AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Start with the merchant if both payments show as successful on its side, and with your bank if one of the two failed or was never recorded by the merchant. A 2020 CBN circular says web complaints should be acknowledged immediately and resolved within 48 hours, so log it in writing with both payment references and your statement.
Two kinds of double debit
Online, "charged twice" can mean two quite different things, and the right door depends on which you have.
| What you see | What probably happened | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Two successful orders or two confirmation emails | You (or the site) submitted twice; the merchant has both payments | The merchant refunds one |
| One order, but two debits on your statement | The first attempt failed on the merchant's side but your bank debited anyway | Your bank, as a failed transaction |
| One order, one debit, but your app shows two | A pending hold or a duplicate alert | Usually nothing; check your statement after a day or two |
Find the references first
Every online payment carries identifiers. Gather them before you write to anyone:
- The merchant's order number(s) and confirmation emails.
- The payment reference shown on the checkout page or receipt email (gateways show their own transaction reference).
- For card payments: the date, time, amount and merchant name as on your statement.
- For transfers to a checkout account: the session ID of each transfer.
- Screenshots of any error message during payment.
Card payments
If both payments reached the merchant, write to the merchant's support with both references and ask for one to be refunded. Keep the reply. If the merchant does not respond or refuses, report to your bank as a disputed card transaction; it can raise a chargeback with the acquirer.
If only one order exists, go straight to your bank. A CBN circular on chargeback periods (May 2020, effective June 2020) set out that failed web transaction refunds should be made within 48 hours and that web complaints should be acknowledged immediately and resolved within 48 hours.
Transfers and bill payments
If you paid by transfer to a checkout account and sent twice, the merchant holds both. Ask it to return one; there is no card chargeback for transfers. If you paid a bill through a bank's bill-payment channel and were debited but the biller did not receive value, NIBSS's e-BillsPay FAQ says the customer's bank raises it with NIBSS, and disputes go through its dispute resolution system with a 72-hour turnaround.
Merchant, gateway or bank: who does what
Three parties sit behind most Nigerian online payments, and each controls a different part of the money's path.
- Merchant
- Owns the order. Only the merchant can cancel an order and decide to refund a payment it received.
- Payment gateway
- Processes the payment for the merchant and passes the money on. It can confirm whether a payment succeeded and process a refund the merchant approves, but it acts on the merchant's instruction.
- Your bank
- Debited your account. It deals with failed transactions where the merchant never received the money, and raises card disputes.
If a merchant tells you to "contact your bank" while your bank says "contact the merchant", ask the merchant for written confirmation of whether it received one payment or two. That single answer tells your bank whether this is a failed transaction or a merchant refund.
Keep a record of the refund
When a merchant agrees to refund, ask for the refund reference and the date it was sent, and check that the amount on your statement matches. If nothing appears, that reference is what your bank needs to trace the money. Until the credit shows on your statement, treat the matter as open and keep your emails.
Steps
- Confirm on your statement that there are two settled debits, not a hold.
- Check your email for one or two order confirmations.
- Two orders: contact the merchant, ask it to cancel one and refund. One order: contact your bank.
- Put it in writing with every reference, and ask for a complaint or ticket number.
- Follow up after 48 hours.
- If your bank has not acknowledged within 3 days or resolved within 2 weeks, escalate to the CBN Consumer Protection Department, per the CBN complaints guide. For a merchant that refuses, the FCCPC handles consumer complaints.
Worked example
Example only. Halima pays ₦12,400 for a course online. The page spins, she clicks Pay again, and both work: two confirmation emails, two debits. She emails the merchant with both order numbers and the gateway references. The merchant cancels the second order and refunds ₦12,400 to her card; the refund appears on her statement some days later. Her net cost is ₦24,800 − ₦12,400 = ₦12,400, the price of one course. If her card had been debited twice with only one order, she would have gone to her bank instead.
Avoid it next time
- If a page hangs after you pay, check your email and statement before trying again.
- Do not refresh a payment page mid-transaction.
- Screenshot the error so you have it if a dispute follows.
Where Pryme fits
For businesses, Pryme's bank-transfer checkout (free) for orders paid by transfer. For customers, a verifiable receipt proves exactly what you paid. Related reading: chargebacks on a debit card and payment failed through a gateway: who refunds and evidence to gather for a payment dispute.
Questions people ask
I was debited twice for one online payment, who refunds me?
If the merchant received both payments, the merchant. If only one order exists, your bank, as a failed transaction.
How long does a web double debit refund take in Nigeria?
A 2020 CBN circular set 48 hours for resolving web complaints and failed web refunds. Card refunds can take a few more days to show on your statement.
Can I request a chargeback for a double online payment?
Yes, for card payments, if the merchant will not refund the second one. Give your bank both references.
What if I paid by transfer twice?
Ask the merchant to return one. Transfers have no chargeback route; if the merchant refuses, complain to the FCCPC.
Sources
- Mondaq: Chargeback period reduction for ATMs, POS and web transactions (CBN circular, May 2020) · accessed Oct 2026
- NIBSS Helpdesk: e-BillsPay FAQs (modified 21 Jul 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- CBN: How to Lodge a Complaint (CPD/GEN/GUIDE/03, January 2022) · accessed Oct 2026
- FCCPC: Consumer rights and responsibilities · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.