How Long Do Refunds Take?
A credit card refund has 10 business days under federal law: 7 for the store to send it, then 3 for your card issuer to credit it (12 CFR 1026.12(e)). The 10 is a limit, not a promise: neither the store nor the issuer may take longer, but either can be faster. Weekends and holidays do not count. So 10 business days is usually 14 calendar days, and longer when a holiday falls inside.
The law does not make a store give refunds; that is up to its return policy. It only says how fast a refund to a credit card must move once the store gives one (12 CFR 1026.12(e)(3)).
The three dates in a credit card refund
| Step | Deadline | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The store accepts your return | Day 0 | Fri, Nov 27, 2026 |
| The store sends the credit to your card issuer | Within 7 business days | Tue, Dec 8, 2026 |
| Your card issuer credits your account | Within 3 business days of getting it | Fri, Dec 11, 2026 |
The store: 7 business days. The rule says the store "shall, within 7 business days from accepting the return or forgiving the debt, transmit a credit statement to the card issuer" (12 CFR 1026.12(e)(1)). It applies to any store that takes credit cards (12 CFR 1026.2(a)(17)(ii)).
The card issuer: 3 business days. The issuer "shall, within 3 business days from receipt of a credit statement, credit the consumer's account" (12 CFR 1026.12(e)(2)). It may show the credit later than that, as long as the credit is dated inside the 3 days (CFPB official interpretation, comment 12(e)(2)-1). Check the transaction date on the credit, not the day it appeared in your app.
Whose business days. Here a business day is a day the store's or the bank's offices are open for substantially all of their business (12 CFR 1026.2(a)(6)). A store open on Saturdays can count Saturday. Your card issuer is a bank, so its 3 days skip weekends and Federal Reserve holidays. For the other rules that count Saturday, see is Saturday a business day.
The example assumes a store closed on weekends and federal holidays, and an issuer that receives the credit the day it is sent. Last updated: October 29, 2026 (U.S. Central time).
Find the two dates for your return
Store sends the credit by Tue, Dec 8, 2026
Your card issuer credits it by Fri, Dec 11, 2026: 14 calendar days after the return.
No holiday falls inside these 10 business days.
The issuer's 3 days always follow the Federal Reserve calendar. If your refund is late, the dates here are the latest the law allows.
Refund dates around holidays, November 2026 to December 2027
Each weekday holiday inside the 10 business days moves both dates one business day later, which is three calendar days when the move crosses a weekend. These rows assume a store closed on weekends and federal holidays.
| Return accepted | Store sends by | Issuer credits by | Holidays in the way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Nov 19, 2026 | Tue, Dec 1 | Fri, Dec 4 (15 days) | Thanksgiving, Nov 26 |
| Mon, Nov 23, 2026 | Thu, Dec 3 | Tue, Dec 8 (15 days) | Thanksgiving, Nov 26 |
| Fri, Nov 27, 2026 | Tue, Dec 8 | Fri, Dec 11 (14 days) | None |
| Mon, Dec 21, 2026 | Thu, Dec 31 | Wed, Jan 6, 2027 (16 days) | Christmas, Dec 25; New Year's Day, Jan 1 |
| Mon, Dec 28, 2026 | Thu, Jan 7, 2027 | Tue, Jan 12, 2027 (15 days) | New Year's Day, Jan 1 |
| Mon, Jan 11, 2027 | Thu, Jan 21 | Tue, Jan 26 (15 days) | Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan 18 |
| Tue, Jun 15, 2027 | Fri, Jun 25 | Wed, Jun 30 (15 days) | Juneteenth, observed Fri, Jun 18 |
| Mon, Dec 20, 2027 | Thu, Dec 30 | Tue, Jan 4, 2028 (15 days) | Christmas, observed Fri, Dec 24 |
The last two rows change with the store's calendar. Juneteenth and Christmas 2027 fall on a Saturday. Federal offices close the Friday before, but the Federal Reserve stays open. A store on the Federal Reserve calendar sends by Thu, Jun 24 and Wed, Dec 29, and the issuer credits by Tue, Jun 29 and Mon, Jan 3, 2028, one day sooner. Each month's count for both calendars is on how many work days in a month.
A store open on Saturdays finishes sooner, because its Saturdays count toward the 7 days. For a return on Fri, Nov 27, 2026, it sends by Sat, Dec 5, and the issuer credits by Wed, Dec 9, two days sooner.
Questions
Why do refunds take so long?
The money passes three hands. The store sends a credit through the card network. The network passes it to your card issuer. The issuer adds it to your account. The store is not holding your money; each step waits for business days. When you paid, the charge only looked instant, because your card issuer put a hold on the amount right away.
How long is 8 to 10 business days?
10 to 14 calendar days when no holiday falls inside, so about two weeks. The 10 is the most the law allows for a credit card refund: 7 days for the store and 3 for the issuer.
Does the 10-day rule cover debit cards?
No. 12 CFR 1026.12(e) covers credit to a credit card account. A debit card refund goes back to your bank account, and the store's policy and your bank set the timing.
What if my credit card refund never shows up?
A credit that was not posted properly is a billing error (12 CFR 1026.13(a)(4)). Write to your card issuer at the billing-error address on your statement. The issuer must receive it within 60 days after it sent the first statement that should have shown the credit (12 CFR 1026.13(b)(1)).
How do I count business days for other deadlines?
Use the business days calculator. For ranges like 3–5 or 7–10 business days, see how long is 3–5 business days.
Sources: 12 CFR 1026.12(e), 1026.2(a)(6) and (a)(17), and 1026.13 (Regulation Z, eCFR); CFPB official interpretation of 12(e). Holidays follow 5 U.S.C. 6103 and the Federal Reserve holiday schedule. This page explains timing rules; it is not legal advice.