A large benefit to online shopping is that most companies will take back items for return, and refund the money swiftly. In fact, companies like Amazon are known for being accommodating with refunds.
However, some Amazon customers may wonder exactly how long it takes to receive a refund for an item they’ve returned. If you’d like to find out, keep reading to see what I learned!
How Long Do Amazon Refunds Take?
Amazon refunds are estimated to arrive at varying times, depending on the purchase method a customer has used. However, refunds will generally be received no later than 30 days from the time their order was returned. However, orders that are fulfilled by third-party sellers and Amazon Marketplace are required to process refunds much earlier.
If you’d like to learn more about how long Amazon refunds take per payment method, the refund time frame for third-party sellers, and other similar topics, keep reading for useful facts and information!
Do All Amazon Refunds Take the Same Amount of Time?
When customers return an item to Amazon, both the refund method and the refund timeline are different depending on how a customer paid for their item.
The list for these methods is as follows:
- Credit card: three to five business days
- Amazon.com Gift Card: two to three hours
- Debit card: up to 10 business days
- Checking account: up to 10 business days
- SNAP EBT card: up to 10 business days
- Gift Card Balance: two to three hours
- Promotional certificate: no refund was issued
- Prepaid credit card: up to 30 days
- Reward points: up to five business days
- Cash (at participating locations): up to 10 business days
How Long Do Third-Party Amazon Refunds Take?
Unlike orders fulfilled by Amazon, third-party sellers who use Amazon as a selling platform are required to fulfill refunds within two days of being requested.
Once the refund is put through, it will take 3-5 business days to show up in the customer’s personal account.
However, customers should note that if they have not heard back from the seller within two days, they may file an A-Z Guarantee in order to prevent their refund request from being ignored.
How Long Do Amazon Prime Refunds Take?
When Amazon Prime customers request a refund for a previous order, their refund should be processed within three to five business days.
However, the refund may take up to 30 days to appear, depending on the card issuer.
The time frame for a refund will also depend on the payment method used. A pre-paid credit card will take up to 30 days, a credit card will take three to five business days, and SNAP EBT is refunded within a 24-hour period.
How Do I Request a Refund From Amazon?
Once customers are familiar with how long their refund will take to arrive, they can put the refund request through their account by doing the following:
- After logging in to your account, head to the “Your Orders” page and locate the item you wish to be refunded for.
- After finding your order, select the “Problem with your order” option and select “Request refund” from the list.
- Enter any relevant comments pertaining to the refund request in the comment box, and press “Submit.”
Customers should note that while refunds are processed within 30 days, it may take up to a week for Amazon to review a refund request.
Therefore, refunds may not appear 30 days from when they were requested and instead from the day the request is responded to.
Customers should also be aware that some items require a return request before a refund can be issued.
How Do I Request a Refund From an Amazon Third-Party Seller?
When Amazon customers require a refund from a third-party seller, they can request a refund by following the regular request method on the “Your Orders” page.
Customers can simply locate the order and select Problem with your order > request refund.
Regular Amazon refund requests are reviewed within a week. However, third-party sellers are required to respond to refund requests within two days.
Therefore, if customers have not received a response to their refund request within two days, they are allowed to file an A to Z Guarantee to the third-party seller, which will guarantee their refund request is not being ignored.
How Long Do Gift Return Refunds Take on Amazon?
When customers wish to return a gift they’ve purchased on Amazon, they will be refunded within 30 days.
Their refund may appear in their account sooner, depending on the payment method used, which is indicated on the Refunds page on Amazon.com.
In order to request a refund for a gift, customers must fill out a return request by doing the following:
- Using a desktop or laptop computer, log in to your Amazon account and head to the Returns Center.
- Locate the order number from your order and enter it.
- Press Continue and choose the items from the order you wish to return.
- After selecting the items for return, select a return reason from the drop-down menu.
Customers should note that if the gift they’re returning is from a third-party seller, they must select the “submit return request” option, which will be reviewed and approved within two days.
However, customers can file an A to Z Guarantee if their return and refund request was not approved within a timely manner in order to ensure they receive their refund.
To know more about shopping at Amazon, you can also see our related posts on Amazon refund without return, Amazon late delivery refund, and the Amazon order cancellation policy.
