When a merchant refunds a purchase you made with your nsave card, the money comes back to the same card. Here's how the process works and when to expect it.
How a refund reaches you
The merchant has to process the refund first. Nothing moves until they do — and merchants work on their own schedules, from same-day to a week or more.
The refund travels back through the card network to your card.
It lands on your card balance, and you'll see it in the app. From there you can spend it or move it back to your account.
How long it takes
Most refunds arrive within 5–10 business days after the merchant processes them. In some cases it can take longer — up to 30 days — depending on the merchant, their bank, and the card network.
The clock starts when the merchant processes the refund, not when you asked for it. If the merchant hasn't confirmed the refund on their side yet, chase them first — nothing can arrive before they send it.
Cancelled payments vs refunds
If a payment was cancelled or never completed (for example a hotel hold or a failed checkout), you may see a pending amount rather than a refund. Pending authorisations aren't sent back by the merchant — they simply expire and drop back onto your balance automatically, usually within a few days.
Refund hasn't arrived?
Confirm with the merchant that the refund was actually processed, and ask for a refund confirmation or reference number with the date.
Count 5–10 business days from that date.
If it still hasn't landed after that — and definitely if it's been more than 30 days — contact us in the app or at support@nsave.com with the refund confirmation, and we'll trace it.
FAQs
Can the refund go to my nsave account instead of the card?
No — card refunds always return to the card they were paid from. Once it lands, you can move it to your account yourself.
My card is frozen. Will the refund still arrive?
Yes. Freezing blocks outgoing payments, not incoming refunds.
I closed or replaced my card since the purchase.
Contact support with the refund details — refunds to replaced cards can usually still be recovered, we just may need to trace them.
The merchant says they sent it but I see nothing.
Ask them for the refund reference (an ARN, if they can provide it) and send it to support — with that we can trace exactly where the money is.