This Russian Banking App Lets You Undo That Awkward Money Transfer

No more begging strangers for refunds—Sberbank’s new feature puts control back in your hands.

If you’ve ever sent money to the wrong person, you know the sinking feeling. A missed digit in a phone number, a wrong account ID—and just like that, your cash vanishes into the digital void. Now, one of Russia’s largest banks wants to make those moments less painful.

Sberbank is piloting a new feature in its mobile app that lets users request a refund with just a tap. Accidentally sent funds? No need to call the recipient or deal with customer support. Instead, users can navigate to their transaction history, find the payment, and hit a new button labeled “Request Refund.”

Once tapped, the recipient receives an instant notification and has up to 10 days to approve the return. While the request is pending, the transaction is marked “Refund Requested,” keeping both parties informed. It’s smoother, less awkward—and in many cases, faster than navigating support hotlines.

But that’s just one part of the upgrade. For Android users, Sberbank is also testing a more proactive twist: recipients can return funds on their own without waiting for a request. They simply head into the app, select the transaction, and tap “Send Back.” The refund must be made within five days of receiving the money. Once confirmed, the amount is automatically returned to the sender’s account.

The feature could be a powerful tool in the ongoing fight against fraud. One common scam involves cybercriminals sending small “mistaken” payments to random users, then pressuring them into sending larger sums elsewhere. Sberbank’s new tools create a buffer—giving users time and space to verify before taking any action.

In an age of instant money and even faster mistakes, giving people a digital “undo” button just makes sense. And in Russia’s fast-evolving fintech scene, Sberbank may have just set a new standard for user-first design.