streamlined the chargeback process for credit cards, to make the customer experience more seamless. So, if you are looking to dispute a particular transaction on your Commonwealth Bank credit card, then our detailed guide can be helpful.

What You Should Know

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia states that before you decide to dispute a credit card transaction, there is a specific checklist that you have to look into. The primary task involves checking whether the transaction can be disputed, and if the answer is in the affirmative, then you need to prepare supporting documents to prove your reasoning.

Once you have completed the above-mentioned tasks, proceed to raise a dispute so that the specific charge or transaction can be investigated. Once the investigation is completed, you will receive a resolution and if your claims are valid (the investigation is successful), then your account will be credited with the deducted amount. The credit will appear with the date on which the disputed transaction was processed and not the date when the dispute was raised or resolved.

Keep in mind that you need to raise a dispute as quickly as possible because if you take too long to raise a dispute from the date on which the transaction was completed, then the officials of Commonwealth Bank will lose any chargeback rights that they have with credit card vendors such as MasterCard or Visa. To raise a dispute today, follow the required steps mentioned below.

How to Raise a Dispute via App

1. First, you need to download the CommBank app on your smartphone either from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
2. Once you have downloaded the same, sign in to your account using your user ID and password.
3. After logging in, click on the ‘Help’ located in the top-right corner of your screen. From there, select the ‘Message Now’ option to message the bank’s customer support or chat with the app’s virtual assistant, known as Ceba.
4. From there, ask to connect your chat to a customer care specialist and once an agent accepts your chat request, provide your customer ID details, so that your account authorization can be verified.
5. After that, state the details of the transaction that you want to dispute, such as the transaction number, amount, and date of transaction. Additionally, state the reason as to why you are raising the dispute.
6. Once done, your dispute request will be successfully registered and you need to wait for a follow-up message from the bank’s customer care.

How to Raise a Dispute via Phone

1. Begin the dispute process by getting in touch with the bank’s customer support via phone at 13 2221. Phone lines are open between 8 AM and 8 PM (local Australian time), on all days of the week.
2. Navigate through the on-call options and proceed to speak to a customer care executive.
3. Once a customer care agent connects to your call, provide your details as a customer, so that you can authorize the dispute request that you are about to raise.
4. After being verified as a customer, state the details of the transaction that you want to dispute. These include the transaction amount, transaction number, and transaction date and time. Also, provide your reasoning as to why you are raising such a request.
5. The customer care executive will first verify the transaction details and after that, your dispute request will be accepted/registered.
6. Lastly, you need to wait for a follow-up message in your registered email address from the bank’s customer support.

What Happens After Raising a Dispute

Once you have contacted the bank’s customer support to raise a dispute request, you can expect the bank authorities to send you a letter or email confirming the outcome of the investigation. And if you are using the CommBank app, then you will receive app notifications for the same. Expect at least 3 business days for your dispute to be resolved. And if further investigation is required, then it can take up to 21 calendar days.

It should be known that if you have raised a dispute regarding a transaction that is still ‘pending’, then the bank authorities will wait for that transaction to be completed before starting its investigation. It usually takes around 3-5 business days for a transaction to be processed, which can be extended to a maximum of 10 business days.

If you have raised a dispute regarding an unauthorized transaction, then your credit card will be canceled to protect your account from any further fraudulent activity. And since the bank authorities will be canceling your credit card, any scheduled payments must be reviewed and organized by you (as a customer) to allow payments to be continued from a different account. Also, for digital frauds and scams, your internet banking access will be locked to protect your account from further fraudulent activity.

Finally, Commonwealth Bank states that they reserve the right to reverse a refund on reasonable grounds, especially if the opposing party (the merchant) offers sufficient evidence that you (as a customer) are liable for the transaction or you have received a duplicate refund. Refunds can happen up to 45 calendar days from the date on which you receive your refund.

How to Register a Complaint

If you want to register a complaint, you can do so by filling out the online form on the official website here. Alternatively, you can also locate a nearby Commonwealth Bank branch in Australia, where you can visit and register your complaint.