Refund a duplicate or unauthorised card charge in the EU
If you have been billed twice for the same purchase, or see a card payment you never authorised, EU law is firmly on your side. Under the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), your bank must refund an unauthorised payment as a rule no later than the end of the next business day after you notify it, and restore your account to the state it would have been in. The burden is on the payment provider to prove the transaction was genuinely authorised by you, not the other way round. For a clear duplicate charge, or goods or services you paid for but did not receive, you can also use your card scheme's chargeback process. Report the problem the moment you spot it, because prompt notification protects your full rights and limits any liability if your card details were compromised.
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Your rights
The EU Payment Services Directive 2 (Directive (EU) 2015/2366, PSD2), implemented in every member state, requires your payment service provider to refund unauthorised payment transactions no later than the end of the following business day after you notify them, then restore the account (Article 73). It places the burden of proving authorisation and correct execution on the provider (Article 72), and limits consumer liability for unauthorised transactions. Card scheme chargeback rules give an additional route for duplicate billing and non-receipt of goods or services.
Step by step
- 1Document the problem: note the date, amount and merchant of the duplicate or unauthorised charge and take a screenshot of the statement lines side by side.
- 2Contact the merchant first for an obvious duplicate; a legitimate trader will usually reverse one of the two identical charges quickly when shown the evidence.
- 3Notify your bank or card issuer without delay, state the transaction was unauthorised or a duplicate, and ask them to apply your PSD2 refund and reverse the charge.
- 4If the provider stalls, put the dispute in writing citing your PSD2 unauthorised-transaction rights, request a chargeback, and escalate to your national financial ombudsman or competent authority if needed.
What they'll say, and your comeback
“The payment was authenticated, so it must have been you.”
Comeback, Under PSD2 the burden is on you, the payment provider, to prove I authorised the transaction. Authentication alone does not prove authorisation, and you must refund an unauthorised payment by the end of the next business day.
“You will need to wait several weeks while we investigate.”
Comeback, PSD2 Article 73 requires you to refund an unauthorised transaction no later than the end of the next business day after I notified you, and restore my account. You can investigate afterwards, but you cannot withhold the refund in the meantime, unless you have reasonable grounds to suspect fraud that you report to the authority.
“Contact the merchant; this is nothing to do with us.”
Comeback, For an unauthorised payment my statutory right is against you as my payment service provider under PSD2. I am also entitled to a chargeback for a duplicate charge, so please process the reversal.
FAQ
How fast should the refund be?
For an unauthorised transaction PSD2 requires your provider to refund it by the end of the next business day after you report it, then restore your balance. The only exception is where the provider has reasonable grounds to suspect fraud and notifies the national authority in writing.
What is the difference between a chargeback and a PSD2 refund?
A PSD2 refund is your legal right against your bank for transactions you did not authorise. A chargeback is a card scheme process useful for duplicate billing or goods or services not received. You can use whichever fits, and sometimes both.
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A self-serve tool, not a law firm. General information, not legal advice.