Can You Get Your Money Back After a Scam? PayID vs Card

If you pay a scammer by PayID or bank transfer, your bank will try to help, but it usually does not have to refund you. You approved the payment yourself, so in the bank's eyes it is "authorised". A card payment is different. Visa and Mastercard rules let you ask for a chargeback when an item never arrives or is not as described. For local secondhand deals, treat PayID like cash: only pay when the item is in your hands.

This post explains why, in plain words. It is general information, not legal or financial advice. Your bank's terms, the industry codes your bank has signed, and Australian law decide your own case. Rules current at 3 November 2026.

Why is a PayID payment so hard to get back?

When you send a PayID or bank transfer, you check the details and press "Pay". You may even confirm it twice. That makes it an authorised payment, even if a scammer tricked you.

The main consumer rules for electronic payments are in the ePayments Code, an industry code that most banks have signed up to. They protect you from unauthorised payments. That means money taken without your consent, like a stolen card. ASIC's position is that a payment only counts as unauthorised when someone else made it without your consent. It also said a payment made because of a scam is not a "mistaken payment" under the code (iTnews, on ASIC's review).

So when you pay a scammer yourself:

Your bank can ask the other bank to recall the money. It often works only if you call fast, before the scammer moves it.
If the money is gone, there is usually no rule that forces your bank to refund you.
A bank does not "charge back" a transfer the way a card company can.

There is one more check before you pay. PayID shows you the name of the person or business before you send (PayID). Since July 2025, banks have also been adding a name check for payments made with a BSB and account number (NAB). If the name does not match the person you are dealing with, stop.

What protection does a card payment have?

You can reverse a card payment through a chargeback. Your bank asks for the money back from the seller's bank under Visa or Mastercard rules.

According to CHOICE:

Chargebacks work for credit and debit cards.
Common reasons include an item that never arrived, an item not as described, or a charge you don't recognise.
There are time limits. For most disputes it is about 120 days.
Banks that have signed the code must pursue a chargeback for you if the card rules give you a right to one.

The card rules usually expect you to contact the seller first. Keep your receipts and messages.

What about direct debits from my account?

A direct debit is when a business takes money from your account, using your BSB and account number, after you signed up. This is a different system from Visa and Mastercard.

If you want a direct debit to stop, ask your bank to cancel it. The Banking Code says banks that have signed the code must promptly process that request (Consumer Action Law Centre).
If a business took money you never agreed to, tell your bank straight away and dispute it.

The key difference is who pressed "Pay". When a business takes the money, you can usually dispute it. When you sent it yourself, it is much harder.

Which payments can you get back?

How the money left	Who pressed "Pay"	Can you get it back?
Cash	You	No
PayID or bank transfer to a scammer	You	Rarely. Call your bank fast to ask for a recall
Card payment, item never came	You	Often, through a chargeback
Card or account used without your OK	Someone else	Usually, if you kept your PIN and codes to yourself. Report it as unauthorised
Direct debit you never agreed to	The business	Usually. Dispute it with your bank

What does this mean for buying secondhand locally?

People pay for most private sales with cash or PayID. Neither has buyer protection. So the protection has to come from how you do the deal.

If you're buying:

See the item first. Check it works and matches the photos.
Pay only at the handover, by cash or PayID, while the seller is in front of you.
Never pay a deposit to a stranger for something you have not seen. Our guide on checking items before you buy helps.
Never pay with your card through a link a seller sends. Treat a private seller's "card payment link" as the fake-page scam. Your card details are the target.

If you're selling:

Check that the money is in your bank app before you hand anything over.
Ignore screenshots and emails. They prove nothing.
Never pay a fee to receive money. Read about the PayID upgrade scam.

On FlyerBoard, buyers and sellers meet and pay in person. FlyerBoard never handles the money between a buyer and a seller, so it cannot refund a payment. Your bank is the one who can act. For the messages that come before a scam, see how to spot payment link scams in chat.

What if I already paid a scammer?

Speed matters most. Do these in order:

Call your bank now. Use the number on your card or in your bank app. Ask them to recall the payment and to tell the receiving bank.
Make a formal complaint to your bank if it will not help. Ask for a written answer.
Go to AFCA if you are not happy with the answer. The Australian Financial Complaints Authority is free. Since 12 March 2026 it can also look at complaints about the bank that received the scam money (MinterEllison).
Report it to ReportCyber and Scamwatch.
Report the user in FlyerBoard from the flag at the top of the chat, so the FlyerBoard team can act on the account.

The rules are changing. The Scams Prevention Framework, passed in February 2025, is bringing in new duties for banks to stop scams. They phase in from late 2026 into 2027. Once they apply, a bank that fails those duties can be ordered by AFCA to pay compensation (CHOICE). It is not an automatic refund for every scam.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Will my bank refund a PayID payment I sent to a scammer? Not always. You authorised it, so the bank usually doesn't have to. It can try to recall the money, so call straight away.

Q: Is paying by card safer than PayID? A card gives you chargeback rights. PayID does not. For a private secondhand deal, never type your card into a link a seller sends. Pay by cash or PayID at the handover instead.

Q: Can a buyer reverse a PayID payment after I hand over the item? They can't simply cancel it the way a card holder can ask for a chargeback. Make sure the money is in your account before the item leaves your hands.

Q: Does FlyerBoard protect my payment? No. FlyerBoard never handles the money between a buyer and a seller, so there is nothing for it to refund. Meeting in person and paying at the handover is the protection.

Buying or selling nearby? Meet in person on FlyerBoard, see the item first, and pay only when it changes hands.