How can I request a refund for an automatic renewal? – e-registry.ca Help Desk

Sometimes the system can work too well. If you’ve been charged inappropriately for an automatic renewal, your registry can provide a refund. Refunds for automatic renewal charges are processed by your registry agent of choice, and usually show up on your credit card statement within a few business days. The refund might be labelled as a “Refund” on your card statement, or it may be a Pending Charge that gets quietly removed by your card company.

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My credit card was charged but I don’t need my automatic renewal this year
I was charged the full renewal charge but I’m a senior! What do I do?
I’ve left Alberta and/or sold my car but I was charged for an automatic renewal—what do I do?

My credit card was charged but I don’t need my automatic renewal this year

If you already renewed your registration in person at a registry, or if you renewed for a two-year period last year, but your Automatic Renewal Account charged your credit card anyway, don’t panic!

Once your credit card has been charged, your order goes to your registry of choice, and a registry agent processes your registration renewal. There are two things that can happen if your automatic renewal payment has gone through when it shouldn’t have:

If the registry agent processing your renewal notices that your vehicle has already been renewed for this year, they will immediately refund your online payment.
If the registry agent goes ahead and processes your renewal, your vehicle registration will be renewed for an additional year. For example, if your vehicle was already renewed to 2027, the automatic renewal would push that expiry date forward to 2028.

If the renewal has been processed by your registry, you have a couple options:

You can let things stand, and make sure to:
- Get your most updated registration certificate from the registry agent
- Disable your Automatic Renewal Account so that it can’t charge you inappropriately next year
You can request a refund from your registry agent. Contact the registry directly, and provide them with your order number (it starts with “AVR”) to request the refund.

Don’t hesitate to contact the registry if you feel you’ve been charged incorrectly. You can also contact the e-registry.ca Help Desk if you are unsure about what has happened on your Automatic Renewal Account.

I was charged the full renewal charge but I’m a senior! What do I do?

Albertans 65 years old and older receive a 25% discount on personal registry services, which includes certain automatic vehicle registration renewals: Class 3 personal passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and ATVs.

Automatic Renewal Accounts are customer-managed. Your Automatic Renewal Account does not have any access to your personal registry information. If your account does not list you as a Senior, the automatic payment will be the full price. You can edit your Automatic Renewal Account to reflect your Senior status. See also: Updating your Automatic Renewal Account.

If your automatic renewal charge was for the full, non-Senior amount, don’t panic! Just reach out to your registry agent of choice to request a refund of the overpayment. And then make sure to update your account for future charges!

I’ve left Alberta and/or sold my car but I was charged for an automatic renewal—what do I do?

Because Automatic Renewal Accounts are customer-managed, the service does not automatically know when you experience any life changes, such as selling your car or a move out of the province.

If you receive a charge from the Automatic Renewal Service on your credit card, but you no longer have a vehicle registered under your name, your registry agent should notice that right away and immediately refund your online charge. The same goes for if you have moved out of Alberta. If your registry agent notices there is no longer an Alberta vehicle registration for you, they will immediately refund the charge.

Once your incorrect charge has been refunded to your credit card, here are some important things to remember to do:

If you’ve sold your vehicle, you will need to update your Automatic Renewal Account. If you plan on adding a new vehicle to your account for future automatic renewals, you can disable your account but keep it in existence. Or, if you’re done with the Automatic Renewal Service, you can delete your account entirely.
If you’ve moved out of the province, make sure that your Alberta vehicle registrations have been cancelled in person at a registry office. And, make sure to delete your automatic renewal account.

See also: I want to stop my automatic renewal!

Cancelling your vehicle registration at a registry does not automatically cancel your Automatic Renewal Account, and vice versa!