As backers are unable to update the payment method for pledges that have been collected, any refunds processed through Kickstarter can only be sent to the original payment method.
If the card on file is no longer active, one of the following typically happens:
- If the original card used was attached to an account, as most debit and credit cards are, the bank will see the incoming credit on an expired card and roll it into the appropriate account
- Our payments processor uses an updater service that will know if a card number is no longer valid and has been replaced with a new number. In this case, the credit should be issued to the new valid card number
If neither of these two options apply to the backer’s situation, you will see an error message when trying to issue the refund. In such cases, the refund will need to be issued outside of Kickstarter. After a backer has been refunded via a third party, you can contact our Support team to assist in removing the refunded backer from the project.
If backers are having trouble locating a refund that has already been issued to an expired card, they should reach out to our Support team.