Things to check before you raise a card dispute
Take a few minutes to run through these simple steps before raising a dispute. They can help you confirm what’s happened and may even help resolve the issue without needing to raise a dispute.
Contact the business first
Disputes are most successful when you’ve tried to resolve the issue directly with the business and have kept copies of your emails or messages regarding the transaction and goods/services. In many cases, this can also be the quickest way to sort things out.
Don’t recognise the transaction?
The name on your statement might be a payment processor, parent company or short name (for example, TWL = The Warehouse Limited). If you've made a purchase for this amount, check your receipt or confirmation email, as the business name on your statement may be different from the name you know it by.
Is the transaction still pending?
You’ll need to wait until it’s fully processed (posted) before raising a dispute. If you’ve arranged a full or partial refund directly with the business, you may need to allow time for it to be processed.
Is the transaction showing on a different date?
Credit and debit card purchases made on Fridays or over the weekend may not appear on your statement until the following Monday or the next business day. If you recognise the business but the date doesn’t look right, it may simply be due to a delay in processing the purchase.
Check with others on your account
Often a family member, joint account owner, or additional cardholder may have made the purchase.
Subscriptions or free trial periods
If charges have continued after you’ve opted out of a free trial, you’ll usually need proof of cancellation.
If you don’t recognise an ongoing charge, check the emails you received from the business and their website. You may have signed up for a subscription or recurring payment when you made your purchase.
You can usually dispute a transaction if:
- Goods or services didn’t arrive
- Items arrived damaged, faulty, or not as described
- You were charged more than expected
- You were charged twice (duplicate transaction)
- You paid another way but were still charged on your card
- A subscription kept charging after you cancelled (with proof)
You usually can’t dispute if:
- You’ve changed your mind about a purchase
- You’re unhappy with the quality (but it matches what was advertised)
- You didn’t cancel a subscription or free trial
- It’s a contract or billing disagreement best handled with the business
- You paid in-store in New Zealand by inserting or swiping your TSB debit card and selecting Cheque or Savings (EFTPOS).
Important
Don’t recognise the transaction at all?
If you don’t recognise a transaction at all or think you may have been scammed, contact us straight away on 0800 872 226 (or +64 6 968 3700 from overseas). For more information on recognising scams and what to do next, visit our Latest Scams & Alerts page.
You can also temporarily block your card instantly using Card Manager in the TSB mobile app or online banking.
How to dispute a transaction
Contact us as soon as possible. The amount of time you have to raise a dispute can vary depending on the type of transaction and when the issue happened, so it’s best to get in touch as soon as you notice something isn’t right.
For example, if you bought tickets for an event in advance and it’s later cancelled, the timeframe for raising a dispute usually starts from when you were told about the cancellation.
The sooner you contact us, the better – this gives us the best chance of helping you.
What you’ll need
To support your dispute, gather as much of the following as you can:
- Receipts or order confirmations (including date, purchase amount and business details)
- Emails or messages with the business (showing dates and attempts to resolve)
- Proof of cancellation or return (e.g. courier tracking details, chat transcripts or confirmations)
- Proof of any duplicate or alternative payment
- ATM receipt or details (if it relates to a cash withdrawal issue)
How to get started
- Contact the business first and try to resolve the issue, keeping a record of your communication.
- Gather your evidence such as receipts, emails, messages, proof of cancellation, or any other information that supports your claim.
- Call us on 0800 872 226 (or +64 6 968 3700 from overseas) or visit a TSB branch to discuss the transaction.
- Send us your supporting documents. We’ll be in touch if we need anything further.
Tip: Wait until the transaction has fully processed before submitting your dispute.
What happens next
Once we receive your dispute, we’ll:
- Review your claim and supporting information
- Work with Mastercard to investigate the transaction with the business involved and their bank
- Keep you updated along the way
We may contact you if we need more information to support your claim.
In some cases, the business may challenge the dispute. The outcome will depend on the information provided and the Mastercard scheme rules that apply to your situation. You may receive a refund, or the dispute may be declined.
FAQs
Get in touch
