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Refund request reply templates

When a customer asks for their money back, the worst reply is silence while you check. This template acknowledges the request straight away, says exactly what you're checking and when they'll hear back, and asks for the one detail you might be missing. It buys you time without sounding like a stall, and it sets up either the approval or the refusal reply that follows.

Template;cs-refund-ask
Hi Customer name, Thanks for letting us know, and sorry Product didn't work out for you. I've passed your refund request for order Clipboard to our billing team. They'll check it against our refund policy and you'll hear back from me by Date in 2 days at the latest, either way. If there's anything that would help us look into it, such as what went wrong or a screenshot, just reply here. Your name
Then type ;cs-refund-ask in any app.

Variations

The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.

For live chat, where the customer is waiting and wants to know it's in hand.

Chat
Got it, I've sent your refund request for order Clipboard to billing. You'll hear back by Date in 2 days, and I'll reply in this conversation so you don't have to look for an email.

For business accounts or a request that arrived with a complaint attached.

Formal
Dear Customer name, Thank you for your refund request regarding order Clipboard, received on Today's date. Your request is now under review against our refund terms. We will confirm the outcome in writing no later than Date in 2 days. If we need any further information to complete the review, we will contact you before then. Kind regards, Your name [Company] Support

When to use it

  • The refund needs approval from someone else, or a check you can't do in the conversation.
  • The request came in outside billing hours and you want the customer to know it's been seen.
  • You suspect it's a borderline case and want to set a fair expectation before saying yes or no.

What to avoid

  • Don't use it when you can approve the refund yourself right now. Just do it and send the approval reply.
  • Don't hint at the outcome ("I'm sure it'll be fine"). If billing says no, that hint becomes a broken promise.
  • Don't ask for information you already have in the ticket. Re-asking reads as not having read it.

The fields in this template

Retext fills these in when the snippet expands. In plain text they become [brackets] to replace by hand.

Customer name{fill:Customer name}
Their first name, as they signed their message.
Product{fill:Product}
The plan, product or order item they want refunded, in their words if possible.
Clipboard{clipboard}
Pastes whatever you last copied, such as an order number or a link, into that spot.
Date in 2 days{date+2}
Inserts the date 2 days from today, worked out when the snippet expands. Useful for deadlines and return dates.
Cursor{cursor}
Where your cursor lands after the snippet expands, so you can start typing the personal part straight away.
Your name{fill:Your name}
Your first name, so the customer knows who'll come back to them.
Today's date{date}
Inserts today's date in your Mac's long format, for example "March 4, 2027".
More about dynamic fields

Tips

  • •Copy the order number from the ticket before typing the trigger, and {clipboard} puts it in the right place.
  • •{date+2} assumes a two-day review. If your billing team is slower, change it once in the snippet rather than editing every reply.
  • •Pair it with ;cs-refund-yes and ;cs-refund-no so the follow-up is one trigger away when billing answers.

Works in Zendesk, Help Scout, Intercom, Gmail and every other app

Retext types the snippet wherever your cursor is. To use a different version in one app, give it the same trigger and limit it to that app with per-app snippets. They go by app, not website, so every tab in your browser counts as one app.

Use it with your team

Agree the review window with billing first and bake it into the shared snippet. When every agent's reply says the same date, customers stop opening a second ticket to ask someone else.

See Retext for Teams

Questions

How do you reply to a refund request?

Acknowledge it quickly, say what you're checking and give a date for the answer. If you can decide on the spot, skip the holding reply and confirm or decline straight away with the reason.

How long should a customer wait for a refund decision?

As little as possible, and never without a date. One to two business days is a reasonable promise for most teams. Whatever you choose, give a specific day and keep it.

Should I ask why they want a refund?

Ask, but make it optional. The reason helps you fix the problem for the next customer, but making it a condition of the refund feels like a hurdle.

Related templates

Refund approved

;cs-refund-yes

Customer support

Hi [Customer name], Good news: I've refunded [Refund amount] to your [Payment method] for order [clipboard]. Most banks…

Refund denied

;cs-refund-no

Customer support

Hi [Customer name], Thanks for your patience while we looked into this. I'm sorry, but we can't refund order [clipboard]…

Request more information

;cs-need-info

Customer support

Hi [Customer name], Thanks for the details so far. To get this fixed in one go, could you send me: That's all I need. As…

All customer support templatesBrowse every snippet pack

Type ;cs-refund-ask, get the whole reply

Retext expands your snippets in every Mac app and fills in names, dates and order numbers for you.

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