Refunds on your CleverCard – CleverCards Help Centre

Who this article is for: CleverCards Cardholders who are expecting money back from a retailer.

Can I receive refunds on my CleverCard?

Yes. Your CleverCard can receive refunds for purchases made with it. It cannot receive money transfers from anyone else.

How refunds work

A refund is money returned to you by a merchant after a purchase. Whether you’re eligible for a refund depends on the merchant’s refund policy and their decision.

A refund is not the same as a chargeback or an expired payment hold.

A refund is agreed with the retailer.

A chargeback is a formal dispute raised when the retailer will not resolve it.

A pre-authorisation creates a temporary payment hold while the retailer confirms the payment. This can happen when you pay for petrol, hire a car, or check into a hotel. For example, a petrol station may pre-authorise an amount higher than your final purchase. Once the final amount is known, that amount is debited and the remaining hold is released.

How long does a refund take?

Most refunds appear on your card within 3 to 10 business days. Depending on the retailer, a refund can take up to 30 days.

For some transactions, a pre-authorisation hold can take longer to be released. This is common with hotels, car rentals, and some petrol stations, particularly unattended petrol stations where a pre-authorisation is made before the final amount is known. In these cases, the hold can take up to 30 days to be released.

CleverCards has no control over how long a refund takes. The timing is set by the retailer and their bank, not by us.

My refund has not arrived

Contact the retailer first. Ask them to confirm that the refund has been issued and the date it was issued. They can also provide the ARN (Acquirer Reference Number). The ARN is a unique reference number that helps us trace a refund. It may not appear on your receipt, so you may need to ask the retailer for it.
Wait until the date the retailer gave you. Refunds can take several business days to appear on your card.
If the refund has still not arrived, contact us at support@clevercards.com. To help us investigate and resolve your case as quickly as possible, please provide:

The retailer’s name.
The ARN provided by the retailer. We need this to trace the refund.
The date of the original purchase.
The date the retailer told you the refund was issued.
The amount of the refund.
A clear, complete photograph of your receipt, if you were given a physical receipt. Please make sure the entire receipt is visible, including all information on it. Cropped or partial receipts may not contain the information we need.

Please note: Without the ARN, we may not be able to trace the refund or investigate it further. If you do not have an ARN, contact the retailer and ask them to provide it.

The retailer is asking for my IBAN and BIC

A refund should be processed back to the same card the purchase was made with. The retailer can do this through the card network using the card number and the original transaction details, so they do not need your IBAN or BIC.

If a retailer asks for them, it usually means they are trying to refund you by bank transfer, which cannot be done to a CleverCard. Ask them to refund to the original card instead.

IBAN and BIC are bank account details. Your CleverCard is a card, not a bank account, so it does not have them.