Why Haven’t I Received My Refund Yet for a Canceled Order OR an Adjusted (i.e. Item Out of Stock) Order?
Food Refunds
Ano Tisam
Last Update 15 days ago
When you place a food order, we don’t charge your card immediately. Instead, your bank places a temporary hold (also known as a pre-authorisation or claim) for the order amount. The actual charge only happens once the restaurant confirms the order is ready.
Because of this, refunds for cancelled or adjusted orders work a little differently.
How It Works
- Order Placed: A temporary claim is placed on your card for the order total.
- Restaurant Prepares Order: Once the restaurant marks the order as “Ready”, the claim is captured and your card is actually charged.
- Order Cancelled or Adjusted: The claim (or part of it) is released back to your card.
Cancelled Orders
If your order is cancelled before it is marked ready:
Your card is not charged.
The temporary claim is released back to your bank.
If the restaurant removes or changes items:
The claim is adjusted to match the new total.
Any difference is released back to your card.
Most banks release the funds instantly or within a few hours, but some banks can take 5–10 business days.
This timing is controlled by your bank, not Smartie.
You may not see the word refund on your bank statement.
Instead, the amount will simply re-appear in your available balance once the bank releases the claim.
If it has been more than 10 business days, contact your bank and provide them with:
The date of the order
The transaction amount
That it was a pre-authorisation release
They’ll be able to confirm the release on their end.
If required you may get a STAN number from Smartie to make it easier to track the refund. A STAN (System Trace Audit Number) is a six-digit transaction number generated by a cardholder's bank to help identify a specific transaction.