How long should I tell customers a refund will take?

Give a range in working days, then a date. Card refunds through Shopify Payments or Stripe typically take 5-10 working days to appear, so that's a fair range to quote. Then add "if it's not there by [date], reply here" . That one line heads off most of the chasers.

What's the difference between a refund approved email and a refund confirmation email?

Timing, mostly. Approved means you've agreed to refund, often once the item comes back. Confirmation means the money has actually been sent. Don't send the second one until it's true.

Should a refund confirmation email ask for feedback?

One optional line at the end is fine. Never put a survey link above the refund details. The customer opened the email to check their money, and anything in the way of that is noise.

Doesn't Shopify already send a refund email?

Yes. Shopify and WooCommerce both send a basic refund notification when you refund an order in the admin, and you can edit the wording. It doesn't know why the refund happened, though, so a short personal reply in the same thread still does the job better.

Refunds templates

Refund confirmation email templates that stop customers asking where their money is

Updated October 19, 2026

Refund confirmation email templates illustrated by a paper aeroplane folded from a banknote flying toward an open wallet

Refund confirmation email templates go out once the money has actually left, and most customers read them with their banking app open in another tab. Each version below gives the amount, the card it went to and a date the bank should have released it by. Copy the closest one and fill the brackets in from the order.

The templates

1. Refund issued, no return needed

WarmEmail

Subject: Your refund for order [#1234] is on its way

Hi [first name], I've refunded [€42.50] for order [#1234] to your [Visa ending 4417]. Banks usually take [5-10 working days] to show it, so if it's not there by [date], reply to this email and I'll chase it. You don't need to send the [item] back. Keep it, pass it on to a friend, whatever's easiest. Sorry this one didn't work out. If something about the order could have gone better, I'd like to hear it. [Your name] [Store name]

2. Refund issued after the return arrived

NeutralEmail

Subject: We got your return: [€58.00] refunded

Hi [first name], Your return for order [#1234] arrived on [date] and everything checked out, so I've refunded [€58.00] to your original payment method ([Mastercard ending 2210]). What was refunded: [1 x Linen shirt, size M]: [€55.00] [Original shipping]: [€3.00] It normally shows up within [5-10 working days], depending on your bank. Thanks for getting it back to us so quickly. [Your name] [Store name]

3. Refund approved, item still to come back

NeutralEmail

Subject: Your refund for order [#1234] is approved

Hi [first name], Your refund for the [item] is approved. Send it back and I'll refund [€42.50] to your [card ending 4417] within [2 working days] of it arriving here. Your return label is attached. Print it, stick it on the parcel and drop it at any [carrier] point before [date]. Once the refund's gone through you'll get one more email from me with the details. [Your name] [Store name]

4. Store credit instead of a card refund

WarmEmail

Only when the customer asked for credit. Never swap a card refund for store credit without asking, and don't put an expiry date on credit that replaces a refund they're owed.

Subject: Your store credit for order [#1234]

Hi [first name], As you asked, I've added [€42.50] to your account as store credit instead of refunding your card. It's ready to use now with the code [GIFT-CARD-CODE] at checkout, and it doesn't expire. If you change your mind before you spend it, just reply and I'll move it back to your card. [Your name] [Store name]

5. Goodwill refund outside the policy

FirmEmail

For a one-off exception. Be generous about the refund and clear that it's an exception, so it doesn't quietly become the policy.

Subject: Refund for order [#1234]

Hi [first name], Your order is outside our [30-day] return window, but because [the delivery was a week late], I've made an exception and refunded [€42.50] to your [card ending 4417]. You should see it within [5-10 working days]. I can't do this as a matter of course, so the [30-day] window will apply to future orders as normal. The full policy is here: [link to refund policy]. Thanks for your patience with this one. [Your name] [Store name]

6. Short version for chat or WhatsApp

NeutralChat / WhatsApp

All sorted. I've refunded [€42.50] for order [#1234] to your [Visa ending 4417]. It usually takes [5-10 working days] to show up. If it's not there by [date], message me here and I'll look into it.

Say the refund's done before anything else#

Most refund emails bury the news under an apology. The customer opens it wanting to know one thing, and if they have to read three lines to find out whether they're getting money back, the apology's working against you. Put the amount and the card in the first sentence. Apologise after, briefly.

The follow-up you're trying to prevent#

The commonest reply to a refund email is "I still haven't got it", usually sent four or five days later. It's rarely your fault... card refunds sit with the bank for days, and the customer can't see anything happening in the meantime. A date fixes that. "If it's not there by the 28th, reply here" turns an open-ended wait into a deadline the customer can check against, and most of them won't need to.

If you'd rather not do the refund and the email by hand, Hay.chat can look the order up, issue the refund within the limits you've set and send the confirmation in the same conversation. That works with Shopify and WooCommerce connected. Refunding only part of an order is a different email, because the customer needs to see the sum, and the partial refund templates are built around it.

What to include

The refund amount, to the cent, and what it covers: the item, the shipping, or both.
Where the money's going. Original payment method with the last four digits if you have them, or store credit.
A realistic timeline in working days, plus a date after which they should get back to you.
The order number, so they can find the email again when they're checking their bank statement.
Whether they need to send anything back. Say it either way, because people assume.

Don't say this

"Your refund has been processed."

Processed how, for how much, to where? It's the line that causes the most follow-ups because it answers none of the questions.
"You should see it soon."

To the customer, soon means tomorrow. To the bank it means ten working days. Give the range.
"Refunds are subject to our terms and conditions."

Not in the yes email. It reads like you're already looking for a reason to take it back.
"As a one-time courtesy, we've decided to..."

Fine as a fact, grating as a favour. If it's a goodwill refund, say so plainly and move on (template 5 does).

Shopify — The amount and the date come from the order. Bounced refunds and big ones go to a person.

When a person should take over

If the refund failed or bounced (a closed card, a dead PayPal account), a person needs to sort out where the money goes. Don't send a confirmation for money that hasn't left.

If the customer is chasing a refund you've already confirmed and it's past the date you gave them, someone should check the payment record first. Sending the same confirmation again won't help.

Big refunds, and anything on an order flagged for fraud, deserve a second pair of eyes before they go out.