Waiting for your money back is the worst. You click the button, you get the confirmation email, and then… nothing. You’re staring at your banking app like it’s going to manifest the digits through sheer willpower. If you’re wondering how long does it take for refund to get approved, the honest answer is that it's a messy, multi-stage game of telephone between a merchant, a payment processor, and your bank. It isn't just one timeline. It’s three.
Most people think a refund is like a Venmo payment—instant. It’s not. It is a reverse-engineered financial transaction that has to pass through legacy systems built in the 70s. We’re talking about the ACH network, merchant gateways like Stripe or Square, and the internal risk departments of massive banks like Chase or Wells Fargo.
The merchant's side of the "approval" wall
The first hurdle is getting the store to actually say "yes." This is the internal approval. When you ask how long does it take for refund to get approved at the store level, you're usually looking at 24 to 72 hours. Why? Because someone—usually a real human in a cubicle—has to verify that you actually sent the item back or that your complaint is valid.
Zappos is famous for fast turnarounds, often processing the "approval" the second the UPS guy scans your return label. But try doing that with a boutique shop on Shopify. They might wait until the package arrives, sits in their warehouse for three days, and gets inspected by a manager. If you bought something during a peak season like Black Friday, double those estimates. High volume creates a backlog that no AI or automation has perfectly solved yet.
Then there’s the "void" vs "refund" distinction. If you cancel an order within an hour, the merchant can often "void" the transaction. This is great. It means the money never actually left your account; it was just "pending." In this case, the hold usually disappears in 24 hours. But if the transaction already "settled"—which usually happens at the end of the business day—you’re stuck in the full refund cycle.
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The invisible middleman: Payment gateways
Once the merchant hits "approve," the signal goes to the payment gateway. Think of Stripe, Adyen, or PayPal. These guys aren't the bank, but they hold the pipes. According to Stripe’s own documentation, once they receive a refund request, it can take anywhere from 5 to 10 days to actually show up on a customer’s statement.
They have to move the money from the merchant's "pending balance" back to the original funding source. If the merchant’s account is empty—maybe they had a bad sales week—the refund might actually stall. The gateway won't send money they don't have. This is a rare but real reason why your "approved" refund is still nowhere to be found after a week.
Why your bank is actually the slowest part
The bank is the final boss. Even after the merchant and the gateway have done their jobs, your bank has to "post" the credit. Banks like to hold onto money. It’s called "float." While that money is sitting in a digital transition state, they are technically earning micro-interest on it.
Credit cards are usually faster than debit cards. If you used a Visa or Mastercard credit card, you might see the credit in 3 to 5 business days. If you used a debit card linked to a small credit union, you might be waiting 10 business days. It’s frustrating. It’s slow. But that’s the reality of the banking infrastructure.
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Real-world timelines for major players
Let's look at some specifics. Amazon is generally the gold standard. They often issue a "refund on scan," meaning as soon as the post office accepts your box, the refund process starts. You’ll usually see the money in 3-5 days.
Compare that to airlines. Under U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, airlines are required to process refunds within 7 business days if you paid by credit card, and 20 days if you paid by cash or check. But "processing" doesn't mean "in your account." It means they sent the signal. In the chaos of 2022 and 2023 travel surges, many passengers reported waiting 30+ days despite the regulations.
Unexpected delays you didn't see coming
- International transactions: If you bought a sweater from a shop in London and you live in Ohio, you’re dealing with currency conversion. That adds a layer of complexity and usually 2 extra days of "verification" by the intermediary banks.
- Expired cards: If the card you used to buy the item is now expired or closed, the refund doesn't just vanish. The bank usually accepts it and moves it to your new card or keeps it in a "suspense account." You’ll have to call them to get it moved to your active balance.
- Bank holidays: This sounds like a joke, but it's not. If there’s a federal holiday on a Monday, the ACH network literally stops moving. That’s one more day added to your wait.
How long does it take for refund to get approved for "Buy Now, Pay Later" services?
Services like Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm add a whole new floor to the house of cards. When you return an item, the merchant refunds the service, not you. The service then has to calculate how much you’ve already paid, cancel your future installments, and then initiate a refund for the overpayment.
If you’re asking how long does it take for refund to get approved with Klarna, expect it to take up to 14 days. They have to wait for the merchant to notify them, then they run their own internal audit. It is almost never fast. Honestly, if you're planning on returning something, try not to use a "Pay Later" service—it's a customer service nightmare waiting to happen.
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The psychology of the "Pending" status
There is nothing more annoying than seeing a "Pending" credit. It’s right there! You can see the numbers! But you can't spend it. This happens because the bank has received the "intent" to pay but hasn't received the actual settlement of funds. They won't let you touch that money until the cash actually lands in their vault.
It’s basically a trust issue. The bank doesn't trust the merchant's bank until the money cleared the clearinghouse. You just have to wait it out. Calling them usually won't help; the customer service rep is looking at the same "Pending" screen you are.
How to speed things up (Sorta)
You can't really make the bank move faster, but you can prevent your own delays.
- Ask for Store Credit: If you need the money "now," store credit is almost always instant. If you’re going to shop there again anyway, just take the gift card balance.
- Keep your receipts digital: If the merchant asks for a "Transaction ID" to track a lost refund, having that email handy saves you three days of back-and-forth.
- Use a Credit Card, not Debit: Credit card companies have much better consumer protection and faster "temporary credits." Sometimes, if you dispute a slow refund, the credit card company will just give you the money while they fight the merchant for it.
- Watch the clock: Don't count weekends. When a site says "5-7 days," they mean business days. Saturday and Sunday are "dead zones" in the world of banking.
What to do when the refund never arrives
If it’s been 15 business days and you still don't see the money, something is wrong. Don't wait.
First, get the "Acquirer Reference Number" (ARN) from the merchant. This is a unique number assigned to credit card transactions as they move through the banking system. With an ARN, your bank can track exactly where the money is. Without it, the bank teller will just shrug and tell you to wait longer.
Second, if the merchant is ghosting you, file a chargeback. You have a limited window—usually 60 to 120 days—to dispute a transaction. If you have proof of a return (like a tracking number) and no refund, your bank will almost always side with you.
Actionable next steps
- Check the status: Go to the merchant's "Order History" page. Does it say "Refunded" or "Processing"? If it doesn't say "Refunded," the clock hasn't even started.
- Verify the original payment method: Make sure you aren't checking your Chase account for a refund that went to your PayPal balance. It happens to the best of us.
- Identify the "ARN": If it's been over 10 days, email the merchant specifically asking for the ARN or Trace ID. It signals to them that you know how the system works and you aren't going away.
- Mark your calendar: Set a reminder for 14 days from the date of approval. If the money isn't there by then, call your bank's fraud or dispute department immediately.