Getting your money back if you paid by card
Kortreklamation - Engelska
If you paid by card and have a dispute with a company, your bank can sometimes help you get your payment back. This is called making a chargeback request.
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Translated page: This text has been translated from Swedish. The text and appearance of the page may look different from the original page.
When can you make a chargeback request?
You can make a chargeback request if you have a dispute with a company and the dispute is about you not getting your money back. A chargeback request is a way for your bank to help you get a refund.
Here are some examples of when you may have the opportunity to make a chargeback request:
You withdrew from the purchase and are entitled to get your money back by law, but the company issues no refund.
You paid for a product that has not been delivered.
Your flight has been cancelled, but you do not get a refund from the airline.
A stronger protection if you paid by credit card
What rights you have depends on what kind of card you made the purchase with.
If you paid with a credit card
You have a stronger protection when you pay by credit card. A credit card is a card where you receive a bill at the end of the month for all of the purchases you made with the card.
With credit payments, you are protected by the Consumer Credit Act. The law says that you have a right to make the same claim from the bank as from the company you purchased from. If you are entitled to a refund from a company, you can accordingly turn to the bank for a refund. However, you cannot demand a refund from both the company and the bank.
If you paid with a card where the money is withdrawn directly
A debit card is a card where the money is drawn directly from your bank account when you buy something. When you pay with a debit card, you have no right by law to turn to the bank to demand a refund. But many banks offer the possibility to make a card complaint even when you have paid with a debit card.
It is the bank's terms and conditions that determines what rights you have. For example, it is not uncommon that there are time limits that limit the bank’s possibilities to help you.
Read more about different payment cards on the website Konsumenternas.se (information in swedish)
Contact the company before you turn to the bank
If you want help from the bank with a chargeback request, it is important that you first contact the company to try to solve the problem.
Contact the company in writing, preferably by email. Explain clearly what the problem is and why you demand a refund. You need to be able to show the bank that you have contacted the company and what demands you made. Therefore, be careful to save email conversations and any other documentation that can prove your case.
Contact the bank in writing
When you contact you bank, it is important that you do so in writing. Explain the problem clearly and attach documentation that shows what has happened.
Examples of such documentation may be:
Order confirmation or receipt of the purchase
Copy of your complaint to the company
The company’s response to your complaint
Notification that you want to withdraw from the purchase
Also explain that you have tried to solve the problem with the company yourself, but did not succeed.
If you want guidance
At Konsumenternas.se, you get independent guidance in matters concerning banks and insurance. The guidance is free of charge.
To consumer assistance on the website Konsumenternas.se (information in swedish)
Source: ECC SverigeKonsumentverket
Proofread: 22 February 2022
This page was funded by the European Union's Consumer Programme (2014-2020). ECC Sweden is a part of the European Consumer Centres Network, but also a part of the Swedish Consumer Agency’s information service. At ECC Sweden, consumers who made cross-border purchases within the EU, Iceland, Norway or the UK can get free help and advice from our legal advisers.