Refund email templates from request to refund sent
Refund email templates for the business side: how to answer your own customer's refund request by email and chat. Log five intake fields first, then send the right reply at each step, from the first reply to refund sent and the follow-up. Word template, Excel refund log and a filled example.
Made by Anatolii Ulitovskyi 
Fact-checked by RH Fardin Updated 1. Refund request response email: intake and first reply
Send firstThis refund email template starts before the first word to the customer: log five fields, then send the first reply the same day. It names who decides and by when. It says yes only when the case is clear and within your own approval limit.
Intake: fill these five fields before you reply
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Order reference | order number, order date, delivery date, amount, payment method, last 4 digits only |
| Policy version | The refund policy in force on the order date: version and date, window, for example 30 days from delivery |
| Reason | one reason from your list plus the customer's own words: quote |
| Approval owner | name, role, the person allowed to approve this amount or this exception |
| Promised response | decision date, 2 business days from the request at the latest |
SubjectWe have your refund request for order order number
EmailHi first name,
Thank you for writing to us about order order number. I have logged your refund request for item or service, reason: reason in the customer's words.
What happens next: we check it against the refund policy that applied on your order date, policy version and date: policy rule in one sentence. Approval owner name, our role, decides, and you will have the decision by email by promised response date.
You do not need to send anything else. Please do not send card details: we never need more than the last 4 digits.
Your name, company
Reference: order number
Never promiseA refund, an amount or a day the money arrives before the approval owner decides. The only promise in the first reply is the decision date.
Clear case within your own limitHi first name, thank you for writing about order order number. Your request is within our refund policy of policy date, and I can approve it myself: I am refunding amount to your payment method today. You will get a confirmation with the refund reference by email. Your name, company
2. Before we decide: ask for one detail, once
Ask for the one thing you need to decide, in one message, and say what happens when it arrives. Asking for details one at a time is how a two-day refund becomes a two-week one.
SubjectOne detail needed for your refund request, order order number
EmailHi first name,
Thank you for your refund request for item or service. To decide, I need one thing from you:
One of: your order number / one photo of the damage and one of the shipping label / the tracking number of the return parcel / the date the service was booked for
You will have the decision within 2 business days of your reply. If we do not hear from you, I will check in once on date.
Your name, company
Reference: order number or request number
Photo for a damaged itemHi first name, I am sorry the item arrived damaged. Could you reply with one photo that shows the damage and one of the shipping label? You do not need to send the item back unless we ask. As soon as I have the photos, you will have a decision within 2 business days. Your name, company
Never ask forThe full card number, the security code, a bank password or a screenshot of the whole statement. The order number and the last 4 digits are enough to find a payment.
3. Refund approved: the amount, the method and the timing
Send this when the approval owner has said yes: the decision and the amount first, then what the customer must do, then the timing. Give the bank's timing as your payment provider's range. Stripe says a card refund shows about 5 to 10 business days after it is issued, depending on the bank1.
SubjectRefund approved: amount for order order number
EmailHi first name,
Your refund is approved. I have refunded amount for item or service from order order number to your payment method, card ending last 4 digits today, refund date.
When you will see it: card refunds usually show 5 to 10 business days after we issue them, depending on your bank. If your payment was recent, the original charge may simply disappear instead.
What you need to do: nothing. Keep the item, or what to do with it.
Refund reference: refund reference
If it is not on your statement by check date, reply and I will trace it the same day.
Your name, company
Approved, the item comes back firstHi first name, your return of item from order order number is approved under our refund policy of policy date. What to do: print the attached label and drop the parcel at carrier by date. When it arrives, we refund amount to your payment method within 2 business days and email you the refund reference. Return shipping: free, or the label cost that the policy deducts from the refund. Your name, company
Fill in before sending
- Amount, order number, refund date and refund reference, exactly as in your payment provider or store platform.
- Payment method, last 4 digits only. With Stripe, refunds can only go back to the original payment method1.
Never promiseA day the money arrives, or 'within 24 hours'. You control the day you issue the refund; the bank controls the day it shows.
4. Partial refund: show the math line by line
A partial refund without the math reads like a mistake. Show every line: what was paid, what comes back, what does not and which policy line says so. Stripe allows several partial refunds on one payment, up to the original amount1.
SubjectYour partial refund for order order number: refund amount
EmailHi first name,
Your return is approved, and here is exactly how the refund adds up.
You paid: order total for order order number on order date.
Refunded:
- item: item price
- shipping, if refunded: shipping amount
Not refunded:
- item or fee kept, for example the return label or the part of the service already delivered: amount, because policy line, quoted, with the policy date
Your refund: refund amount
I refunded refund amount to your payment method, card ending last 4 digits today, reference refund reference. It usually shows within 5 to 10 business days, depending on your bank.
If any line looks wrong to you, reply and tell me which one. I will check it again within 1 business day.
Your name, company
Service business: part of the work is doneHi first name, you booked service for total, and part delivered, for example 2 of 4 sessions took place before you canceled on date. Under our refund policy of policy date, we refund the part not delivered: total minus value delivered = refund amount. I refunded it today to your payment method, reference refund reference. Your name, company
NeverDeduct a fee that is not in the policy version the customer bought under. If a newer version is better for the customer, use the newer one.
5. Outside the policy: say no, then offer what you can
Owner decidesOutside the policy window or its conditions, the approval owner decides, not the person in the chat. Say no in the first lines, give the policy line and the dates, then offer what you can: store credit, an exchange, a repair or a part refund.
SubjectAbout your refund request for order order number
EmailHi first name,
Thank you for your patience while approval owner name reviewed your request. I am sorry, but we cannot refund order order number.
Why: you ordered on order date, under our refund policy of policy date, which allows refunds within policy days days of purchase or delivery. Your request came days days after purchase or delivery. Or the condition that is not met, for example the item was made to order.
What we can do instead:
1. Store credit of the full amount, valid until a date
2. Exchange for another item or size
3. Repair, with a free return label
Reply with 1, 2 or 3 by date and I will set it up the same business day. If a date or a fact above is wrong, tell me and we will look again.
Your name, company
Exception approved by the ownerHi first name, your request is outside our policy days-day window, but approval owner name has approved a one-time exception because reason, for example the delay was on our side. I am refunding amount to your payment method today, reference refund reference. This does not change our policy for future orders. Your name, company
Never say'Our policy is our policy', 'as stated in our terms' without quoting the line, or a no without an alternative. Do not decline in chat: send the decision by email, so the customer has it in writing.
6. Refund sent, and the follow-up when it has not shown
Send the first email the day you issue the refund. The follow-up answers 'where is my refund?', which often comes before the bank's usual range has passed.
SubjectRefund sent: amount for order order number, ref. refund reference
EmailHi first name,
We received your return on date, and I have refunded amount to your payment method, card ending last 4 digits today, refund date.
Refund reference: refund reference
When you will see it: usually within 5 to 10 business days, depending on your bank, so in most cases by refund date plus 10 business days.
If it is not on your statement by then, reply to this email with the reference. I will trace it with our payment provider the same day.
Your name, company
Follow-up emailHi first name,
Thank you for checking. Your refund of amount for order order number was issued on refund date and shows as status in your payment provider, for example succeeded. Banks usually show a card refund within 5 to 10 business days, so it can still arrive by check date. Two things that help:
- Look for the original charge of amount from order date. If it has disappeared, that was the refund.
- Give your bank this reference: ARN or refund reference.
If it has not shown by check date, reply and I will open a trace with our payment provider that day.
Your name, company
If the refund failedHi first name, your bank returned the refund of amount for order order number to us, because reason from your payment provider. I am sorry for the extra step. How would you like it instead: the ways your business can pay, for example a bank transfer or store credit? I will send it the day you reply. Your name, company
Fill in before sending
- The refund reference. For card refunds, Stripe can show an acquirer reference number (ARN) that the customer's bank can trace; it can take up to 7 business days to appear1.
- The check date: the refund date plus 10 business days.
7. Live chat replies for refund requests in the inbox
Chat is for the intake and for clear cases within your own limit. Decisions above it, declines and partial refunds go by email, in writing. Save these four as shortcuts.
7.1/refund-intake: Take the request
When to useA customer asks for a refund in chat.
Never promiseA refund or an amount.
ReplyI can help with that, first name. Could you give me your order number, the email address you ordered with and, in a few words, what went wrong? Please do not type card details.
7.2/refund-owner: Who decides and when
When to useThe amount or the case is above your limit.
Never promiseThe outcome. Say who decides and by when.
ReplyThank you, I have logged it under order order number. Under the refund policy for your order date, approval owner name makes this decision. You will have it by email by promised response date, and sooner if we can.
7.3/refund-done: Refunded in chat
When to useA clear case within your own approval limit.
Never promiseA day the money shows.
ReplyDone: I have refunded amount to your card ending last 4 digits just now. It usually shows within 5 to 10 business days, depending on your bank. The confirmation with the reference is on its way to email address.
7.4/refund-where: Where is my refund?
When to useThe customer asks before the check date.
Never promiseThat it will show tomorrow.
ReplyI checked: your refund of amount was issued on refund date, reference refund reference. Banks usually take 5 to 10 business days, so it should show by check date. If the original charge has disappeared, that was the refund.
TipType the shortcut in the reply box, replace the brackets and send. If the customer is upset, answer the feeling in one sentence first, then use the shortcut.
8. Close the request: completion check and what to log
Completion checkA request is closed only when four things are logged: the decision, its date, the refund reference or the alternative accepted, and the customer's confirmation or a check date passed with no complaint.
SubjectClosed: your refund request for order order number
EmailHi first name,
Thank you for confirming. A short summary for your records:
Order: order number, request of request date
Decision: decision, on decision date
Refund: amount on refund date, reference refund reference, or store credit code or exchange order number
If anything about this refund looks wrong in the next 30 days, reply to this email and it comes straight back to me.
Your name, company
Completion checkNot closed while the decision, the decision date or the refund reference is empty. Silence is not a confirmation: on the check date, look at the refund status in your payment provider, then close the row and write 'no complaint by check date' in the notes.
For small sales and support teams
Take the request, answer in one inbox and keep every refund promise.
The AI agent collects the order number and the reason around the clock and hands the chat to a person. The approval owner gets a task with the promised date as the deadline, and the notes stay on the contact. Refunds are issued in your payment provider or store platform.
- AI agent intake 24/7, using your refund policy in the knowledge base
- Human handover and the unified inbox for website chat, WhatsApp and more
- Launch, $19 a month billed yearly for 8 users; saved replies on Growth, $49
Free plan: 3 users, AI chat, basic knowledge base and basic tasks, no credit card.
Filled example
A $131.50 partial refund, from chat to closed
A customer of a fictional online bedding store ordered the wrong size of duvet cover and asks for her money back in the website chat. This refund email template example follows the request from the AI agent's intake to Mateo's approval, the refund, the follow-up and the close.
Intake record: the five fields
| Order reference | LG-20417, ordered 14 Sep 2026, delivered 17 Sep, $184.00, card ending 2290 |
| Policy version | v3, in force from 1 Sep 2026: 30 days from delivery; change-of-mind returns pay the $7.50 label |
| Reason | Changed mind: ordered Queen, needs King. Unused, in its packaging |
| Approval owner | Mateo Ruiz, operations: approves up to $200 |
| Promised response | Decision by email by Wednesday 23 Sep 2026, logged 21 Sep, 10:24 |
Decision email, 22 September, 09:40: the math
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Linen duvet cover set, Queen, Sage | $139.00 |
| Return label, change of mind (policy v3) | minus $7.50 |
| Refund, once the parcel arrives | $131.50 |
| Kept: 2 linen pillowcases | $36.00, not refunded |
| Shipping | $9.00, not refunded |
Completion check and CRM record
| Item | Recorded | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Return arrived | Friday 25 Sep, unused | Done |
| Refund issued | $131.50 on 28 Sep, ref. re_3Qx81Lg | Done |
| Follow-up answered | 5 Oct: not on the statement yet; ARN and check date 12 Oct sent | Done |
| Customer confirmed | 7 Oct: 'It's there now, thanks' | Done |
| Task | Refund LG-20417: decision, Mateo, deadline 23 Sep | Done |
| Notes and tag | Five intake fields in Notes, tag Refund | Done |
Why it matters
Why refund replies need the policy date and a promised date
Some refund deadlines are set by law. In the US, when you cannot ship an order on time, the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule requires the customer's consent to the delay or a cancellation. Once the order is canceled, a refund for an order paid by card, cash, check or money order is due within seven working days. The rule covers merchandise, not services2.
In the EU, a customer can cancel an online purchase within 14 days without a reason, counted from delivery for goods. The trader must refund all payments, including standard delivery, within 14 days of being told, and may wait until the goods are back or the customer shows they were sent3.
Other dates are not yours to promise. Stripe says a card refund shows about 5 to 10 business days after it is issued, depending on the bank1. So this template promises a decision date and a check date, never the day the money arrives.
5 to 10
business days until a card refund shows (Stripe)
7 working days
US: refund after an order you cannot ship is canceled
14 days
EU: refund after the customer cancels an online purchase
Rules
How to respond to a refund request: four rules
Agree on these before anyone answers a refund request, and write the limits down.
Use the policy they bought under
Date every version of your refund policy and keep the old ones. The version in force on the purchase date applies. If a newer version is better for the customer, use the newer one.
Name who approves what
For example: support up to $50 inside the policy, the operations lead up to $200, the owner above $200 and every exception. Log the approver on every row.
Promise only dates you control
The decision date and the day you issue the refund are yours. The day the bank shows it is not, so give your provider's range and a check date.
SayYou will have the decision by date. Card refunds usually show within 5 to 10 business days after we issue them.
Refund the way they paid
With Stripe, refunds can only go back to the original payment method1. Never ask for a full card number, the security code or a bank password: the last 4 digits find the payment.
Hand the request to the owner when the amount is above your limit, the customer mentions a chargeback or a lawyer, or the request is outside the written policy.
Refund timing
Refund timing: what you control and what you do not
Deadlines you must meet go into the decision email as dates. Timing you do not control goes in as a range and a check date.
| Situation | Deadline or usual timing | Who controls it | What to write |
|---|---|---|---|
| US: order of goods you cannot ship on time is canceled | Refund within 7 working days; one billing cycle if you gave the credit yourself2 | You | The refund date |
| EU: customer cancels an online purchase within 14 days | Refund within 14 days of being told; you may wait for the goods or proof of sending3 | You | The refund date, or 'when the parcel arrives' |
| Card refund issued | Shows about 5 to 10 business days later1 | The customer's bank | A range and a check date |
| Refund soon after the payment | Can appear as a reversal: the charge drops off, no separate credit1 | The card network | Look for the charge disappearing |
| Customer asks for a trace | An ARN can take up to 7 business days to be available1 | Your payment provider | The ARN or refund reference |
| Refund failed | The money can take up to 30 days to come back to your balance1 | The bank, then you | Ask how to pay it instead |
Other payment providers and store platforms publish their own ranges: use theirs, and check the consumer rules of your state or country. This table is not legal advice.
Excel refund log
What is in the Excel refund request log
Four sheets: Refund log with the filled case and 7 more sample rows, Policies, Summary and Lists. Auto columns fill in by themselves. Works in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets.
| Column | What it does |
|---|---|
| Request received, customer, order reference, purchase date, delivered | The row you create before the first reply. Delivered stays empty for a service or a lost order. |
| Policy version, policy days Auto | The version in force on the purchase date and its window, from the Policies sheet. |
| Days since purchase, in policy window Auto | Request date minus the purchase date, or the delivery date when that version counts from delivery; Yes or No against the policy days. |
| Reason, amount requested | One reason from the list and the amount the customer asks for. |
| Approval owner Auto | Support, operations or the owner, from the limits on the Lists sheet. Requests outside the window go to the owner. |
| Promised reply by, on time Auto | Request date plus 2 business days (your target on the Lists sheet); Yes when the decision went out by then. |
| Decision, decision sent, refund amount, reference, issued, closed | What you decided and when, and the refund details from your payment provider or store platform. |
| Status Auto | Awaiting decision, Decision overdue, Refund to issue, Refund sent, Check and close (10 business days after the refund), Open or Closed. |
The Summary sheet counts requests inside and outside the policy window, overdue decisions, refunds still to issue and the amount refunded, by reason, decision and approval owner. In the sample log, 6 of 8 requests were inside the window, 5 of 6 decisions went out by the promised date and $237.50 was refunded.
How to use
How to use the refund email templates
- 1
Date your policy and set the limits
Policy versions on the Policies sheet; approval limits and the reply target on the Lists sheet.
- 2
Log, then reply
Fill the five intake fields and send tab 1 the same day. If something is missing, send tab 2 once.
- 3
Decide by the promised date
The approval owner decides; send tab 3, 4 or 5 by email.
- 4
Refund, then tell them
Refund in your payment provider or store platform, then send tab 6 with the reference.
- 5
Close and review
Send tab 8, fill in Closed and review the log monthly.
Set it up in CRMsoftware.pro
- My Bots > choose the bot > Basics tab: add your dated refund policy to the Knowledge Base, and to Instructions: collect the order number, the email and the reason, never approve or promise a refund, say who decides and by when. Save Bot, then Try Bot.
- A refund chat that needs a person appears in Live Support as Awaiting agent. Claim it and reply from the unified inbox; the chat history stays on the contact.
- Tasks > New Task: Task title 'Refund LG-20417: decision', Assignee the approval owner, Deadline the promised date, Priority High, Status summary required on completion.
- Write the five intake fields and the refund reference in Notes on the contact, and add a Conversation Tag 'Refund' (Settings > Conversation Tags > New tag).
- On Growth, save tab 1 and the chat replies as Saved Replies: Settings > Saved Replies > New reply, Shortcut (for example /refund-intake), Title, Reply body, Share with team.
AI chat, the basic knowledge base and basic tasks: Free, 3 users. Human handover and the unified inbox: Launch, $19 a month billed yearly for 8 users. Saved replies: Growth, $49 a month billed yearly for 20 users. The app does not issue refunds: do that in your payment provider or store platform.
Monthly refund review, 20 minutes
- Every open row has an approval owner and a promised date that has not passed.
- The share of decisions sent on time is at or above your target.
- The most common reason gets one fix, such as a size guide or better photos.
FAQ
Questions about refund emails
How do you respond to a refund request?
Log five fields first: order reference, policy version, reason, approval owner and promised response. Reply the same day with who decides and by when, ask once for any missing detail, and send the decision by email by the promised date. Close the request only when the refund reference and the customer's confirmation are logged.
What should a refund email template include?
The decision in the first line, the amount and what it covers, the payment method with the last 4 digits only, the timing as a range, what the customer must do, the refund reference and a name to reply to. For a partial refund, add every line of the math.
How fast should a business answer a refund request?
Send a first reply the same day and the decision within 2 business days, the default in this template. Some deadlines are set by law: in the US, a canceled order you could not ship on time must be refunded within seven working days2, and in the EU a customer who cancels an online purchase must be refunded within 14 days3.
How do I write a refund request response email when the answer is no?
Say no in the first lines, then give the policy line, the purchase date and the request date, so the customer can check the reason. Offer one to three alternatives, such as store credit, an exchange or a repair, and keep the offer open for a set time.
How long does a refund take to show on a card?
Stripe says about 5 to 10 business days after it is issued, depending on the bank. A refund made soon after the payment can appear as a reversal, where the original charge simply disappears1. Give the customer that range and a check date, not a day.
Is there a sample follow up email for a refund request?
Yes. As the business, use tab 6: the refund date and status, a reference the bank can trace and a new check date. As a customer, keep it short: 'Hi, I asked for a refund of [amount] for order [order number] on [date]. Could you confirm the refund date and the refund reference? Thank you.'
Do I have to give a refund by law?
Sometimes. In the US, the FTC rule requires a prompt refund when an order of goods cannot ship on time and the customer cancels or does not agree to the delay2. In the EU, customers can cancel most online purchases within 14 days and get all payments back3. Otherwise your written policy and local law decide.
Can I refund to a different card or by bank transfer?
Usually not through your payment provider: Stripe sends refunds only to the original payment method, and when that card has expired or been canceled, the card issuer usually credits the replacement card1. If a refund fails, pay it another way you can document.
Can CRMsoftware.pro issue the refund?
No. You issue refunds in your payment provider or store platform. CRMsoftware.pro handles the conversation: the AI agent takes the intake, Live Support hands the chat to a person (Launch, $19 a month billed yearly), tasks hold the decision deadline and saved replies insert these templates (Growth, $49).
Related templates
Free tools
Sources
- Card refund timing, reversals, refund references and failed refunds, read 8 October 2026: Stripe Docs, Refund and cancel payments
- US rule for orders that cannot ship on time (guide of September 2011, page updated July 2025), read 8 October 2026: Federal Trade Commission, Business Guide to the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
- EU right of withdrawal and refund deadline (Articles 9 and 13), read 8 October 2026: EUR-Lex, Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights
- Plans and prices: CRMsoftware.pro pricing
Answer every refund request by the date you promised.
Start free with 3 users, AI chat and basic tasks. Launch, $19 a month billed yearly, adds human handover and the unified inbox. Growth, $49 a month billed yearly for 20 users, adds saved replies and auto-translation in the inbox.