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AIBU?

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Original poster

Shop would give me a refund …Aibu ?

87 replies

lulu55xxx · 25/02/2026 12:03

I had bought a item from H&M.
I bought it on Saturday and had my receipt.
I paid contactless.
Today on my break I nipped out (work in town )Took my bank card and left my phone on charge (didn’t think I needed it )
Went in and she asked for card I paid with…showed her.
She said numbers didn’t match …I explained I paid contactless.
She refused refund as she said I had no proof that was card used.
I had to go back to work and get my phone.
Show her my card on my Apple wallet ..click the dots to show contactless card details.
Then it was refunded
Is this normal ?
Aibu to be annoyed

OP posts:
nomas · 25/02/2026 18:15

Helen1625 · 25/02/2026 17:57

I think some stores do store your card number. Example, I've paid for something in New Look with my card and my email address has popped up on their system to send the receipt to.

Show quote history

But that’s because you’ve specifically agreed for them to store your card details.

NailsForChristmas · 25/02/2026 18:11

The Op paid for with her card, then tried to get refunded via her mobile.

There is no law that says shops have to refund using the same payment method, but they do have a duty to stop money laundering and it is used for other fraud prevention methods which is why this is the usual internal rule as it helps them meet their statutory requirements.

The reason it shows different is as others have said the card number stored in the phone app is different to the physical card. Its annoying but one of those things.

FreeFromWhat · 25/02/2026 18:05

This is normal, it's a common money laundering trick to use a different card for a refund

I work in retail and yeah, people try this on. No way to know who's legit.

Helen1625 · 25/02/2026 18:02

They do normally ask for the same card, I think the only exception is if your card has expired in between purchasing and returning the item, then they use their discretion.

I had a strange exprience recently....I was asked for my card to put a refund through, gave them the card I'd paid with originally and my card declined the refund! Tried another card and that one declined the refund. Third card I tried finally accepted the refund. Imagine if they'd stuck with the rule of only accepting the card I'd paid with! 😆

P00hsticks · 25/02/2026 17:59

ColdAsAWitches · 25/02/2026 14:32

They must have. Otherwise how would they know the numbers are different!

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Doesn't the receipt show the last four digits of the card used (with the rest asterisked out) ?

Helen1625 · 25/02/2026 17:57

nomas · 25/02/2026 14:27

They don't have the card number on record, that would be against GDPR.

Show quote history

I think some stores do store your card number. Example, I've paid for something in New Look with my card and my email address has popped up on their system to send the receipt to.

Completelybatshit · 25/02/2026 17:50

How did you get the shop to refund if you couldn’t demonstrate that the card on the receipt was yours. I’m not sure if I’ve completely misunderstood, but it seems like the numbers on the receipt don’t match your card or Apple/Google pay. I’m baffled

Coconutter24 · 25/02/2026 17:40

YABU. You got your refund in the end. The assistant was following procedure

SkylarkKitten · 25/02/2026 17:33

So you paid contactless using a physical debit card

Your receipt didn't match the 4 digits on the debit card that you used when making the transaction

Your card stored on ApplePay, matched the receipt, which, according to you is the same debit card

However....

ApplePay has its own number, but you say this wasn't on the receipt
You also say the physical debit card wasn't on the receipt either

So which number was on the receipt?

I am really confused

ToKittyornottoKitty · 25/02/2026 17:29

Completelybatshit · 25/02/2026 17:09

For the purpose of payments it is a different card as it has a different 15 digit number so that banks can differentiate between standard card payments and those using Apple/Google pay.

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She didn’t use apple or google pay though, she literally just said that

nodoubtinmind · 25/02/2026 17:10

Very normal. Apple Pay is a different payment method.

Completelybatshit · 25/02/2026 17:09

lulu55xxx · 25/02/2026 14:22

@marcoprontits not a different card tho is it.
It’s the same card,with the same bank account sort code etc ..only difference is I paid contactless with it …rather than chip and pin

For the purpose of payments it is a different card as it has a different 15 digit number so that banks can differentiate between standard card payments and those using Apple/Google pay.

Waterbaby41 · 25/02/2026 16:37

lulu55xxx · 25/02/2026 14:22

@marcoprontits not a different card tho is it.
It’s the same card,with the same bank account sort code etc ..only difference is I paid contactless with it …rather than chip and pin

It is a different card number as you paid on your phone rather than using your physical card. Check your receipt.

holycrapballs · 25/02/2026 16:34

I voted YABU before you clarified you didn’t use Apple Pay. So why did they need your phone? I’m confused.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 25/02/2026 16:23

Sartre · 25/02/2026 16:12

It happened to me once years ago. I pay for absolutely everything with Apple Pay and never carry physical cards, I don’t even own a purse and to be honest I don’t think I could tell you where the cards are. They’re useless and a waste of plastic imo but I digress… I couldn’t get a refund anyway, lost the money.

Clearly they aren’t useless then? But if you paid on Apple Pay it’s odd they didn’t let you refund onto Apple Pay

Sartre · 25/02/2026 16:12

It happened to me once years ago. I pay for absolutely everything with Apple Pay and never carry physical cards, I don’t even own a purse and to be honest I don’t think I could tell you where the cards are. They’re useless and a waste of plastic imo but I digress… I couldn’t get a refund anyway, lost the money.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 25/02/2026 16:09

lulu55xxx · 25/02/2026 15:39

I didn’t pay with my card on my Apple wallet
i used my physical card and tapped
this created a different number on receipt than my last 4 digits on card
my Apple Pay wasn’t the same digits

So you can clearly see why she had to double check… the numbers didnt match

nomas · 25/02/2026 16:03

sorrynotathome · 25/02/2026 16:00

YABU for writing "would" when you meant "wouldn't" .

Oh, give it a rest.

YABU for leaving a space between 'wouldn't' and a full stop.

Moonnstarz · 25/02/2026 16:02

Weightloss2026 · 25/02/2026 15:52

Next do not do this

Show quote history

They did for me at Christmas time. I took an unwanted gift back which I had the receipt for. Went to use my actual card for the refund but it didn't work and the sales assistant asked if I paid using my phone, which I did, and she explained that they generate a different number. I never knew use so it sounds like H&M are similar and maybe it is common across a lot of shops.

nomas · 25/02/2026 16:02

lulu55xxx · 25/02/2026 16:00

@nomasi tapped my debit card ..the receipt showed a different last 4 digits then physical card and Apple Pay card

Oh that's bizarre then. I would contact your bank asap.

sorrynotathome · 25/02/2026 16:00

YABU for writing "would" when you meant "wouldn't" .

Original poster
lulu55xxx · 25/02/2026 16:00

@nomasi tapped my debit card ..the receipt showed a different last 4 digits then physical card and Apple Pay card

OP posts:
Squareblob · 25/02/2026 15:58

That seems fair enough to me.

weusedtobeapropercountry · 25/02/2026 15:57

It's a reasonable rule to help prevent scamming and fraud, so yes yabu to be annoyed, unless you're annoyed at yourself for your lack of foresight. It's pretty standard to refund the same way you paid. If you didn't realise that contactless on your phone is a different payment method than using your physical card, I get that's frustrating, but it's still not the shop's fault. What did you expect them to do differently?

Weightloss2026 · 25/02/2026 15:52

TooBored1 · 25/02/2026 12:14

Other shops do this too, eg Next.

Next do not do this

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