The maximum liability for unauthorized credit card charges under U.S. law is $50.
Under the Fair Credit Billing Act and its implementing Regulation Z, a cardholder’s liability for unauthorized use is limited to the lesser of $50 or the value obtained before the issuer is notified. The rule applies to a lost or stolen physical credit card when the issuer’s conditions for imposing liability are met.
In practice, many credit card issuers voluntarily provide zero-liability protection, so customers often pay nothing even though federal law sets a $50 ceiling. Promptly reporting a missing card or suspicious transaction remains important because it helps stop further use and preserves dispute rights.
A key distinction is between a stolen card and stolen account information. If someone uses only the card number while the physical card remains with the customer, federal protections generally result in no liability for that unauthorized use. Debit cards follow different rules under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, so the familiar $50 figure should not automatically be applied to every payment card.