Start with the merchant

For a normal return, request the refund from the merchant, not from Affirm. The merchant's return, cancellation, and final-sale policy decides whether it will accept the item and issue a refund. After the merchant processes it, Affirm can apply the adjustment to the related loan.

A return label, carrier scan, or cancellation request does not by itself cancel an Affirm loan. If the merchant will not respond, refuses to address a documented problem, or accepts a return without crediting it, use Affirm's dispute process and keep your evidence. Until Affirm specifically confirms a changed payment amount or due date, treat the schedule shown in your account as active.

Choose the right route

Situation First step
You changed your mind or want to return an item Follow the merchant's return policy.
The merchant canceled the order before fulfillment Get written confirmation of the cancellation and refund.
The item is defective or materially different from the listing Contact the merchant first; submit an Affirm dispute if it remains unresolved.
You returned an item but have not received credit Ask the merchant for written refund details, then send them to Affirm if needed.
The order never arrived or the merchant is unreachable Collect delivery and communication records and open a dispute.
You do not recognize the transaction Use the current fraud or unauthorized-transaction support route in your Affirm account promptly.

A refund and a dispute are different processes. A refund is normally a merchant-approved adjustment. A dispute asks Affirm to review an unresolved problem with the purchase.

Request the return and refund from the merchant

  1. Save the policy that applied to your order. Keep a screenshot or copy of the return, cancellation, and final-sale terms.
  2. Get a return authorization if the merchant requires one. Follow its instructions for the address, label, packaging, and deadline.
  3. Use trackable shipping. Retain the shipping receipt, tracking history, and proof that the merchant received the package. For an in-store return, keep the receipt or email confirmation.
  4. Identify the Affirm-financed order. Give the merchant the order number and ask it to connect the refund to the correct transaction.
  5. Request written confirmation. Ask for the refund amount, processing date, and any reference or confirmation number.
  6. Check the related loan in Affirm. The merchant's confirmation and the loan update may not appear at the same time.

A return label is not proof that a refund was issued. The useful record is a written merchant confirmation that it received or accepted the return and processed a refund.

If the merchant tells you not to send back a defective item, get that instruction in writing. Keep photos, videos, repair estimates, and messages describing the problem.

Open an Affirm dispute when the merchant has not resolved the problem

Open the purchase or loan in the Affirm app or website and use the current help, dispute, or purchase-problem option shown there. Menu labels can change, so use the support path in your account or on Affirm's official site rather than a phone number from an old article.

Affirm's merchant dispute-resolution guidance says that a customer who has been unable to resolve an issue with the merchant may submit a dispute. The page is written for merchants, so the consumer-facing steps and notices in your account may differ.

Include:

Keep the description factual. Do not describe a refund as approved unless the merchant confirmed it. For a partial refund, state the exact amount received and what remains unresolved.

What controls the outcome

Issue What usually controls it
Whether a standard return is accepted The merchant's return and cancellation terms
Whether the merchant issued a refund The merchant's confirmation and transaction records
How an approved refund affects the balance The specific Affirm loan and current account information
Whether an unresolved purchase problem is reviewed Affirm's dispute process
Whether an installment is still due The payment schedule and instructions shown by Affirm

A merchant's return policy does not settle every dispute. Non-delivery, a defective product, or a return the merchant acknowledged but did not credit may require separate review. On the other hand, a dispute is not a way to turn every late return or final-sale purchase into an approved refund.

Keep up with the payment schedule while the case is open

Do not assume that a pending return or open dispute pauses the next installment. Check the due date and amount in your Affirm account. If payment is due soon, contact Affirm through the case or support channel and ask whether the schedule has changed.

Unless Affirm gives you clear instructions that change the payment, follow the schedule shown in the account. Keep a copy of any message about a payment pause, due-date change, or updated balance.

How long an Affirm refund can take

There is no single timetable for every purchase. A refund can involve three stages:

  1. The merchant reviews the return or complaint.
  2. The merchant processes the refund and sends the transaction information needed to update the Affirm loan.
  3. Affirm updates the balance, and any amount already paid is handled according to the transaction and account details.

Affirm's merchant dispute guidance says the adjudication outcome is communicated to the customer and merchant within 15 calendar days of evidence collection. That is not a promise that every return will be resolved within 15 days. It does not control the merchant's return-processing time or any later posting time.

If the merchant says it has completed the refund but your loan still shows the original balance, request the refund amount, processing date, and reference number. Send those details to Affirm with the loan information and ask support to trace the refund.

Limits and special situations

Returns after 30 days

There is no universal 30-day Affirm return rule. The merchant may set a shorter or longer return window, and product-specific exclusions can apply.

Affirm's merchant-facing dispute guidance says customers are not limited by a post-purchase deadline for opening the described dispute process. That does not make a late ordinary return refundable. If your issue is non-delivery, a defect, or an uncredited return, submit the dispute promptly and explain why the merchant's return deadline does not resolve the problem.

Refunds without returning the item

Do not assume you can keep an item and receive a refund. A merchant may waive a return when an item is unsafe, defective, or impractical to ship back, but get that instruction in writing.

Without a written waiver, document the defect or the failed delivery and show what you tried to do with the merchant. Affirm can review a dispute, but the outcome depends on the evidence and transaction details.

Virtual cards, partial refunds, and paid installments

A virtual card does not create a separate refund right. Identify the exact merchant order and Affirm transaction, then track the related loan after the merchant confirms the refund.

A partial refund may not eliminate every remaining installment. If you have already made payments, ask Affirm how the refund is being applied and whether the payment schedule or balance will change. Do not rely on a universal rule based on how much of a plan you have already paid; the available information does not establish one.

A note on 2024 U.S. reporting

NPR reported and NBC News reported on the CFPB's 2024 announcement concerning buy now, pay later dispute and refund protections. That reporting is historical context, not a promise of a refund or a timetable for an individual Affirm transaction in 2026. The merchant's policy, your loan record, current Affirm notices, and applicable law govern the case.

If the refund is delayed or denied

  1. Write to the merchant again. Include the order number, tracking number, delivery date, and date you requested the refund.
  2. Request specific refund details. Ask for the amount, date processed, reference number, and confirmation that it was tied to the Affirm transaction.
  3. Add the evidence to your Affirm case. Use the existing dispute or support thread when possible so the full timeline stays together.
  4. Ask for the stated reason if the claim is denied. Request the policy provision or evidence used in the decision and ask whether additional documents can be reviewed.
  5. Monitor the next payment. Do not assume a payment changed until Affirm confirms it.
  6. Consider an outside complaint if the issue remains unresolved. U.S. consumers can consider a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Include the timeline, merchant response, Affirm case number, and the resolution requested. A complaint can prompt a response, but it does not guarantee a refund.

Keep access to your merchant and Affirm records until the refund is reflected or the dispute is closed.

Build your evidence file before you contact support

Gather:

Put the events in date order. Then send the merchant one written request that identifies the order, the return or refund you want, and the records supporting it. If that does not resolve the issue, use the same timeline and documents in your Affirm dispute.