Travel operations
Travel Booking Refunds: How the Money Comes Back
After you cancel a hotel or tour, the refund goes back to the card or account you paid with. A refund on a settled payment usually shows up as a separate credit about 5–10 business days after the merchant sends it, while a cancellation made soon after paying can simply make the original charge disappear. If nothing arrives, ask the merchant for the refund date and a reference such as an ARN, give it to your bank, and dispute the payment if the refund never comes.
By DmytroUpdated 10 min read
Short answer
- Check what you are waiting for: a hold being released, the original charge disappearing (a reversal) or a separate refund credit.
- Stripe says customers see a refund about 5–10 business days after it is sent, and a reference number (ARN) can take up to 7 business days to appear.
- If the refund is late, ask the merchant for the date, amount, currency and reference, then give them to your card issuer.
- A refundable hotel rate pays off only if you will know about a change before its deadline: €210 refundable vs €180 non-refundable is a €30 premium for that option.
What you are waiting for: hold, reversal or refund
A cancelled booking ends in one of four ways, and each looks different on the statement.
If the payment was only authorized, the merchant cancels it and the hold drops off. Stripe explains that a refund issued shortly after the charge can appear as a reversal: the original charge disappears and no separate credit is issued. A refund on a settled payment arrives as its own credit. A voucher or account credit means no money comes back to the card at all.
Refunds go back to the original payment method. If that card has expired or been replaced, Stripe says the issuer usually credits the replacement card, or uses another method such as a bank deposit when there is no replacement.
| Outcome | What you see | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Hold released | The pending amount disappears and the available balance goes back up | That no posted charge remains |
| Reversal | The original charge drops off; no separate credit appears | That the charge is gone from the statement |
| Refund | A separate credit, usually 5–10 business days after the merchant sends it | Amount, currency and date against the original charge |
| Voucher or credit | A code or account credit instead of money on the card | Expiry, restrictions and whether you agreed to it |
How long a refund takes and how to trace it
Ask when the refund was sent and for its reference number.
Stripe says customers usually see a refund as a credit about 5–10 business days after the merchant initiates it, depending on the bank. A booking marked “cancelled” is the start of the process, so ask the seller whether the refund was approved, sent or only requested, and on what date.
If the refund is overdue, ask for a reference number. Card refunds can carry an Acquirer Reference Number (ARN), a System Trace Audit Number (STAN) or a Retrieval Reference Number (RRN). Stripe says an ARN can take up to 7 business days to become available, and a reversal has none. Give the reference to your bank, which can tell you when the money will be available.
A refund can fail, for example when the card was closed. Stripe says the money then returns to the merchant, which can take up to 30 days, and the merchant has to arrange another way to pay you.
Checklist
- Cancellation confirmation and the time you cancelled saved.
- Name of the party that charged your card noted.
- Refund amount, currency and date sent confirmed by the merchant.
- ARN or other reference requested if the refund is late.
- Chargeback deadline written down before you wait any longer.
Why the refund is smaller than the charge
Compare the merchant-currency amounts first, then the exchange rates.
Compare the amounts in the merchant’s currency first. If both are €500, the difference comes from conversion. Example: a €500 charge converted at $1.10 per euro cost $550; the same €500 refunded at $1.08 comes back as $540, before any card fees.
Ask your card issuer which balance the refund lands in and whether conversion fees on the original payment are returned. Holding the booking currency avoids a second conversion only if both the charge and the refund settle to that balance. Booking.com’s optional Pay In Your Own Currency can include its conversion charges in the exchange rate or as a separate line (as of 26 Sep 2026), so compare that total with paying in the property’s currency before you book.
If the merchant-currency amount itself is lower, ask the seller to explain the deduction: a cancellation fee, a non-refundable tax or a partial refund.
Refundable vs non-refundable hotel rate: what flexibility costs
Pay for a refundable rate when you will know about a change before its deadline.
A refundable rate is worth its premium only if whatever could change your plans will be known before the cancellation deadline. Example: €180 non-refundable or €210 refundable until 18:00 hotel time two days before arrival, so the flexibility costs €30. If a visa decision or a work change is known three days before arrival, you can still cancel and avoid losing €180. If a flight is delayed on the day you arrive, the deadline has already passed and the €30 bought nothing.
Compare identical rates. If the €210 rate includes breakfast for two that you would otherwise buy at €12 each, the comparable non-refundable cost is €180 + €24 = €204, and the flexibility costs only €6. If you would skip breakfast, leave it out of the comparison.
Read the exact rate line, not the label: the cancellation deadline and its time zone, what is charged after it, when payment is taken, deposits and local taxes, and the no-show rule. Hilton says cancellation terms vary by rate, dates and hotel, that new dates may change the rate, and that bookings made through a third party must be changed through it. On Booking.com, cancellation, no-show and deposit rules are set by each property. A pay-at-property rate still lets the hotel check, hold or charge your card under the rate terms.
| Situation | Better choice |
|---|---|
| Flight, visa or work plans not yet confirmed | Refundable, with a deadline after the date you will know |
| The risk is a delay on arrival day | Neither rate covers it; book closer to the date or arrange late check-in |
| Dates and room needs settled, property known | Non-refundable, if losing the amount would be affordable |
| Multi-city trip with uncertain later legs | Refundable for the later nights |
Tour cancelled for weather: what happens to the payment
Who cancelled decides the refund; the refund covers the tour price only.
What you get back depends on who cancelled. GetYourGuide’s terms (section 16.4.1) give a refund of the paid booking price when a supplier cancels because of qualifying external circumstances, including adverse weather. If you decide not to go because of the forecast, your own cancellation deadline applies: on GetYourGuide the default is a full refund more than 24 hours before the activity and none within 24 hours or for a no-show, unless the activity terms say otherwise (as of 26 Sep 2026). In the EU, consumer law also protects you against unfair contract terms.
The refund covers the tour price, not a train ticket you changed or a replacement activity. Ask the operator in writing which rule applied and for the refund amount, currency and payment method. GetYourGuide refunds go to the original payment method unless you choose an offered gift-card refund.
Plan the day around your connection. Example: a 17:15 train, a 16:45 target for reaching the station, 30 minutes to collect luggage and a 60-minute transfer mean the tour must finish by 15:15, so an advertised 16:00 finish fails even without a weather delay. Keep a flexible indoor option and avoid buying a second non-refundable activity while the first booking’s status is unclear.
| Event | Question for the operator |
|---|---|
| Operator cancels | How and when will the booking price be refunded? |
| Route or time changes | What changed, can I decline, and what happens to the price? |
| I choose not to go | Which cancellation deadline and charge apply? |
| I cannot reach the meeting point | Is there a late-arrival process? |
If the refund never arrives
Chase the merchant and protect the chargeback deadline at the same time.
Contact the party that charged you with the cancellation confirmation and ask for the refund status in writing. At the same time, ask your card issuer about the chargeback deadline: Visa gives 120 days from purchase as the general limit, and providers set their own, so repeated promises can use up that time.
Keep a replacement booking separate from money that has not arrived. Example: €600 due back and a new €500 booking still need €500 available today.
Tell the issuer if the refund arrives during a dispute, so you are not paid twice, and keep the final statement and messages.
FAQ
How long does a booking refund take to reach my card?
Stripe says customers usually see a refund about 5–10 business days after the merchant sends it, depending on the bank. Ask the merchant on what date it was sent.
Why can’t I see a separate refund on my statement?
If you cancelled soon after paying, the refund may have been processed as a reversal: the original charge disappears and no new credit appears. If the charge is still there, ask the merchant for the refund reference.
Is a refundable hotel rate worth it?
It is worth it when the reason you might cancel will be known before the deadline. Example: €210 refundable vs €180 non-refundable means paying €30 for the right to cancel.
Do I get my money back if a tour is cancelled because of weather?
If the operator cancels, the booking price is refunded under the platform’s terms; GetYourGuide’s terms cover supplier cancellations for reasons including adverse weather. If you cancel yourself, your own cancellation deadline applies.
What if the refund goes to a card I no longer have?
Stripe says the card issuer usually credits your replacement card, or pays by another method such as a bank deposit if there is no replacement.
Sources
- Refund and cancel payments — Stripe
- Chargeback: Debit & Credit Card Purchase Disputes — Visa
- General terms and conditions — GetYourGuide
- Booking.com terms and conditions — Booking.com
- Cancellation policy depends on rate, dates and hotel — Hilton
- Modifying a reservation can change the rate — Hilton
- Unfair contract terms directive — European Commission
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