Dispute a Charge

When a transaction appears on your P-Card statement that is incorrect, unauthorized, or for goods never received, you must take immediate action. In the Bank of America Works system, these discrepancies are handled through a formal dispute process to protect university funds.

Why disputing charges is mandatory

Disputing is not just a suggestion; it is a critical part of your fiscal responsibility as a cardholder.

Recovery of Funds

Formal disputes are the only way to legally compel a bank to claw back funds from a non-compliant vendor.

Audit Compliance

Unresolved errors on a statement appear as "unreconciled" or "fraudulent" during audits. You must show that you are actively seeking a correction to remain in good standing.

Fraud Detection

A small, incorrect charge is often a "test" by hackers before they attempt a larger, fraudulent purchase.

The importance of timeliness

You have a limited window—typically 60 days from the statement date—to initiate a formal dispute through Bank of America.

Federal Protection

Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, your legal right to dispute a charge is time-bound. Once this window closes, VCU loses its legal leverage to recover the money.

Billing Cycle Deadlines

Because P-Card charges post automatically to department budgets, late disputes create significant accounting "noise" and require manual Journal Vouchers to correct.

Merchant Response

The sooner a dispute is logged in Works, the faster the merchant is required to provide proof of the transaction or issue a credit.

How to handle a dispute

1 Phase 1: Contact the vendor first

Most issues are honest mistakes. Your first step is always to contact the merchant directly.

› Ask for a Credit Memo or a refund to be processed back to the P-Card.
› Note: Never accept a refund in the form of cash or store credit.

2 Phase 2: Initiate a dispute in Works

If the vendor is unresponsive, or if you do not recognize the charge at all, you must move to the Bank of America Works application:

1 Locate the transaction

Find the pending or posted transaction in your "Action Items" or "Completed" queue.

2 Select "Dispute"

Click the transaction and choose the "Dispute" option from the drop-down menu.

3 Provide reason codes

Works will ask for a reason (e.g., "Duplicate Charge," "Merchandise Not Received," or "Incorrect Amount").

4 Upload documentation

Attach any emails or notes showing your failed attempt to resolve the issue with the vendor.

When to contact CorpCard immediately

While standard disputes (wrong price, missing item) are handled in Works, you must contact Corporate Card Services immediately if:

You suspect Total Account Compromise (multiple charges you didn't make).
Your card is lost or stolen.
The vendor is charging you for Virginia Sales Tax and refuses to credit it back despite being shown VCU's Tax Exempt Certificate.