# Fast refund a payment without a reference
You can process fast refunds without a reference. These refunds are typically processed and completed in 30 minutes or less, if the receiving card is enabled for Fast Funds.
Unreferenced fast refunds do not require the original Checkout.com payment ID, so they're not linked to the original payment in your account. However, for Visa `MI` refunds you must still provide the original Visa transaction ID.
For example, you can use unreferenced fast refunds to:
- Process fast refunds for any transaction, including those authorized or captured by Checkout.com.
- Refund a payment to a new card, if the original card is no longer valid.
Unreferenced fast refunds are paid directly to the customer's card. For more information, see [Funds for card payouts](https://www.checkout.com/docs/payments/request-payouts/card-payouts.md#Funds_for_card_payouts)
> **Information**
>
> To enable unreferenced fast refunds, contact your account manager or [request support](https://dashboard.checkout.com/support/new?topic=case_account_management_and_access&issue=issue_account_changes).
---
## Eligible payments
Unreferenced fast refunds support the following fund transfer types in the following regions:
| Fund transfer type | Supported region |
| --- | --- |
| - `MI` – Visa faster refunds
- `C60`– Mastercard fast refund | - European Economic Area (EEA)
- United Kingdom (UK) |
---
## Request an unreferenced fast refund
Before you start, ensure that:
- The recipient card is eligible for a fast refund.
- Your [sub-account balance](https://www.checkout.com/docs/payments/request-payouts/card-payouts/request-a-card-payout.md#Check_sub-account_balance) has sufficient funds to cover the refund.
To issue an unreferenced fast refund, call the [Request a payment](https://api-reference.checkout.com/tag/Payments/#operation/requestAPaymentOrPayout) endpoint and:
- Set `payment_type` to `UnreferencedRefund`.
- Provide the account from which to debit the funds in the `source` field.
- Provide the account to credit with the refund in the `destination` field – You can provide the full card details or a payment instrument ID.
- Set `processing.processing_speed` to `fast`.
- Set `instruction.funds_transfer_type` to one of these values:
- `MI`
- `C60`
> **Information**
>
> If you process a Visa `MI` refund, you must also set the `previous_payment_id` field to the [Visa transaction ID](https://www.checkout.com/docs/payments/accept-payments/pay-with-stored-card-details/recurring-payments-with-stored-card-details.md#Scheme_transaction_ID_requirements) of the original payment. The refund still doesn't reference the original Checkout.com payment ID.
>
> If you process a Mastercard `C60` refund, you must refund the payment to the card used in the original payment.
> **Information**
>
> Your base URL's `{prefix}` value is unique to your account and environment. To learn how to retrieve your base URLs for the sandbox and production environments, see [API endpoints](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/api/api-endpoints.md).
**Production**
`POST` `https://{prefix}.api.checkout.com/payments`
**Sandbox**
`POST` `https://{prefix}.api.sandbox.checkout.com/payments`
### Request example
**Full card details**
```json
{
"amount": 100,
"currency": "GBP",
"payment_type": "UnreferencedRefund",
"processing": {
"processing_speed": "fast"
},
"instruction": {
"funds_transfer_type": "MI"
},
"processing_channel_id": "pc_xxx",
"reference": "REF-FQSGRB",
"source": {
"type": "currency_account",
"id": "ca_xxx"
},
"destination": {
"type": "card",
"number": "4111111111111111",
"expiry_month": 12,
"expiry_year": 2042,
"account_holder": {
"type": "individual",
"first_name": "Toby",
"last_name": "Arden",
"date_of_birth": "2000-01-01",
"country_of_birth": "US",
"billing_address": {
"address_line1": "123 High St",
"city": "London",
"country": "GB"
}
}
},
"previous_payment_id": "485182389439120"
}
```
**Network token**
```json
{
"amount": 1000,
"currency": "USD",
"payment_type": "UnreferencedRefund",
"processing": {
"processing_speed": "fast"
},
"instruction": {
"funds_transfer_type": "C60"
},
"processing_channel_id": "pc_xxx",
"reference": "REF-FQSGRB",
"source": {
"type": "currency_account",
"id": "ca_xxx"
},
"destination": {
"type": "network_token",
"token": "4242424242424242",
"expiry_month": 12,
"expiry_year": 30,
"token_type": "vts",
"cryptogram": "AgAAAAAAAIR8CQrXcIhbQAAAAAA=",
"eci": "05",
"account_holder": {
"type": "individual",
"first_name": "Hannah",
"last_name": "Bret"
}
}
}
```
### Response example
```json
{
"id": "pay_g4blr3juzouutaijarea5hejd4",
"status": "Pending",
"reference": "REF-FQSGRB",
"instruction": {
"value_date": "2025-06-12T22:27:42.512594Z"
},
"_links": {
"self": {
"href": "https://{prefix}.api.sandbox.checkout.com/payments/pay_g4blr3juzouutaijarea5hejd4"
},
"actions": {
"href": "https://{prefix}.api.sandbox.checkout.com/payments/pay_g4blr3juzouutaijarea5hejd4/actions"
}
}
}
```
> **Note**
>
> You cannot reverse a fast refund.
---
## Check the outcome of the fast refund
If you've subscribed to [webhooks](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/event-notifications/event-types.md), you're notified of the final outcome of the fast refund through a webhook containing a [response code](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/codes/api-response-codes.md).
If the fast refund was successful, you receive a [Payment approved](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/event-notifications/event-types/payment_approved.md) webhook with the following fields in the webhook body:
- `"response_code": "10000"`
- `"response_summary": "Approved"`
If the fast refund was declined, you receive a [Payment declined](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/event-notifications/event-types/payment_declined.md) webhook with the following fields in the webhook body:
- `response_code` – A five-digit code between `50000 - 50399`
- `response_summary` – A description of the decline reason