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CommBank support / Disputing a transaction

The process at a glance

  1. Check that the transaction can be disputed
  2. Wait for the transaction to be fully processed & prepare supporting documents
  3. Dispute is initiated on your behalf
  4. Get a resolution and your account credited if your dispute is successful (generally 3-10 business days) 
Visual presentation of dispute process.

Before you raise a dispute

Review the below checklists to rule out possible causes or transaction issues that we won’t be able to help you with. Not everything can be disputed, so it’s best to check before giving us a call and attempting to raise your dispute.

You’ll need to contact us within 30 days of the date of the statement which shows the transaction you're disputing. If you don’t, we may lose any chargeback rights we have under Mastercard and Visa scheme rules.1

I don’t recognise the transaction

To determine if you’ve identified an unauthorised or fraudulent transaction on your account, you first need to rule out the following possibilities:

  • Was the purchase made by a family member or any other cardholder authorised to use the account
  • Could the merchant be trading under a different name?
  • Was the transaction made in a foreign currency and converted into Australian dollars?
  • Is the transaction a regular membership, subscription fee or app download?

To review the transaction in more detail, click on the transaction in the CommBank app or NetBank, as it may be under a different date/time or business name. You can also ‘ask about this transaction’ using Ceba who can see if similar transactions have been made on your account and guide you. 

Still don’t recognise it?

See the 'How to raise a dispute' section below.

You may also want to:

Keep your account safe in the meantime

For extra control and security over your account, put a temporary lock on your debit card or credit card. For Corporate Cards, you can contact 13 1576 to temporarily block or permanently stop your card account.

To continue making payments, if you have an Everyday Account, you can use Cardless Cash in the CommBank app to make ATM cash withdrawals. And if you’re already set up with a mobile wallet, you can still use your phone to make payments more securely.2

I have an issue with something I’ve purchased

You may be able to raise a dispute if the issue falls under one of the following categories:

  • You’ve been charged multiple times for the same purchase
  • You were charged the wrong amount for your purchase
  • You didn’t receive the goods and/or services you paid for
  • The goods and/or services you paid for weren’t as described, or defective

However, a dispute cannot be raised for the following issues, and only the business can resolve:

  • Refunds or exchanges if you change your mind
  • Membership or monthly subscription enquiries
  • Issues with software you've downloaded

Have an issue you can raise with us?

See the 'How to raise a dispute' section below.

You may also want to:

Contact the merchant you purchased from

For any of the above issues, it’s useful to get in contact with the merchant you purchased from and document the discussion, as this can help us address your dispute faster.

You should also gather receipts, photographs of the item if it’s not as described, and the business’ contact details, as we may ask you for supporting documentation. 

How to raise a dispute

If you still don’t recognise the transaction and want to raise a dispute with CommBank, here's how to contact us: 

What happens when you contact us

  • If any disputed transactions are still in pending, these will need to be fully processed before we can initiate a dispute on your behalf. It generally takes 3 to 5 business days to process a transaction, although it can take up to 10 business days3. Since some transactions drop off (e.g. pre-authorisations for car hires and hotel reservations), you may want to wait until the transaction is processed before contacting us where we can raise a dispute on the spot
  • For unauthorised transactions, we'll have to cancel your card to protect your account from further fraudulent activity and send you a new one. Since we’re cancelling your card, you may need to review any scheduled payments and organise to have them paid from a different account

Getting a resolution

We’ll keep you updated

Once you’ve contacted us to raise a dispute, you can expect the following from us:

  • We’ll work hard to resolve your issue as quickly as possible
  • We'll either send you a letter or email confirming the outcome of our investigation
  • If you have the CommBank app, you’ll receive near-real time notifications about your dispute
  • If you use NetBank, you’ll receive inbox messages when there are any updates regarding your dispute

How long will it take?

In addition to the time taken for any pending transactions to be processed so we can initiate a dispute:

  • Quick decision (3 business days) – We endeavour to resolve most disputes within 3 business days, which is by when you should see the money back in your account if your dispute is successful
  • Further investigation (10 business days) – How long it takes to resolve a dispute depends on the complexity of the dispute and whether a merchant decides to challenge your claim. Some dispute investigations can take 10 business days, and we’ll contact you if it is any longer4.

Resolution of your dispute 

  • If successful, we'll credit the account your dispute was raised from. If that’s closed, we’ll ask you for the details of an alternative account
  • Your credit will appear as at the date the disputed transaction was processed. For example, if it was in pending and then processed on 5 February, your credit will appear as at 5 February, not the date you raised the dispute with us or the date your dispute was resolved
  • Please note, in some cases, a merchant may be able to prove that the transaction/s that was disputed was authorised. If the merchant can prove that you’re liable for the transaction, we’ll need to take the money back out of your account. We’ll let you know if this happens

 

Support

Tools  

For Corporate Card queries, contact your local banker or call 13 1998.

FAQs

Guidance

Backed by our 100% security guarantee

Our 100% security guarantee protects you from unauthorised transactions on personal and business accounts when you protect how you access your accounts and tell us if something is wrong. Tell me more.

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We can help

Things you should know

1 This doesn’t apply to an unauthorised transaction that’s regulated by the ePayments Code.

2 Digital and mobile wallets (e.g. CBA Tap & Pay, Apple Pay) allow you to make payments with your digital device while hiding your card info from stores and merchants. Adding your card to a digital wallet encrypts the card number replacing it with a token number instead. This means your card isn’t stored on the device or ever shared with you when you process your payment.

3 Some transactions may take longer than 10 business days to process, but this is rare.

4 In exceptional circumstances disputes can take up to 45 days to resolve.