1- | The primary cardholder can claim for a billing error within a period of 180 days from the transaction date; |
2- | Once a bank receives a complaint/billing error from primary cardholder, the bank has to inform the customer by either an oral or a written message of the process by which the bank will deal with the billing error. The bank must ensure that the complaint can be uniquely tracked within the bank's complaint management system as directed by SAMA; |
3- | Until a billing error is resolved, the disputed amount, including any charges owed, shall be held in a pooled (suspense) account; |
4- | The bank shall conduct reasonable investigations and comply with the appropriate resolution procedures within 12 working days from receiving a billing error notice. If the investigation takes more than 12 working days, then: |
| | a) | The bank will be liable to be penalized (according to Claim Processing System (CPS) rules) |
| | b) | The cardholder shall be informed of the current status and revised timeline (which must not exceed additional 18 working days) for resolution by the bank |
| | c) | The bank has to indicate that an additional time period is required to resolve this issue in the SAMA CPS; |
5- | If the bank determines that a billing error occurred as asserted, it shall correct the billing error and credit the prepaid account with any disputed amount and related commissions or other charges from the overages (suspense) account and deliver to primary cardholder by any means, a correction notice; |
6- | If the bank determines that a different billing error occurred from that identified in the billing error notice, the bank shall deliver to the primary cardholder by mail or other means an explanation of the reasons for the bank’s conclusion that a different billing error occurred and the reasons for the belief that the billing error alleged by the primary cardholder is incorrect. The bank shall correct the billing error and credit the prepaid account with any erroneous amount and related commission or other charges as applicable, and provide the customer with the applicable documents, if its requested; |
7- | The bank has to resolve the complaint/billing error within these additional 18 working days. If bank does not, then the following will occur: |
| | a) | the bank will be liable to be penalized (double the first charge) |
| | b) | the bank has to repay the customer (the primary cardholder) the disputed amount |
| | c) | close this case in the bank's complaint management system and the CPS; |
8- | The bank (as issuer) has to provide the complainant (primary card holder and/or the merchant) copies of documentary evidence, especially if the bank determines no billing error occurred, if the complainant requests that; |
9- | The complainant (primary card holder) retains the right to escalate the complaint to SAMA, if unsatisfied with the bank’s treatment of the complaint; |
10- | The complainant (primary card holder) retains the right to escalate the complaint to the Committee for the Settlement of Banking Disputes (CSBD), if unsatisfied with SAMA's and the bank’s treatment of the complaint; |
11- | If the bank has fully complied with the requirements of this section, the bank has no further responsibility if a primary cardholder reasserts substantially the same billing error. |