How to Claim Refund of Overpayments

If you pay someone more than you owe, or pay by mistake, they must return the excess. Keeping money they know is not theirs is called "unjust enrichment".

Common scenarios: - Overpaid or paid twice - refund denied - Bank error not corrected - Wrong account payment disputes - Accidental subscription charges

Legal principle: Anyone who receives money they are not entitled to must return it. This applies regardless of why the overpayment happened.

Essential evidence: - Bank statements showing the payment(s) - Payment confirmations or references - Evidence of correct amount (invoice, contract) - Correspondence requesting refund

Helpful evidence: - Transaction references for tracking - Account details showing where money went - Any acknowledgment from recipient - Your bank's investigation results

Tips: - Report errors to your bank immediately - Get transaction references for all payments - Keep all communications about the refund request

Typical claim value: £10 - £10,000

You can claim: - The overpaid or duplicate amount - Interest from date you requested refund - Bank charges caused by the error (if applicable)

Bank recovery: If money went to the wrong account, your bank may be able to recover it directly through the "misdirected payments" process. This is faster than court.

Duplicate payments: You paid the same invoice twice. Evidence: two transactions for identical amounts around the same date.

Wrong amount: You paid more than the invoice/contract amount. Evidence: compare invoice to payment.

Wrong recipient: Money went to wrong account. Your bank can help trace and recover this. You may need to claim against the person who received it.

Refund not processed: You returned goods but refund never came. Evidence: return proof plus bank statement showing no refund.