A non-refundable deposit may be recoverable, but the label alone doesn’t settle the question. In the U.S., the result usually depends on what the payment secured, the written terms, why the transaction ended, how you paid, and the law in the relevant state.

Your claim is generally stronger if the provider canceled, failed to provide the promised service, materially misrepresented the deal, or used a term that wasn’t properly disclosed. If you simply changed your mind, the stated cancellation policy will usually matter more.

This guide covers practical recovery steps for rentals, short-term stays, events, vehicles, services, and real estate. It’s general consumer information, not legal advice.

First, identify what kind of deposit you paid

“Deposit” can describe several different payments. The legal rules aren’t the same for each one.

A security deposit held against damage is different from a fee described as non-refundable. An earnest-money deposit is also different from either one. Before demanding a refund, find the exact contract language and determine whether the business treated the payment as a deposit, fee, advance payment, or liquidated damages.

When a refund claim is strongest

A “non-refundable” clause may not protect a business in every situation. Consider these possible grounds:

• The provider breached the agreement. Examples include a rental that wasn’t habitable, a venue that could not provide the booked space, or a dealer that could not deliver the agreed vehicle.
• The provider canceled or substantially changed the deal. Check whether the contract promises a refund when the seller, host, organizer, or dealer cancels.
• The terms were hidden or inconsistent with the advertisement. A checkout page, advertisement, or sales message that conflicts with the final terms may support a contract or consumer-protection argument.
• A state law controls the payment. Residential security deposits, certain regulated services, and some ticket or dealer transactions may have special rules.
• The charge was unauthorized or duplicated. Report an unauthorized transaction through the appropriate payment provider. Don’t describe an authorized purchase as fraud simply because you disagree with the refund policy.

A provider’s failure to perform doesn’t always guarantee a full refund. The contract may allow a reasonable cancellation charge, and local law may affect the remedy. Still, the reason for the refund matters far more than the words “non-refundable” by themselves.

The FTC does not provide a general 14-day deposit refund right

There is no general federal FTC rule giving consumers 14 days to cancel an ordinary deposit. The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule is much narrower.

The rule can give you three business days to cancel certain sales made at your home or at a temporary location, such as a convention or hotel room, when the transaction meets the rule’s conditions. The FTC describes dollar thresholds and several exclusions, including many online, mail, and telephone sales, real estate transactions, emergency repairs, and vehicle sales made at a permanent dealership.

It usually isn’t a shortcut for canceling an Airbnb reservation, apartment lease, event ticket, or ordinary dealership purchase.

If the rule applies, the seller must tell you about the cancellation right and provide cancellation forms. If the seller failed to provide the forms, the FTC says you can write your own cancellation letter. Your notice generally must be postmarked by midnight of the third business day after the sale. Send it by a trackable method, such as certified mail, and keep a copy.

Read the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule guidance before relying on this right. Don’t assume a three-day or 14-day cancellation period applies just because the payment was called a deposit.

Gather evidence before asking for your money

Save the documents that show what you bought, what you were promised, and what happened. Create one folder containing:

1. The signed agreement, lease, buyer’s order, or booking confirmation.
2. The cancellation and refund terms in effect when you paid.
3. Screenshots of advertisements, checkout pages, and promotional claims.
4. The receipt, card statement, or payment confirmation showing the amount and date.
5. Emails, text messages, and support conversations.
6. Proof of cancellation, closure, non-delivery, misrepresentation, or a property problem.
7. Photos, inspection reports, invoices, witness details, or official notices relevant to the dispute.
8. A short timeline with dates, names, and what each person said.

Web pages can change after a dispute begins. Save screenshots or a PDF of the relevant terms, including the page address and date captured. Keep the originals of important documents and send copies.

Ask for the refund in writing

Start with the business, landlord, host, dealer, organizer, or platform. A written request creates a record and gives the other party a chance to correct the problem before you escalate.

Keep the request factual:

I paid [amount] on [date] for [product or service]. I’m requesting a refund because [specific reason]. The attached agreement and records show [brief supporting fact]. Please return [amount] to the original payment method and confirm the decision in writing.

If the business claims it made a deduction, ask for the exact contract provision and an itemized explanation. For a rental, request the statutory statement or documentation required in your state. Avoid exaggerating the facts or threatening action you don’t intend to take.

Send the request through the method required by the agreement, if any. Otherwise, use email plus a trackable mailing method for a significant amount. Set a clear response date that gives the business a reasonable opportunity to respond, and save delivery confirmation.

Dispute a credit-card charge when the facts fit

A credit-card dispute is not an automatic refund. It can be useful when the charge qualifies as a billing error, such as a service that wasn’t provided as agreed or a merchant’s failure to honor an applicable refund commitment.

For the federal billing-error process, the FTC says your written dispute must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. Act sooner if possible.

1. Find the card issuer’s billing-dispute address on the statement. It may be different from the payment address.
2. Identify the transaction date, amount, merchant, and account.
3. Explain what happened in specific terms, such as “the service was canceled and the promised refund was not issued.”
4. Attach copies of the agreement, refund request, cancellation notice, and other relevant evidence.
5. Keep a copy of the letter and proof that the issuer received it.
6. Continue responding to requests for information while the issuer investigates.

The FTC says the issuer generally must acknowledge the complaint within 30 days and resolve the dispute within the applicable investigation period, which can be up to 90 days. The issuer may accept the dispute, reject it, or ask for more information. A disclosed cancellation policy may give the issuer a reason to reject a claim if the provider performed as promised and you simply changed your mind.

A credit-card billing dispute is different from a debit-card, prepaid-card, peer-to-peer payment, ACH, wire-transfer, or cash dispute. Contact those providers immediately, but don’t assume the credit-card 60-day process or the same protections apply.

Consider the type of transaction

Apartment and rental security deposits

State law usually controls how a residential security deposit must be handled. Check whether the payment was a true security deposit or a separate non-refundable fee. The lease’s label may not override a law that regulates security deposits.

For example, California Courts guidance says a landlord generally has 21 days after a tenant moves out to return the security deposit, less lawful deductions, with a list explaining the deductions. California is only one example; deadlines, permitted deductions, notice requirements, and remedies vary elsewhere.

If money was withheld, compare the deductions with your move-in and move-out evidence. Ask for an itemized statement and supporting records where required. If the landlord misses the applicable deadline or withholds money without a lawful basis, send a written demand citing the relevant state rule before considering court.

Airbnb and other short-term stays

Start with the reservation’s cancellation terms and the reason for the cancellation. A guest who changes plans may receive a different result from a guest who could not access the property, received a materially inaccurate listing, or was affected by a covered disruptive event.

Airbnb’s Major Disruptive Events Policy says the policy may apply in rare circumstances when a large-scale event prevents or legally prohibits completion of a reservation. It discusses events such as unforeseeable natural disasters, severe weather, and widespread essential-utility outages. Airbnb assesses whether the policy applies, and the policy page says COVID-19 is not covered under that policy.

Save the reservation terms, host messages, photographs, travel warnings, evacuation orders, and proof of any property problem. Ask Airbnb for a written decision through its support or resolution process. A platform policy is separate from local consumer law, so a platform denial may not end a contract claim.

Events and tickets

Check whether the organizer canceled, postponed, changed the venue, or merely offered a date you can’t attend. The ticket terms may address each situation differently. Keep the cancellation announcement, ticket confirmation, refund policy, and all communications.

If the event was canceled and the organizer promised refunds but did not issue yours, make a written demand. If you paid by credit card, consider a billing dispute when the service was not provided or the merchant failed to honor its stated refund commitment. Don’t claim that an event was canceled if it was only postponed unless the facts and terms support that position.

Vehicle deposits

Review the signed buyer’s order and any separate deposit receipt. Look for terms addressing vehicle availability, financing approval, trade-ins, dealer cancellation, delivery, and return of the deposit.

The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule generally does not cover a vehicle purchased from a permanent dealership. That doesn’t resolve every dealer dispute. A dealer’s failure to provide the agreed vehicle, a material misrepresentation, or a contract condition that was never satisfied may create other arguments under the buyer’s order or state law.

Ask the dealer to identify the clause allowing it to keep the money. Keep written proof of what vehicle, price, options, and conditions were agreed upon.

Real estate earnest money

Earnest money is governed primarily by the purchase agreement and applicable state real estate rules. Review inspection, financing, appraisal, title, and other contingencies, along with the deadlines and notice method for exercising them.

If a contingency applies, follow the agreement precisely and notify the seller, broker, and escrow holder in writing. If you back out without a valid contractual basis, the deposit may be at risk. If the seller defaults or misrepresented the property, the agreement may provide a refund or other remedies.

Don’t assume a credit-card chargeback is the right first step for escrowed earnest money. Begin with the contract’s release procedure and the escrow or brokerage contacts. Larger or disputed real estate deposits may justify advice from a licensed attorney in the state where the property is located.

Escalate if the first request fails

Use an escalation path that matches the transaction:

1. Merchant or landlord: Ask for a supervisor and a written explanation.
2. Marketplace or platform: Use its formal support, resolution, or complaint process.
3. State or local agency: Consider a state attorney general, consumer-protection office, housing agency, real estate regulator, or dealer regulator. An agency complaint may create pressure or mediation, but it may not recover your money directly.
4. Small claims court: Check the correct defendant, court location, filing limit, filing fee, service requirements, and statute of limitations in your state. Bring the contract, payment proof, timeline, communications, and evidence supporting the amount requested.
5. Private legal advice: Consider it for a large earnest-money dispute, complex contract, substantial damages, or a claim outside small claims court.

A court judgment doesn’t always mean immediate payment, so check collection procedures before filing. If a business refunds you after you open a card dispute, notify the issuer promptly and update the amount in dispute.

Common mistakes that weaken deposit disputes

• Waiting until a card issuer’s written-dispute deadline has passed.
• Relying only on phone calls with no written record.
• Assuming the FTC Cooling-Off Rule applies to every purchase.
• Treating force majeure as an automatic refund right. A force-majeure clause may excuse performance without specifying who gets the money.
• Calling an authorized charge “fraud” instead of accurately describing the service or contract problem.
• Ignoring the contract’s notice method or contingency deadline.
• Using a generic state-law claim without checking the state where the rental, event, vehicle sale, or property is located.
• Relying on internet claims about guaranteed chargeback or court success rates. Outcomes depend on the evidence, agreement, payment method, and applicable law.

Official guidance

• FTC: Buyer’s Remorse and the Cooling-Off Rule
• FTC: Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
• California Courts: Common issues in small claims
• Airbnb: Major Disruptive Events Policy

Your next move

Locate the agreement and payment statement today, identify the specific reason the deposit should be returned, and send a documented written request. If you paid by credit card and the first statement showing the disputed charge was sent less than 60 days ago, send the written issuer dispute before that deadline while you continue negotiating with the provider.