A refund can only travel back to the original payment method — never to a different card or bank account — so when that card or account has changed, the refund either follows it automatically or gets stuck at the old bank. Back Market's help page states the split plainly: an expired card's refund is automatically directed back to the linked bank account, a closed account with another account at the same bank most likely gets the refund redirected, and an account closed everywhere at the original bank most likely leaves the refund blocked there. Answer three questions and this checker shows which of those routes your refund is on, and the ARN steps that find it if it never arrives.
Framework checked October 26, 2026 — every route below is taken from the primary sources named on this page: Back Market's help page, Stripe's refunds documentation, and PayPal's ARN documentation. Nothing here promises a refund will arrive, and no phone number is printed: use the number on your own bank's site or in your banking app.
Your refund — three answers, one honest route
Everything is counted in your browser and never sent anywhere. This checker asks for no card number, expiry date, PIN or account number — never enter those anywhere to trace a refund.
For an expired or replaced card this is normally yes — the account behind the card is still open. It matters most for a closed account or a bank switch, where it decides between a redirect and a block.
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The rules underneath
The refund route, in one view
One rule governs every row: a refund can only go back to the original payment method. Stripe's refunds documentation states it without exception — a merchant cannot send a refund to a different destination, such as another card or bank account. Everything else is what happens when that original route has changed:
What changed
Where the refund goes
Card expired, account still open
Automatic to the linked bank account. Back Market: automatically directed back to the bank account linked to that card, nothing you need to do, up to 7 business days.
Card replaced or lost, same bank
Most likely credited to the replacement card. Stripe: refunds to expired or canceled cards are handled by the issuer and, in most cases, credited to the replacement card.
Account closed, another account at the same bank
Most likely redirected inside the bank. Back Market Case 1: the bank will most likely redirect the refund to the active account under the same name, up to 7 business days.
All accounts at the original bank closed — or switched banks with nothing left there
Most likely blocked at the original bank. Back Market Case 2: contact the former bank; if it cannot trace the refund, ask the merchant for the ARN so the former bank can locate it. If the refund bounces back to the merchant, ask for a reissue by an alternative method — Stripe says that return can take up to 30 days.
Refund not yet issued
Nothing to trace yet. Warn the merchant about the change before they issue it, so they are ready for the block-and-reissue sequence instead of discovering it after you chase a missing payment.
Two timing numbers sit underneath every row, and both are sourced: up to 7 business days for a card refund to process (Back Market's card-refund window), and up to 30 days for a failed refund to return to the merchant (Stripe's failed-refund window). No other day count is used on this page, because no other day count was verified.
Want the full story, with the sources?
The companion article works through the original-payment-method rule, the expired-card and replaced-card routes, the same-bank redirect, the blocked-at-the-old-bank case, the ARN trace step by step, and what to do when a refund never arrives — each claim tied to its primary source. Read it here: Refund routing: where does my refund go?.
To the bank account linked to that card, automatically. Back Market's help page states that when the card you paid with is expired or deactivated, the refund is automatically directed back to the bank account linked to that card, with nothing you need to do, provided the account is still open, allowing up to 7 business days. Stripe's refund documentation agrees: refunds to expired or canceled cards are handled by the card issuer and, in most cases, credited to the replacement card.
No. Stripe's refund documentation states that refunds can only be sent back to the original payment method and cannot be sent to a different destination such as another card or bank account. The refund still travels to the original bank first. If you still hold an account there, the bank will most likely redirect it to that account (Back Market's Case 1); if all your accounts there are closed, it will most likely be blocked at that bank (Back Market's Case 2) and must be traced with the ARN.
ARN stands for Acquirer Reference Number: the network tracing reference for a card refund. Ask the merchant for the ARN for your refund, then give that number to your former bank and ask them to trace the refund with it. Back Market's help page gives exactly this route for refunds blocked at a closed-account bank, and PayPal's developer documentation confirms that a customer given the ARN can have their bank trace the transaction.
First wait out the processing window — Back Market quotes up to 7 business days for card refunds. Then ask the merchant for written proof the refund was issued and for its ARN, give the ARN to your former bank, and ask the bank to confirm in writing whether the refund is held, rejected, or already returned to the merchant. If it has bounced back to the merchant, ask the merchant to reissue it by an alternative method such as a cheque or bank transfer — Stripe's documentation says a failed refund's return to the merchant can take up to 30 days, so the merchant may genuinely not have it back yet.
Sources (checked October 26, 2026): Back Market help page "What happens to my refund if my card expires or my bank account is closed?" (help.backmarket.com, updated September 25, 2026) — expired card automatic to linked account, same-bank redirect Case 1, blocked-at-original-bank Case 2 with ARN, 7 business days; Back Market returns and refunds policy — 7 business days for credit and debit cards; Stripe refunds documentation (docs.stripe.com/refunds) — refunds only to the original payment method, expired/canceled cards credited to the replacement card in most cases, failed refunds returned to the merchant within up to 30 days, no-replacement alternate delivery by check or bank account deposit; PayPal developer documentation "Track transactions using an acquirer reference number" (updated October 14, 2026) — ARN tracing, closed-card routing trouble, reroute/check/return outcomes; Airwallex help centre — give the shopper the ARN and advise them to forward it to their issuing bank; Kickstarter help centre (Stripe-based) — the same three expired-card outcomes as corroboration.
General information only — not legal or financial advice. Whether a refund arrives, and where, depends on your bank's handling of your specific case, which no checker can see. This checker applies the published rules to the answers you gave it. Never enter a card number, expiry date, PIN or account number into any refund checker — no genuine trace needs them.
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