For U.S. Afterpay purchases, start with the retailer. The merchant decides whether it will accept a return, cancel an order, or issue a refund. Afterpay's published refund and return guidance says the merchant must process the refund in its system first.

A return request, a package in transit, or a merchant's promise to help does not by itself change an Afterpay payment schedule. Once the merchant submits a refund, check the Afterpay order for the updated balance and any changes to upcoming installments.

What to do first

1. Read the merchant's return or cancellation policy. Check the deadline, item-condition rules, exclusions, return shipping requirements, and any restocking terms.
2. Contact the merchant through its official return channel. Ask for a cancellation, return authorization, replacement, or refund, depending on the problem.
3. Ask whether the merchant will refund the original Afterpay transaction. Store credit, an exchange, or a replacement may not change the existing payment plan.
4. Keep proof. Save emails, chat records, return labels, carrier receipts, tracking, delivery confirmation, and photos where relevant.
5. Monitor the Afterpay order after the merchant confirms the refund. If the order still shows the old balance, contact Afterpay through the app or Help Center with the merchant's confirmation.

Who handles each part of the problem?

Afterpay generally does not decide whether a retailer must accept an ordinary change-of-mind return. A retailer's return window, final-sale exclusions, packaging rules, and shipping instructions can still apply.

That does not mean a merchant policy settles every dispute. Non-delivery, damaged goods, incorrect items, or unauthorized transactions can raise separate consumer-protection issues. The available options and deadlines depend on the facts and the rules that apply to your transaction.

Make a clear request to the merchant

Use the retailer's official return portal, customer-service email, chat, or phone number. Include the merchant order number and explain the remedy you want.

For example, ask for:

• Cancellation before shipment
• A return authorization
• A refund for returned goods
• A refund or correction for missing, damaged, or incorrect items
• Help locating an order that was not delivered

Ask the merchant to confirm three details in writing:

1. Whether it will refund the original Afterpay transaction
2. The refund amount
3. The date it submitted, or will submit, the refund

A message saying "your return was approved" may only mean the merchant accepted the return request. It may not mean the refund has been sent through its payment system.

Return the item exactly as instructed

Don't send a package to an address found in an unverified email, search result, or social-media message. Follow the merchant's authorized process.

Keep copies of:

• The return authorization or return label
• Carrier receipt and tracking number
• Delivery confirmation
• Photos of the item, packaging, and any damage
• The merchant's return policy
• Messages with the merchant about the return

Photograph damaged or incorrect goods before sending them back. If the merchant later says the product was used, damaged, incomplete, or never received, those records may help show what happened.

Check what changed after the refund

After the merchant processes the refund, open the relevant order in Afterpay. The result depends on whether the refund is full or partial.

Full refund

For a full cancellation or complete return, review whether unpaid installments have been removed and whether amounts already paid are being returned. Check both the Afterpay order and the payment method used for the installments.

Partial refund

A partial refund can apply when only one item is returned, an item is missing or faulty, or the merchant grants a price adjustment. It may reduce the balance without ending the entire plan.

Look at the revised installment schedule rather than assuming all future payments are canceled.

Store credit, exchange, or replacement

These are not the same as a refund through Afterpay. If the merchant gives store credit or ships a replacement without processing a payment refund, the original Afterpay schedule may continue.

If an installment is still due

A pending return does not automatically pause an upcoming payment. Until the Afterpay order changes or support confirms a different arrangement, treat the displayed due date as active.

If a payment is approaching:

1. Ask the merchant when it expects to submit the refund.
2. Contact Afterpay through the official support route in the app or Help Center.
3. Provide the Afterpay order number, merchant order number, return tracking, and merchant messages.
4. Ask whether the pending refund affects the next payment date.
5. Do not skip a scheduled payment based only on a merchant promise or a package tracking update.

If you cannot make a payment, contact Afterpay before the due date. A return in progress and a completed refund are different stages.

If the merchant refuses or does not respond

Build a written record before escalating.

1. Recheck the merchant's policy and confirm when you requested the return or cancellation.
2. Send a concise follow-up that includes the order number, dates, tracking information, and the resolution requested.
3. Ask the merchant to explain any refusal in writing.
4. Save its response, or keep evidence that it did not respond.
5. Contact Afterpay and provide the documents showing the merchant's position or the refund confirmation.

Afterpay support may be able to review an order problem or a refund that the merchant says it processed but that does not appear in your account. It is not a guaranteed way to override a retailer's ordinary return policy.

For a complaint about Afterpay's own service or handling of a dispute, review the current Afterpay Terms of Service. The terms govern the relationship with Afterpay, while the merchant's policy generally governs a standard product return.

Treat unauthorized purchases differently

If you did not make the purchase, do not use the ordinary return process. Secure the Afterpay account, notify Afterpay promptly, and contact the bank or card issuer connected to the installments.

A bank or card dispute is separate from the merchant return process and may have its own eligibility rules and deadlines. Paying Afterpay installments with a credit or debit card does not necessarily make the purchase a direct card transaction with the merchant.

Refund timing: why there is no single deadline

Several separate steps can affect when a refund appears:

1. The merchant reviews the cancellation or return request.
2. If needed, the item travels back to the merchant.
3. The merchant receives and processes the return.
4. The merchant submits the refund through its payment system.
5. Afterpay updates the order and installment schedule.
6. The bank or card issuer posts any returned amount.

If the merchant has not processed the refund, Afterpay generally cannot complete that merchant step for you. If the merchant provides confirmation that it submitted a refund but the Afterpay order remains unchanged beyond the merchant's stated processing period, send Afterpay the confirmation and screenshots of the order.

Account and payment-method changes

Keep access to the Afterpay account while a return is unresolved where possible. Closing an account, deleting the app, removing a payment method, or replacing a card does not itself cancel an order or settle the payment plan.

If the card used for installments has expired or changed, contact Afterpay through its official support channel and provide the order number. Ask how any refund will be handled, and keep the original payment records until the matter is resolved.

Evidence to have ready

Before contacting Afterpay, gather:

• Afterpay order number
• Merchant order number
• Purchase date and total amount
• Item description
• Return or cancellation request date
• Return authorization and tracking details
• Delivery confirmation
• Photos of damage, incorrect goods, or packaging
• Merchant emails and chat transcripts
• Screenshots of the merchant's return policy
• Merchant refund confirmation, including the amount and date
• Screenshots of the Afterpay balance and upcoming installments

Use the support channel shown in the Afterpay app or on Afterpay's official website. Do not send bank details through an unverified email address or social-media account.

Start by asking the merchant for written confirmation that it processed the refund through the original Afterpay transaction. If it confirms that step and the Afterpay balance does not change, send Afterpay the confirmation, both order numbers, and screenshots of the payment schedule.