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Can I get back money I overpaid onto my credit card?

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Hi, I’m hoping someone can explain to me in simple terms why my bank can’t return an overpayment I made to my credit card account. I have asked them but I am hopeless at understanding their explanation.  I have a direct debit set up to pay the balance in full each month.  I was using the card for everything due to the pandemic and shortly before my DD was due to be paid I received a text from the bank which I thought meant I was near my limit (I had mistakenly thought that).  I panicked and made a transfer from my current account of the balance that was due, then the DD came out a couple of days later.  As the payment of several hundred pounds was paid twice I can’t seem to see how I can retrieve the overpayment.  I know I was stupid not to read the text properly in the first place but I do hope someone can help me understand.  Thanks for reading.

Comments

  • As them to send it to your current account, either electronically or by cheque.

    If they won't, just leave it to pay off your balance as you spend.
  • If you have enough in your current account to pay rent/mortgage, utilities etc, then just use your card for all other spending and you will have a smaller balance to pay the following month. 

    If you can't cover your commitments without getting the money back into your current a/c, then do as suggested in first line of previous reply.
  • They won’t pay it back into my current account - I couldn’t understand their reason why.  I bank online and the only option regarding the Direct debit is for it to be paid n full, pay the minimum amount, or pay a different amount.  I am worried that if I pay a small amount off, as the system is automated, I will get interest charges. 
  • Ebe_Scrooge
    Ebe_Scrooge Posts: 7,320 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I am worried that if I pay a small amount off, as the system is automated, I will get interest charges. 
    Just leave the DD to pay off the full amount.  I can't understand why they won't return the overpayment - I assume your card now has a credit balance on it?  But if you're using the card regularly anyway, the simplest way (assuming you don't desperately need the money this month) is just to leave the credit balance on there, use the card as normal, and let the DD pay the full amount next month.  The end result will be the same - next month's payment will be a lot lower than it would normally be, so you'll have more left in your bank than you would normally have, if you see what I mean.

  • born_again
    born_again Posts: 20,584 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Assume by Bank, you mean your credit card provider?
    Assume that text was from bank about your current account & not the credit card?
    Given on most, if not all CC's it is a breech of the T/C to have a credit balance. They should return any credit balance back to a bank account.
    So how much are we talking about? Compared to your limit on the card. Given you have said that you are using the card all the time for you spending.
    Do you have any outstanding purchases on the credit card that have not debited yet? Which could be part of the reason they will not return the credit, as it will go to pay these.

    So what was the reason you were given for not refunding the credit balance? As without that we have no idea what they might have meant....
    Life in the slow lane
  • “So what was the reason you were given for not refunding the credit balance? As without that we have no idea what they might have meant....”

    it was via a “chat” conversation and ultimately he said that it was because I still had a balance on the card as I was still using it.  The amount I transferred was £600+, then the dd paid the same amount so I thought the account would be in credit, which is not the purpose of a cc is it?  .  My next monthly payment by dd will be lower than this.  I clearly don’t understand how these things work :(



  • Assume by Bank, you mean your credit card provider?
    Assume that text was from bank about your current account & not the credit card?
    Given on most, if not all CC's it is a breech of the T/C to have a credit balance. They should return any credit balance back to a bank account.
    So how much are we talking about? Compared to your limit on the card. 
    The credit card provider is my bank, and the amount was £635. Maybe it was because I was still using it.  I’ll stop using it until outstanding amounts are cleared.
  • Thanks to everyone trying to help me get my head around this.
  • callum9999
    callum9999 Posts: 4,434 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 27 November 2020 at 7:08PM
    “So what was the reason you were given for not refunding the credit balance? As without that we have no idea what they might have meant....”

    it was via a “chat” conversation and ultimately he said that it was because I still had a balance on the card as I was still using it.  The amount I transferred was £600+, then the dd paid the same amount so I thought the account would be in credit, which is not the purpose of a cc is it?  .  My next monthly payment by dd will be lower than this.  I clearly don’t understand how these things work :(



    What do you mean by "you thought it would be in credit" - can you not just have a look?

    If it's not in credit (i.e. you've already spent more than £600 since your last statement) then you've just paid it early and they're not going to give it back. If it is in credit then they will give it back, ignore the chat and just give them a call if they're not understanding you.

    Either way - stop stressing! You've not done anything "wrong" so it's not going to go missing or anything. If you need money right now and you can't get it refunded then I'm sure something can be figured out.
  • born_again
    born_again Posts: 20,584 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Assume by Bank, you mean your credit card provider?
    Assume that text was from bank about your current account & not the credit card?
    Given on most, if not all CC's it is a breech of the T/C to have a credit balance. They should return any credit balance back to a bank account.
    So how much are we talking about? Compared to your limit on the card. 
    The credit card provider is my bank, and the amount was £635. Maybe it was because I was still using it.  I’ll stop using it until outstanding amounts are cleared.
    Thank you \;0

    Does sound a lot like the extra amount you have paid is already taken up by what you have spent since the last statement.
    If that is the case, then it's hopefully going to be a cheap month.
    If the fact that you have paid £600+ twice is going to cause issues with other bills. Then do ring them and explain the situation. They should look at your account and transfer one amount back for you.
    If it is not going to cause a issue, then I would just leave it.
    Life in the slow lane
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