Wrong Charge or Error on Your Bank Statement in Qatar: The One-Year Deadline and Other Trade Law Rules

A double charge, a wrong amount or a missing credit is easy to miss for months. This guide is based on the English text of the Trading Regulation Law (Law No. 27 of 2006) on Al Meezan, which we read in October 2026, covering bank transfers (Articles 371 to 379) and current accounts (Articles 414 to 428). Central bank consumer rules and each bank's terms are separate and we did not read them. It is general information, not legal advice.

What a current account is

Article 414 defines a current account as a contract between a bank and a client in which the reciprocal deposits arising from their operations are recorded, and separate settlements are replaced by a single final balance at close of business. Article 416 says money credited to the account is free of conflict, ownership transfers to the party that receives it, and each party can act at any time on its credit balance unless agreed otherwise.

The one-year rule for errors (Article 428)

Article 428 says claims for correction of a current account because of errors, omissions, duplications or other corrections shall not be accepted more than one year from receipt of the statement of account, unless fraud, gross negligence or fault by either party is proved. Cases relating to current accounts lapse after five years, counted from the day the right to correct the account arises.

Article 426 adds that when details of an account are changed later, a retrospective adjustment is made to correct the position. Article 423 says the position of each party can be fixed on dates agreed or set by banking custom, and otherwise every three months. Read each statement as soon as it comes, and keep copies.

When a bank can close an account (Article 423)

• A fixed-term account closes at the end of its term, or earlier by mutual agreement.
• If there is no fixed term, either party may close it at any time, taking into account any agreed notice or normal banking practice.
• The account closes in all cases on the death of a party, loss of capacity, bankruptcy, insolvency, arrest, the end of a legal entity, or the bank being removed from the list of working banks or ceasing trading.

The word "arrest" appears in the English text. We do not know how banks apply it. If your account was closed or blocked, see what to do if your bank account is frozen.

Attachment by a creditor (Article 422)

A creditor of one of the parties can attach the credit balance during the life of the account. The bank then makes a temporary statement to fix the balance at the time of attachment. If the account holder is blocked from using the balance while the account is active, the attachment applies only to the final balance in their favour on closure.

Bank transfers (Articles 371 to 379)

• **Instructions (Article 372):** a transfer is made on the written instructions of the person ordering it, on the terms agreed with the bank, and the beneficiary's name must be stated.
• **When the money is the beneficiary's (Article 376):** the beneficiary acquires the value from the time it is credited to their account. The person ordering the transfer may change their mind until then, unless it was agreed that the beneficiary would present the order to the bank.
• **Disputes (Article 373):** where a transfer is between branches or banks, a third party's dispute about it goes to the branch or bank holding the beneficiary's account.
• **Not enough funds (Article 378):** the bank may refuse to execute the order if there are insufficient funds, but must notify the person at once. If it executes the whole order, the excess over the balance is treated as a credit facility.
• **Death (Article 379):** if the person ordering the transfer dies, the bank must stop executing orders from the date it learned of the death. If the beneficiary dies, the bank continues the transfer to the heirs.

Our guide to a bank transfer stuck as pending covers delays, and sending money abroad from Qatar covers exchange houses.

What to do if you spot a mistake

1. Screenshot or print the statement and mark the item.

2. Tell the bank in writing, with the date and amount. Ask for a reference number.

3. Ask for a written answer and a correction date.

4. Keep the written complaint. The one-year clock in Article 428 runs from the statement, so do not wait for a reply before raising a second complaint.

5. If the bank refuses, ask about the bank's formal complaint process, and speak to a Qatar-licensed lawyer for amounts that matter.

6. Open a new account carefully if you left a bank. See how to open a bank account in Qatar.

What we could not verify

• Central bank rules on consumer complaints and refund timelines for unauthorized card transactions.
• How banks apply the one-year rule to card and online banking disputes, which have their own terms.
• Any amendment to Articles 371 to 379 and 414 to 428 after the version we read.
• Whether the word arrest in Article 423 has been applied to expatriate accounts.