For most standard transactions in 2026, a refund to a debit card takes between 3 to 10 business days to appear in your bank account balance. The process involves three distinct steps: first, the merchant must "authorize" the refund (which usually happens within 24 hours); second, the merchant's bank must process the credit; and third, your own bank must verify and release the funds to your account. While the merchant might say "it's been processed" immediately, the "banking lag" is where the delay occurs. Some modern digital-first banks or "Neobanks" may show the refund as "pending" within minutes, but for traditional institutions, the 5-to-7-day window is the industry norm. If you have not seen the funds after 15 days, you should contact the merchant for a "Transaction ID" or "ARN" (Acquirer Reference Number), which your bank can use to track the specific movement of money. Note that "pending" charges that are simply cancelled (voided) often disappear much faster than a formal "refund" of a completed purchase.