Operations guide

What is an ARN and how to use it to locate a payment or refund

Banking network reference number to trace charges, refunds, and clarify transactions with the card issuer.

The ARN (Acquirer Reference Number) is the number that uniquely identifies a card payment or refund within the banking network. It works like a tracking number: with it, the payer’s bank can locate that exact transaction.

It is the most useful tool when a refund “does not show up” in the buyer’s account or when you need to clarify a transaction with the bank.

What an ARN looks like

For Visa and Mastercard payments, the ARN is a 23-digit number. For example: 74000000000000000000000 (illustrative example, not a real ARN). Other brands, such as American Express, use their own reference format.

Position Meaning
1 Format indicator
2–7 Identifier of the bank that processes the merchant’s payment
8–11 Processing date (year and day of year)
12–22 Transaction sequence number
23 Check digit

You do not need to interpret these parts: copy the full number with no spaces and give it to the bank.

When it is generated

The ARN does not exist at checkout. It is assigned when the transaction is sent to the card network for settlement, usually 1 to 2 business days after the charge or refund.

Each movement has its own ARN: the original charge, every refund (full or partial), and every chargeback has a different number. If a buyer is asking about a refund, they need the refund’s ARN, not the payment’s.

What it is used for

  • Locate a refund. The most common use. Often the money has already been returned but appears under a different description, date, or grouped with other entries. With the ARN, the bank can find it in minutes.
  • Clarify a charge. If a buyer does not recognise a payment, the ARN lets the bank identify the transaction and merchant unambiguously.
  • Manage disputes and chargebacks. Banks, card networks, and processors use the ARN to refer to the same transaction throughout the process.
  • Reconcile accounts. Helps merchants match specific movements when amount or date do not line up.

If you are a buyer: my refund has not arrived

  1. 1

    Wait the usual timeframe. A refund typically takes 5 to 10 business days to appear, depending on your card issuer.

  2. 2

    Review your transactions carefully. The credit may show a different merchant name, an earlier date, or as an adjustment to a pending charge.

  3. 3

    Ask the merchant for the ARN. Request the reference number (ARN) for the refund, not the original payment.

  4. 4

    Contact your bank. Provide the ARN, amount, and refund date. With that, the bank can trace the credit and confirm where it was posted.

The ARN confirms the refund was sent from the merchant side. After that, posting to your account depends on your bank.

If you are a merchant: where to find the ARN and how to share it

  1. 1

    Open your Avirato Payments dashboard and find the transaction by amount, date, or order reference.

  2. 2

    Open the transaction detail. If the buyer is asking about a refund, open the refund, not the original payment.

  3. 3

    Copy the ARN shown in the detail. If it is not visible yet, the transaction has not settled: check again after 1 or 2 business days.

  4. 4

    Send it to the buyer with the refund amount and date, and ask them to pass it to their bank.

If you cannot find the ARN or need help with a specific transaction, contact our support team with the payment reference. Contact an expert.

Frequently asked questions

Is the ARN the same as the order or authorisation number?

No. The order number is created by the merchant and the authorisation code is created when the payment is approved. The ARN is assigned later, at settlement, and is the reference banks use with each other.

Why do I not have an ARN yet?

Because the transaction has not settled yet. It is usually available 1 to 2 business days after the charge or refund.

Is it confidential?

It does not contain the card number or personal data, so it can be shared with the buyer and their bank safely.

My bank says it cannot find the refund even with the ARN. What should I do?

Ask the bank to search for a credit linked to that ARN, not as a new transaction. If it still does not appear, contact the merchant so they can review the transaction with their payment provider.

Does it work for all cards?

The 23-digit format is used for Visa and Mastercard. Other brands have their own references that serve the same purpose.