If you see DC DSP TEMP CR REV on your bank statement, your bank has taken back a temporary credit it previously added to your account. The code breaks down as debit card (DC), dispute (DSP), temporary credit (TEMP CR), and reversal (REV). It shows up most often when a bank issued a provisional credit while investigating a debit card dispute and later decided the original charge was valid, so the money that was sitting in your account during the investigation is now gone.
What Each Part of the Code Means
DC refers to a debit card transaction. DSP is short for dispute, which is how this code overwhelmingly gets generated in the first place. TEMP CR means a temporary credit was posted to your account at some earlier date. REV means that credit is being reversed and pulled back out of your balance.
Read together, the line is telling you one thing: money that was added to your account on a temporary basis has now been removed. The word that matters is “temporary.” The credit was never yours to keep permanently, and the reversal reflects whatever the bank decided at the end of the underlying process.
Why This Entry Shows Up
A Dispute Investigation Ended Against You
This is the usual cause. When you dispute a debit card charge, your bank typically issues a provisional credit so you have access to the disputed amount while it investigates. If the bank concludes the original charge was legitimate, it reverses that credit. Banks have up to 45 days to finish most investigations, and up to 90 days for point-of-sale debit card transactions, international transfers, or disputes filed within 30 days of opening the account. That’s why the reversal can appear weeks after you first filed the dispute.
A Pre-Authorization Hold Was Released
Hotels, car rental companies, and gas stations routinely place holds on your card that exceed the final charge. When the actual charge settles for less, or the hold expires without a matching charge, your bank releases the difference. That release sometimes shows as a temporary credit followed by a reversal once the final amount posts.
A Merchant Canceled a Refund
If a merchant sent a refund to your account and then reversed it, this code can appear. Merchants cancel refunds when a return didn’t actually happen, when the refund amount was wrong, or when the refund went to the wrong account and needs to be corrected.
The Bank Corrected Its Own Error
Banks occasionally credit the wrong account. When they catch it, they reverse the credit. That correction can produce this entry even if you never filed a dispute yourself.
A Direct Deposit Was Recalled
A payroll department, government agency, or other sender can pull back a deposit after it lands, usually because the payment was a duplicate, the amount was wrong, or it went to the wrong person.
How to Match the Reversal to the Original Credit
The reversal on its own rarely tells the whole story. Find the temporary credit it undoes. Look for a credit for the same dollar amount that posted at some point before the reversal. Most online banking platforms let you search by amount and date range, which is faster than scrolling.
Watch the timing. A provisional credit from a dispute investigation may have posted weeks earlier, since banks can take 45 to 90 days to investigate. A pre-authorization release or a recalled deposit usually reverses within a few days. If the amounts don’t line up exactly, that’s a sign the original hold or credit was adjusted before being reversed, which is common with gas station and hotel holds.
Your Rights When a Provisional Credit Is Reversed
Regulation E, the federal rule covering electronic fund transfers, gives you real protection when a bank reverses a provisional credit after a dispute. These rights apply to every bank and credit union in the country.
The Bank Has to Explain Its Decision in Writing
When the investigation ends against you, your bank must send a written explanation of what it found. That notice must also tell you that you can request the documents the bank relied on. If you ask, the bank has to provide them promptly. Read those documents carefully. Banks make mistakes, and the merchant’s evidence sometimes contains information worth challenging.
Five Business Days Without Overdraft Fees
After reversing a provisional credit, your bank must honor checks, automatic bill payments, and other preauthorized transfers for five business days without charging overdraft fees caused by the reversal. The bank must tell you the date and amount of the reversal so you can adjust your spending. This buffer exists so you don’t bounce payments you set up while the credit was still in your account.
You Have 60 Days to Report a Problem
If you think the reversal is wrong, act quickly. You must notify your bank within 60 days of the date it sends the statement showing the error. After that window closes, the bank is no longer required to investigate under Regulation E. Your notice can be oral or written, but if you call, the bank may require written follow-up within 10 business days. Ask when you call whether written confirmation is required and where to send it.
What to Do When You See This Entry
Start by matching the reversal to the original credit. If you recognize what triggered it and the reversal makes sense, adjust your balance and move on.
If it looks wrong, or you can’t identify the original credit, call your bank. Have the exact date and amount of the entry ready, plus any details you’ve already tracked down. Ask the representative to explain what triggered the reversal and request the written explanation if you never received one. If a dispute was decided against you, ask for the documents the bank used to make its decision.
If you believe the bank mishandled the dispute or violated its Regulation E obligations, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or by calling (855) 411-2372.
Before you close the tab, check your upcoming automatic payments. A reversed credit lowers your available balance, and anything you scheduled while that credit was still in the account may now overdraw it. If the reversal followed a dispute investigation, remember the five-business-day cushion: your bank has to cover preauthorized payments without overdraft charges for that stretch after it notifies you.