A payment I didn’t make is on my account: how do I get it back in Portugal?
If you did not authorise a card or bank payment, tell your bank at once. It must refund you by the end of the next business day, unless it has reasonable grounds to suspect fraud by you and reports that to the authorities. If you were tricked into approving the payment yourself, other rules apply.
📜 Your rights
EUThe EU rule
EU consumer law applies in every EU country. Your country writes it into its own law — the national rule is below.
- Tell your bank without undue delay once you notice an unauthorised payment, and no later than 13 months after the debit date (Art. 71(1) Directive (EU) 2015/2366).
- If you deny having authorised a payment, the bank must prove it was authenticated, correctly recorded and not affected by a technical failure; use of your card or app alone is not enough (Art. 72).
- The bank must refund you immediately, and at the latest by the end of the next business day, unless it has reasonable grounds to suspect fraud and reports them in writing to the national authority (Art. 73(1)).
- For a lost, stolen or misused payment instrument you can be made to bear at most €50, unless you acted fraudulently or with intent or gross negligence (Art. 74(1)).
- You bear nothing if the loss could not be detected by you, or if the bank did not require strong customer authentication — unless you acted fraudulently (Art. 74(1) and 74(2)).
The rules in Portugal
Report an unauthorised payment without undue delay and within 13 months of the debit. Your bank must refund it at the latest by the end of the next business day. Your loss is capped at €50, unless you acted fraudulently or with gross negligence.
- You pay nothing if the loss or theft could not be detected before the payment, or if your bank did not require strong customer authentication, unless you acted fraudulently. (pgdlisboa.pt)
- If the bank does not refund at once without valid, reported suspicion of fraud, it owes you interest at the legal rate plus 10 percentage points from the day you denied authorising the payment. (pgdlisboa.pt)
- After you have reported the loss, theft or misuse of your card, you bear no losses, unless you acted fraudulently. (clientebancario.bportugal.pt)
🪜 Step by step
- Block the card or appCall your bank’s blocking line now. After you report it, you no longer bear losses (unless fraud).
- Tell the bank in writingUse the letter below: it lists the payments, says you did not authorise them and asks for the refund.
- Report to the policeEspecially with fraud. Keep the report number for the bank.
- Refund refused?Ask for the refusal and the evidence in writing, then go to the financial dispute body under “If the trader does not answer”.
- Tricked into approving it?That is an authorised payment. See “Scammed online” in Who do I contact: report it at once all the same.
✉️ Your letter
Fill in your details. The letter appears on this page: copy it into an e-mail or the trader’s contact form, or print it. Nothing you type is stored.
🧭 If the trader does not answer
Give the trader the time in your letter. Then, in this order:
An out-of-court dispute body (ADR) can settle it. The trader has to tell you which ADR body covers it (on its website, terms or in its reply).
Trader in another EU country? The European Consumer Centre helps for free.
European Small Claims Procedure: for cross-border claims up to €5,000, a written procedure without a lawyer. e-justice.europa.eu
The EU’s online dispute resolution platform (ODR) closed on 20 July 2025. Use the bodies on this page instead.
❓ Frequently asked questions
I approved the payment in my app because a “bank employee” told me to. Is it unauthorised?
Usually not in the legal sense: you authorised it. Report it at once all the same; your bank and the police may still be able to stop or recover it.
The bank says I was grossly negligent. What now?
The bank has to show that. Ask for its reasons and evidence in writing and take it to the financial dispute body.
Does this cover credit cards?
Yes: cards, transfers, direct debits and payment apps provided by a payment service provider.
📎 Sources
- pgdlisboa.pt →
- clientebancario.bportugal.pt →
- pgdlisboa.pt →
- publications.europa.eu →
- clientebancario.bportugal.pt →
- clientebancario.bportugal.pt →
- consumidor.gov.pt →
🔎 What people search
- “unauthorised payment refund Portugal”
- “bank refuses refund fraud card”
- “payment I didn’t make bank”
- “card used without permission”
- “dispute transaction letter bank”
🧭 Is this still correct?
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