Yes, sometimes. A "nonrefundable" label isn't the answer to every deposit dispute. Recovery usually turns on the agreement, what happened, whether the business performed, the law governing the transaction, and how you paid.

A credit-card dispute may help if the merchant never provided the service, canceled the booking, charged the wrong amount, or materially misrepresented what you bought. It usually won't create a refund simply because you changed your mind or missed an event covered by a clearly disclosed cancellation policy.

First classify what happened

The same payment can lead to very different procedures depending on the facts.

Use the accurate description with both the business and your card issuer. An authorized booking with an unfavorable cancellation policy isn't the same as fraud.

What controls the outcome?

Three sets of rules may matter:

1. The agreement in effect when you paid. Check the cancellation deadline, deposit language, refund conditions, no-show rules, and how those terms appeared before payment.
2. State or local law. These rules may address contracts, cancellation charges, liquidated damages, unfair business practices, landlord security deposits, or particular industries.
3. The payment method. A credit-card billing dispute, debit-card claim, ACH reversal, wire recall, and marketplace complaint have different procedures and deadlines.

There isn't one federal rule making every nonrefundable deposit illegal, and there isn't a nationwide percentage cap that applies to all such deposits. Claims that any deposit above 3% or 10% must be refunded aren't reliable. In some state-law disputes, a court may consider whether the amount kept was a reasonable estimate of expected loss or an unenforceable penalty. The test varies by state and by contract.

The Federal Trade Commission doesn't decide whether a particular cancellation clause is valid. Its guidance explains the credit-card billing-error process, including disputes involving goods or services that weren't received.

A landlord's security-deposit rule normally doesn't govern a hotel booking, event deposit, or payment to a contractor. Rental deposits often have separate return deadlines, itemization rules, and limits.

Credit-card disputes and the 60-day deadline

For a qualifying credit-card billing error, the FTC's guidance on disputing credit-card charges says the issuer must receive your written dispute within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

That may not be the date you booked the room or paid the deposit. Find the first statement that listed the charge.

The FTC says the issuer generally must:

• Acknowledge the written complaint within 30 days, unless the problem has already been resolved.
• Resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days.
• Let you withhold the disputed amount and related finance or other charges during the investigation when you follow the required process.

Pay the undisputed part of the bill. Send the notice to the billing-dispute address shown on your statement, keep a copy, and use a delivery method that gives you proof. Calling the issuer or submitting an online complaint may start a review, but written notice is the safer way to use the federal billing-error procedure.

If you moved, check the FTC's address-notice instructions as well. Its guidance says a changed address must have been provided to the issuer in writing early enough for the issuer to have it at least 20 days before the billing period ended.

The 60-day rule isn't a universal refund deadline. It doesn't apply in the same way to debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH transfers, wires, cash, or person-to-person payments.

Credit card, debit card, ACH, and marketplace disputes

A chargeback is a payment-system review, not a court judgment. The issuer may ask for the booking terms, cancellation history, delivery or performance records, and proof that the merchant was available to provide the service. A disclosed cancellation policy can support the merchant's response; evidence of nonperformance can support yours.

There is no dependable universal chargeback success rate. Online claims about "winning percentages" don't predict what will happen in your transaction.

Facts that make a refund request stronger

The business didn't provide the service

This is usually a better argument than a personal change of plans. Examples include a hotel refusing the reservation, a rental company having no vehicle, an event being canceled, or a provider failing to perform on the agreed date.

The FTC also discusses disputes involving goods or services you never received. Explain exactly what was missing and attach the confirmation, cancellation notice, and messages showing what happened.

The terms were hidden or changed

Save the policy as it appeared at checkout. A term buried on another page, left out of the confirmation, or added after payment may create a disclosure or contract dispute. It doesn't guarantee a refund, but it is more useful than simply saying the policy feels unfair.

The charge was wrong or the service was materially different

A duplicate charge, amount above the agreement, or service that materially differs from the listing gives you a specific fact to document. Keep the advertisement, listing, receipt, photographs, and messages that show the difference.

The transaction was unauthorized

Use the bank's unauthorized-transaction process if someone used your card or account without permission. Don't combine that claim with a complaint about an authorized service. The issuer evaluates those issues differently.

The retained amount may be an unlawful penalty

State law may limit a cancellation charge that functions as a penalty rather than a reasonable estimate of the business's expected loss. Don't assume the amount is illegal just because it is large. Ask the business to identify the exact term allowing it to keep the money and, when relevant, explain how the amount was calculated.

When the business may be allowed to keep the deposit

Recovery is harder when:

• The cancellation policy was shown before payment.
• You accepted the policy.
• The business remained ready and able to perform.
• You canceled outside the permitted refund window.
• The amount kept matches the agreement and applicable law.
• There is no evidence of misleading advertising, duplicate billing, or nonperformance.

Clicking "accept" doesn't make every term valid. State law, industry-specific rules, and the facts can still limit what the business may retain.

Steps to request the money back

1. Save the agreement and build a timeline

Keep the receipt, card statement, booking confirmation, policy page, listing, advertisements, cancellation messages, photographs, and every message with the business. Write down the dates, promises, payments, cancellations, and your attempts to resolve the problem.

If the policy page has changed, use your confirmation email and screenshots. Note the merchant's legal name and the name or descriptor appearing on your statement.

2. Ask the merchant in writing

A written request gives the business a chance to correct the problem and creates a record for the issuer or a court. Keep it short and factual:

I paid $[amount] on [date] for [service or booking]. The agreement stated [quote or summary of the relevant term]. On [date], [explain that the merchant canceled, did not provide the service, charged the wrong amount, or failed to disclose the term].

I am requesting a refund of $[amount] because [brief reason]. Please confirm your decision and any refund details in writing.

Don't wait for the merchant's response if the credit-card 60-day deadline is close. You can request a refund and notify the issuer at the same time.

3. Use the correct payment process

For a credit card, send the written notice to the issuer's billing-dispute address. Include:

• Your name and account information.
• The transaction date, merchant name, and amount.
• A clear description of the problem.
• The date and result of your merchant request.
• Copies of the agreement, receipt, correspondence, and other proof.
• The credit or refund you want.

State whether you authorized the transaction. For example: "I authorized the booking, but the merchant did not provide the service." That is different from saying, "I did not authorize this charge."

For other payment methods, follow the bank, card provider, or platform's instructions and act promptly. A merchant complaint doesn't necessarily pause a separate payment-dispute deadline.

4. Answer the issuer's questions

The merchant may send the issuer the cancellation policy or evidence that it offered the service. Respond by the stated deadline and identify the document that supports your position.

If the issuer gives you provisional credit, ask whether it can be reversed and when the final decision is expected. Keep copies of every submission.

5. Escalate if necessary

If the issuer rejects the dispute, ask for the reason and the evidence used. A focused reconsideration with documents that weren't previously reviewed may help.

For a problem with the credit-card issuer's handling of the dispute, you can submit a complaint through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint form. A state attorney general or local consumer-protection office may also accept a complaint about the merchant. Neither complaint route guarantees an individual refund.

Small claims court may be available if the amount is within the court's limit and the business can be sued in that location. Check the filing deadline, service requirements, court limit, governing-law clause, and any arbitration provision. Keep the claim focused: identify the promise, the breach, the amount sought, and the documents proving each point.

Examples by industry

Hotels and short-term rentals

A hotel or rental platform may enforce a disclosed no-refund or no-show policy when a customer cancels voluntarily. The issue changes if the property was unavailable, the provider canceled, or the accommodation materially differed from the confirmed booking.

Contact both the property and the platform if the platform processed the payment. Save the listing, confirmation, check-in instructions, cancellation notices, and photographs.

Car rentals

Separate a reservation deposit from a refundable security deposit or authorization hold. If the company had no vehicle, supplied a materially different vehicle, or charged an amount not shown in the agreement, request an itemized explanation and keep the reservation documents.

A pending authorization hold may not be a completed charge. Ask the bank or rental company what type of transaction appears on the statement.

Event tickets

Being unable to attend usually doesn't defeat a clearly disclosed no-refund policy. A canceled, postponed, or materially changed event presents a different question. Check the seller's policy, the organizer's notice, and the payment statement before requesting a refund or filing a dispute.

Personal services

For photographers, DJs, contractors, tutors, and similar providers, review the cancellation and rebooking terms. If the provider canceled or never performed, say so directly. If you canceled, ask what the agreement permits the business to retain and whether it has applied the term consistently.

Mistakes that weaken a dispute

• Calling an authorized purchase fraud because the cancellation policy is unfavorable.
• Treating every nonrefundable payment as illegal.
• Waiting until long after the first credit-card statement.
• Disputing the entire bill instead of identifying the specific transaction.
• Assuming a debit-card process has the same protections as a credit card.
• Using a landlord security-deposit rule from another state or another type of transaction.
• Relying on a phone call without saving written evidence.
• Sending an emotional explanation without the contract, dates, amount, and requested remedy.
• Assuming a chargeback decision resolves every state-law contract question.

Frequently asked questions

Does "nonrefundable" mean I can never get the money back?

No. The term may apply to a voluntary cancellation, but it doesn't automatically resolve claims involving nonperformance, misrepresentation, unauthorized charges, or an invalid term under state law.

Can I charge back a deposit because I changed my mind?

Not automatically. If the merchant clearly disclosed a lawful cancellation policy and remained ready to perform, the dispute may be rejected. Ask for a refund first and identify any specific contract or performance problem.

Does the FTC give me 60 days to dispute any deposit?

No. The FTC's 60-day procedure concerns written disputes of qualifying credit-card billing errors. It isn't a blanket deadline for debit cards, ACH transfers, cash, or every authorized cancellation.

What should I ask for when the business says the deposit is nonrefundable?

Ask for the exact policy shown before payment, the event that triggered it, and an explanation of the amount retained. Compare that response with your confirmation, messages, and the law governing the agreement.

Is a landlord's security deposit the same as a hotel or service deposit?

No. A landlord's security deposit is generally governed by state or local landlord-tenant rules. A hotel, event, rental, or service deposit usually depends on its agreement, applicable consumer law, and the payment-dispute process.

This is general U.S. consumer information, not legal advice. Start by saving the policy and statement, send the precise written refund request, and check the first-statement date before a payment-dispute deadline passes.