Refund Policy
How refunds work, how long they take, and edge cases we have encountered before.
What this refund policy says in plain English
- ✓Refund timing: bank transfer 3-5 business days · credit card (VTCPay) 7-14 days · Wise 1-3 days.
- ✓We refund to the SAME method you paid with (anti-fraud requirement, no exceptions).
- ✓Cancellation penalty schedule per Booking Terms §3.
- ✓Force majeure refunds: 90% credit valid 24 months, or partial cash refund per Booking Terms §7.
- ✓Disputes: 28-day window post trip-end to raise refund claims.
1.Refund triggers
A refund is owed when:
- You cancel within the Booking Terms §3 free-cancellation window
- ATL cancels for any reason (Booking Terms §4)
- A trip component is materially defective and not remedied (§13 complaint route)
- A force-majeure event prevents performance (§7)
- A duplicate payment is detected
- You are charged for an unauthorised upsell
2.Refund timing
Once approved by ATL accounting:
- Bank transfer → 3-5 business days
- VTCPay (credit card) → 7-14 business days
- Wise → 1-3 business days
- USD wire to non-VN bank → 5-10 business days (correspondent bank fees apply)
3.Refund channel
Same method you paid with. Anti-fraud + anti-money-laundering compliance.
4.Currency
Same currency you paid in. If you paid USD and want VND, that is a foreign-exchange purchase — we do not do FX, you do.
5.Bank/wire fees
Outbound wire fees are deducted from the refund (typically USD 25-40 for international wires). Bank transfers within Vietnam are fee-free. VTCPay refunds have no fee.
6.Partial refunds
If only part of your trip was defective (e.g. one hotel substituted with a worse alternative), we refund the price differential plus a 20% inconvenience adder. We do not refund "good faith" amounts not tied to a specific deficient component.
7.Refund denials
We may deny a refund when:
- The cancellation falls inside the no-refund window (0-6 days before arrival)
- The dispute is raised more than 28 days after trip end
- The traveller was removed for behavioural issues (Code of Conduct)
- Supplier proof shows service was delivered as agreed
- The traveller chose to skip an included component for personal reasons
8.Chargebacks
If you raise a credit-card chargeback with your bank instead of contacting us first, we will provide the bank with the full booking record (quote, signed acceptance, supplier confirmations, communication thread, on-trip GPS logs from our guide app). Please email us first — it is faster.
9.Loyalty credits
Force-majeure credits (90% of paid amount) are valid 24 months from issue, non-transferable, non-cashable, usable on any ATL trip including new categories we launch in that window.
10.Tax
Refunds are processed gross (no withholding). If your country requires you to declare the refund for tax, that is your responsibility. VN-source income tax does not apply to outbound trip refunds.
Refund question?
For active refund cases reach your trip coordinator. For policy interpretation email us and we will reply within 7 business days.