A cancelled Wise transfer does not always mean a refund has already been sent. Wise may first need to receive your original payment or money returned by the recipient’s bank. Check the refund status and funding method before counting the waiting period. Wise’s refund timing guide explains this starting point.
This page covers refunds of money used to fund a Wise transfer. A shop refunding a purchase made with your Wise card follows a different merchant-refund process.
General refund windows
Wise publishes these estimates; currency-specific guidance can differ:
| How you paid | Published refund window |
|---|---|
| Debit or credit card | Up to ten working days |
| Bank transfer | Zero to three working days |
| Wise balance | Instant if the money has not been sent out |
| Other methods | Check the relevant currency guide |
Working days exclude weekends and public holidays. Treat the refund’s issue status separately from cancellation and from time spent waiting for the original funds. Official refund estimates.
For a payment funded in US dollars
Wise’s USD guide lists a more specific breakdown: ACH debit refunds take zero to three working days, local wires one to three, and Swift payments five to ten. Card refunds take two to ten working days. For ACH, Wise must receive the debit before it can refund it.
Use the method you actually paid with. The recipient being in India does not turn a USD-funded refund into an INR-funded refund.
Where will the refund go?
Wise says it normally returns the money to the original card or bank account. If a card has expired or been replaced but its linked bank account is still open, its guidance says the refund can still reach that account. A closed funding account may require extra instructions. See Wise’s refund destination guide.
If Wise asks for refund details, respond through the official account process. A changed or closed account is a reason to check the instructions, not to assume the money will automatically appear in a new account.
If the window has passed
First record the refund issue date, original payment method, transfer reference and any tracking information Wise supplies. Then ask the receiving bank to trace that refund.
For a card-funded transfer, Wise’s card refund instructions direct you to the Acquirer Reference Number, or ARN, in the refund details of the receipt. Give that reference to the card issuer after the published waiting period.
If a receipt or refund reference is not available in your account, ask Wise for the appropriate tracking details. Do not confuse a completed-transfer confirmation with proof that a refund has been issued. If the bank cannot locate the money, Wise’s refund investigation guidance may require a statement covering the period since the refund was sent.
Can I still cancel the original transfer?
Cancellation depends on its stage. Wise says a completed transfer cannot be cancelled; cancellation during processing may require support and is not guaranteed. See Wise’s cancellation rules.
For a payment that is still in progress, use the transfer delay guide first. A pending transfer, a cancellation request and an issued refund are three different states.