How to Request a Refund of Credit Card Balance

If you overpaid your credit card balance or had refunds post to a credit card account with a zero balance, you may end up with a negative balance. You may choose to keep this balance on the card to be applied to future purchases or opt to have a check issued to you for the negative balance amount.

Call customer service. Contact the customer service department of your credit card online or via phone and simply ask for a refund of your credit balance. The agent can usually process your request and issue a check to you immediately.

Send a request via certified mail. If you want to ensure that your inquiry is documented, send a certified letter requesting a refund of your credit balance on your credit card. This way you have a record of the issuer receiving the request.

Wait one billing cycle. Credit card issuers sometimes refund any credit or negative balance on your account at the end of the billing cycle. The issuer’s system sees that funds are owed to you and often automatically issues the check payment without you inquiring.

Close the account. Once your account is closed, just as you would be liable for any outstanding debt, the card issuer is also liable to pay you any negative balance on your account. A request to close the account via phone or mail automatically triggers a check to be issued to you.