This guide covers purchases made with a US credit card. Debit cards, payment apps and cash have different processes. Ask your payment provider which rules apply. A promised refund is not proof that a credit was issued, and recovery is not guaranteed.
1. Gather your proof
Keep the receipt, order number, return confirmation and the company’s written refund promise. Note the amount and promised date. Check posted transactions on your statements, not just the app’s pending transactions.
If the company gave a processing estimate, record when it ends. Do not treat any processing estimate as a universal refund deadline. Save statements showing that the credit is missing, and keep copies of every message.
Do not put your full card number in a merchant email. Use your order number and, if needed, only the card’s last four digits.
2. Write to the company
Use the company’s official support channel. Name the purchase, refund amount and promise. Ask whether it actually issued the credit. If it did, ask for the issue date and any refund reference your issuer can use to trace it.
Keep the message firm and polite. Ask for a response by a specific date, without implying a new legal deadline.
Sample message · Replace every bracketed detail
Subject: Missing refund for order [order number]
Hello [company name],
On [promise date], you confirmed a refund of [amount] for [purchase or return]. The credit has not appeared on my statement.
Please confirm whether the refund was issued. If so, please provide its issue date and any reference my card issuer can use to trace it.
If it has not been issued, please explain the delay and confirm when you will refund the money.
Please reply by [specific date]. I have attached copies of [receipt and refund confirmation].
Thank you,
[your name]
This is a static template, not a letter generated for your case. Send it yourself; My money does not contact the company.
3. Contact your card issuer promptly
Explain the actual issue: “The merchant promised a refund, but the credit has not appeared.” Ask about tracing the refund and disputing the missing credit. Do not describe an authorised purchase as fraud.
The FTC lists failure to post credits, including returns, among billing errors. Your issuer can explain the applicable process. A merchant promise alone does not establish that the issuer made an error.
A phone call is useful, but it does not replace timely written notice for billing-error protections. Send the notice to the issuer’s billing-inquiries address, not its payment address.
Include your name, address, account number, disputed amount and explanation, with copies of supporting documents. Use the issuer’s secure, official channels. Keep a copy and proof of delivery; the FTC suggests certified mail with a return receipt.
Keep paying undisputed amounts. For a qualifying billing-error investigation, disputed amounts and related charges may be withheld; the rest of your bill remains due. Already paying the original charge does not prevent a dispute.
4. Keep track of the next step
Record when you contacted the merchant, when your written notice reached the issuer, and any reference numbers. Keep a dated folder of replies and statements. A temporary credit is not always the final outcome.
Generally, the issuer must acknowledge a qualifying written billing-error notice within 30 days, unless the issue is already resolved. It must resolve it within two billing cycles, no more than 90 days. These are investigation deadlines, not promised refund dates.
If the issuer’s handling remains unresolved, consider a CFPB complaint. A complaint does not replace timely written notice or guarantee payment.
Official sources
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