Hey bunqers 🌈,

A chargeback is designed to help you get your money back when payments made from your bunq Card are incorrect or unauthorized. 

Instead of you having to rely on a merchant refund, we’ll submit your chargeback request and try to reverse the transaction through the card network’s rules. A chargeback covers you in the following situations:

• Unauthorized payments: a payment which you didn’t make or approve. 

• Goods or services not received: when you paid for something but it never arrived. 

• Not as described or defective: when the item that showed up was broken, defective, or totally different from the description. 

• Duplicate charges: when you’re accidentally charged twice for the same purchase. 

• Canceled subscriptions: when you’re still getting charged for a subscription you already cancelled. 

• Missing refunds: when a merchant promised a refund, but it never came through 

• ATM errors: when an ATM charged you for a withdrawal, but didn’t dispense any cash 

You can simply submit a chargeback request through the app and we’ll handle the rest for you. Here’s everything you need to know about the chargeback process. 

How can I request a chargeback? 

It’s simple! Just follow the steps below: 

1. Go to your Home Tab

2. Select the Bank Account you paid from

3. Find and select the payment you’d like to dispute

4. Tap on More

5. Tap Request a Chargeback

6. Select the reason

7. Upload the requested information and submit

If the payment isn't eligible for a chargeback, the Request a Chargeback button won't appear in the app. 

When is a chargeback eligible?

A payment is usually eligible for a chargeback when:

• You didn’t authorize the payment or your card details were used fraudulently

• You never received what you paid for

• What you received is significantly different from what was advertised

• You were charged more than once for the same purchase

• You canceled a subscription but were still charged

• A merchant promised a refund that didn’t arrive after a reasonable period

• An ATM failed to dispense cash but debited your account

To help your case:

• Contact the merchant first and ask for a refund. Keep proof of your conversation.

• Collect evidence: receipts, order confirmations, tracking info, cancellation emails, photos, chat logs, and dates/times of calls.

When is a chargeback not eligible?

Chargebacks only apply to card payments made with a bunq Credit Card or Debit Card (Mastercard). The following are not eligible:

• Bank transfers

• iDEAL payments

• Wise (e.g. TransferWise) payments

• B2B direct debits

• SWIFT payments

• Maestro card payments (Mastercard consumer protection applies to Mastercard debit and credit cards, not Maestro)

Card payments which aren’t eligible for chargebacks are when:

• The payment was approved within the bunq App or via Apple/Google Pay

• The payment was for a deposit into an investment or cryptocurrency account

• The payment was made via an e-money wallet (e.g. PayPal or Curve)

• The payment was a donation to a charity

• The payment was on gambling or betting websites

• You changed your mind (buyer’s remorse) or didn’t follow the merchant’s return policy

• You agreed to the purchase terms and they were met

• The merchant already refunded you, but the reservation hasn’t released yet

• You used your card for a deposit (e.g., hotel/car rental) and the hold release is still in progress

• The payment was settled more than 120 days ago 

• A chargeback for the same transaction has already been submitted or denied 

Important: Submitting a chargeback without valid grounds or evidence may lead to a denial. For the full rules, see our Mastercard chargeback terms and conditions.

How does the chargeback process work?

For merchant disputes (e.g. item not received, wrong item, duplicate charge), contact the merchant first by chat or email so you have a written record. Share your order or booking reference and a clear summary of the issue. Give them a chance to refund or provide the service. If they don't resolve it, submit your chargeback from the app and attach proof (order confirmation, cancellation, or correspondence).

For fraud or unrecognized payments, submit the chargeback and we’ll investigate. 

Here’s what happens when you submit the chargeback. 

1. Check your payment status

   • If the payment is reserved, wait for it to settle or release.

   • If the payment is settled and you have a valid reason, continue.

2. Contact the merchant  

   • Ask for a refund and keep records (emails, messages, call logs).

3. Start your chargeback 

   • Block the affected card to secure your account and avoid any potential further losses. 

   • Submit your claim from the app and upload your supporting evidence. We’ll pick up your request within 3 working days of your submission.

4. We review and file with the card network

   • Our Cards Team reviews your documents and checks that your case meets Mastercard conditions within 5 working days of our request reception. 

   • We may ask for additional documents or information to help support your case. 

   • If your request is eligible, we’ll assign the correct reason code and  submit the claim to Mastercard. 

5. Merchant response 

   • The merchant can accept the chargeback or contest it with their own evidence. They have up to 45 working days to respond. 

   • If they don’t respond within this time frame, you’re automatically refunded. 

   • If the merchant disputes your claim, we’ll notify you immediately via the app and review the merchant response within 5 working days. 

   • If we challenge the merchant, the merchant has another 45 working days to respond. 

6. Final decision 

   • The card network applies their rules and decides. There may be an additional review round if needed.

The full chargeback process can take between 50 and 120 days, depending on the case. For example, depending on. whether the merchant responds or there are extra review rounds. 

What documents should I provide?

Clear evidence helps us investigate faster and submit a strong claim when you're eligible. To help speed up the investigation, you can upload: 

• Order confirmation or invoice

• Proof of cancellation (if relevant)

• Screenshots of your communication with the merchant (chat or email)

• Proof that you tried to resolve the issue with the merchant

• Relevant refund or cancellation terms from the merchant's terms and conditions

• Any tracking details showing non-delivery or return

How do I track the status of my chargeback request?

We’re here to help make this process as simple and clear for you as possible. That’s why you can see every update in the app. Simply: 

1. Go to the Home Tab

2. Select the Bank Account you used for the chargeback

3. Find the chargeback event in the timeline

4. Open it to see the latest status

We also send push notifications when there's an update.

What does my chargeback status mean?

You’ll always be able to view your chargeback’s latest status in the app. Here’s what each status means for your funds. 

• Approved. Your chargeback is successful and your funds will be returned. Any temporary credit becomes final once the network’s decision is confirmed.

• Denied. The funds stay with the merchant. We’ll explain the reason code and, if possible, guide you on next steps (for example, providing more evidence or following up with the merchant).

Note: Some disputes may receive a temporary credit while the network reviews the case. If the dispute is later denied, that temporary credit is reversed.

What should I do if my chargeback was denied because the merchant claimed the money? 

Some card payments start as reserved card payments. This is a temporary hold that guarantees to the merchant there's enough money in your account, and obliges us to reserve that amount for them. The money is reserved, but hasn't left your account yet. This is common with:

• Hotels, car rentals, deposits, and pay-at-pump fuel

• Online merchants verifying your card

• Merchants checking available balance before completing the sale 

Before we can start the chargeback process, we wait for 30 working days to see if the merchant will either claim or release the reserved funds. If the merchant doesn’t claim the reserved card payment, an automatic refund will be issued to your account — and you won’t need to submit a chargeback request. That’s why, we can only start a chargeback process after the payment has been claimed by the merchant and is shown as settled in your bunq App. 

If your payment is still reserved, just hang tight! A chargeback is only possible after the payment is officially claimed by the merchant. Once the payment has been claimed, you can easily start the chargeback right from your bunq app. 

If you request a chargeback for a reserved card payment and the merchant claims this payment after your chargeback has already been submitted — your chargeback request will be denied. No worries, you can simply request a new chargeback request for the same payment.

Do I need to block my card when I request a Chargeback?

Your security comes first. That’s why whenever you request a chargeback related to an unauthorized card payment, we’ll ask you to block your card to secure your account. This is a crucial security step to protect you and avoid any further loss of funds through fraudulent payments. Additionally, it is mandatory to block your card in order to proceed with a fraud claim.

We understand you may need access to your cards to continue daily payments and we’ll never leave you without a way to pay. So we've designed a process to get back to spending safely in just a few moments. As soon as you block your old card, you can instantly get a new digital or physical bunq Debit or Credit card and add it to your phone for immediate use. Here’s how it works.

Block your card

Once you block your compromised card and request a chargeback, simply order a new card by following these steps: 

1. Go to the 💳Cards tab

2. Tap on Add Card

3. Choose your card of preference and follow the flow 

4. A new digital version of your card is created immediately — it will appear in your app and is ready to be used for online payments right away.

Add your new card to Apple or Google Pay

You can easily add your new card to Apple or Google Pay and continue to use your bunq account without any further interruptions by following these steps: 

1. Go to the 💳 Cards tab

2. Tap on your new card in the app 

3. Select Add to Apple Pay or Add to Google Pay 

4. Start using your new card for in-store, contactless payments in seconds. 

If you’ve selected a physical card your new physical card will be sent to your registered address within 10 business days. You can still use your new card immediately through Apple or Google Pay while you wait for the physical card to arrive by mail.

Need it sent somewhere else?

If you're traveling or need the card delivered to a different address, please contact us in the support chat before you order the new card, and we will be happy to help you update the delivery address. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I keep using my old card? It was probably a one-time thing.
Unfortunately, no. Once card details are compromised, they are considered permanently unsafe. Continuing to use the card would leave your account at high risk of further fraud. Blocking it is the only option to secure your account and proceed with the chargeback. 

Q: What if I don't block the card?
We cannot proceed with your fraud claim unless the compromised card is blocked. This is a mandatory step in the process to ensure your account is secured.

Q: Does blocking the card guarantee I get my money back? Blocking the card is the first and most important step to secure your account from future losses. The investigation to recover your money is a separate process that begins after you complete the chargeback request. We will do our best to get your money to you as soon as you fill out your chargeback request.