PenFed Credit Union: dispute with a merchant through the bank

Collect

• statement showing the charge
• receipt or order
• record of contact with the merchant

Steps

1. Try to resolve the problem with the merchant first and keep proof.

2. Submit the dispute in PenFed Online.

   AppSubmit a card transaction dispute in PenFed Online PenFed Online > More Account Info and Actions > dispute a transaction Sign-in required

3. If PenFed does not resolve it, complain to the NCUA or the CFPB.

   RegulatorNational Credit Union Administration, Consumer Assistance Center +1-800-755-1030

More contacts for this issue

Facts you can cite

• Deadline

  PenFed's card dispute form says disputes must be submitted within 60 days from the closing date of the statement on which the transaction first appeared, after first trying to resolve the problem with the merchant. (Seen in a search snippet of Form 316; penfed.org did not load.)

  Source: penfed.org, verified 2026-10-13

Rules in force

• Fair Credit Billing Act billing-error and purchase-dispute rights (Regulation Z)
  12 CFR 1026.13; 12 CFR 1026.12(c) (Regulation Z)

  For credit card and other open-end credit accounts, a written billing-error notice that the creditor receives within 60 days after it sent the first statement with the error starts a dispute process. The creditor must acknowledge it within 30 days and resolve it within 2 complete billing cycles (no later than 90 days). Until then, the consumer need not pay the disputed amount and the creditor may not collect it or report it as delinquent. A separate rule lets a cardholder assert claims and defenses about a card purchase against the card issuer.

  Source: consumerfinance.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  2 citable points

  • Policy

    Claims and defenses (12 CFR 1026.12(c)): when a merchant does not resolve a dispute about property or services bought with a credit card, the cardholder may assert against the card issuer all claims (other than tort claims) and defenses from the transaction, and may withhold payment up to the amount of credit outstanding for that purchase plus related charges. The issuer may not report that withheld amount as delinquent until the dispute is settled or judgment is rendered.

    Source: consumerfinance.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  • Limit

    Claims-and-defenses limits: the cardholder must first make a good faith attempt to resolve the dispute with the merchant, the purchase must exceed $50, and it must have occurred in the same state as the cardholder's current designated address or within 100 miles of it. The $50 and location limits do not apply when the merchant is the card issuer, is controlled by or controls the issuer, is a franchised dealer in the issuer's products, or got the order through a mail solicitation the issuer made or took part in.

    Source: consumerfinance.gov, verified 2026-10-12

If that fails, escalate

Go up one step at a time. Keep the reference numbers and dates from each contact.

1. Customer service

   PhonePenFed member services; suspicious transactions and account changes you did not make +1-800-247-5626 Account holder only

2. Written complaint

   AppSubmit a card transaction dispute in PenFed Online PenFed Online > More Account Info and Actions > dispute a transaction Sign-in required

   For card billing disputes, submit within 60 days of the statement closing date.

3. Federal regulator

   RegulatorNational Credit Union Administration, Consumer Assistance Center +1-800-755-1030

4. Federal regulator

   RegulatorConsumer Financial Protection Bureau +1-855-411-2372

State agencies for this sector: your state’s financial regulator. Find yours in the list of state agencies, or as JSON in states/<code>.json (for example states/ny.json).

Watch out

Related

• Dispute with a merchant through the bank at other companies
• Credit unions — how complaints work
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• PenFed Credit Union: fraud or scam