The shop says it refunded me, but the money hasn't arrived

A customer-service email, a till refund slip and a credit in your bank account show different stages. Keep all three if you have them. A refund slip is useful evidence, but it does not prove the money has reached your account.

Ask whether the refund is complete, still processing or failed. Request the amount and currency, the date it was processed, and the destination payment method. If the business only says it has passed your request to accounts, ask when accounts will confirm the payment.

For a card refund, ask the shop whether its payment provider can supply an Acquirer Reference Number, usually shortened to ARN, or another traceable refund reference. An internal order number may not be enough for your bank to find it.

Revolut's merchant documentation, for example, explains that a card refund can be marked complete before it appears in the customer's account, and that an ARN can help the customer's bank trace it. Other providers have their own processes, so ask which reference is available for your payment.

Give your bank the refund confirmation, original transaction date, merchant name, amount and currency. Ask it to check the relevant card account, particularly if your card has since expired or been replaced. Do not send the shop your full card number, security code or banking password.

First check whether the original payment is pending or completed. A temporary card authorisation reserves money before a payment is finalised. If that authorisation is released, you may not see a separate refund credit. Ask the bank to explain the transaction status rather than trying to work it out from your available balance alone.

For example, if you selected a maximum amount at a fuel pump but bought less fuel, compare the final charge with the receipt for fuel actually dispensed. If the receipt is missing, ask the retailer for a duplicate using the date, time, location and pump number if known. An amount still held and an excessive completed charge need different explanations.

There is no single arrival time for every refund. Ask for the date the payment was processed and the payment provider's expected timescale. Count from that date, not from an earlier promise to approve it.

The business's legal deadline to make a refund is a separate question from how long your bank takes to display it. Different rules apply to faulty goods, online cancellations and other purchases. Keep any return-delivery proof and the date you cancelled, because those dates may matter as well.

On [date], you confirmed a refund of [amount and currency] for order [reference]. I cannot find it in my account. Please confirm whether the refund has been processed, the processing date, the payment method it was sent to and any reference my bank can use to trace it. If it has failed or is still awaiting approval, please tell me what needs to happen and when you expect to complete it.

Attach your refund slip or confirmation and identify the original purchase. If you provide a statement, use the business's secure support channel and ask which details it needs. Keep the original document unchanged.

Send each side the other's written response and ask it to address the missing detail. For example, the bank may need a payment-provider reference that the shop has not yet supplied. Ask for a complaint reference so you can follow up without starting again.

If you paid by debit or credit card, ask your card provider promptly whether a chargeback is available and which deadline applies. The CCPC explains that the rules and time limits depend on the card scheme. A merchant's promise to investigate is not a reason to let that deadline pass. A refund is not guaranteed simply because you request a chargeback.

If the complaint concerns how your bank handled the request, use its formal complaints procedure and check the FSPO option described in the CCPC guidance. Tell the bank if the merchant later refunds you, so the same amount is not recovered twice.