# Cashback after a partial return: what to check in Singapore An explainer for reading merchant return terms and a changing Pending Cashback amount after a split basket. By: ShopBack Discover editorial team Published On: 2026-09-25 Verified On: 2026-09-25 [Editors](https://discover.shopback.sg/authors) · [Editorial policy](https://discover.shopback.sg/editorial-policy) If you return part of an order, check the specific merchant terms and your ShopBack transaction status before counting on the originally tracked amount. Guardian explicitly says partial returns or exchanges lead to a prorated Cashback adjustment. Other merchant pages may exclude returned or exchanged purchases; do not apply Guardian's partial-return rule to Sephora, Dyson or Shopee without checking their own terms. ## Separate your refund from your Cashback entry An order refund and a ShopBack adjustment are different records. First find the store's order number, items purchased, items returned and the amount the store says it refunded. Then open the corresponding transaction in ShopBack and note its status. The Singapore glossary defines Pending as awaiting partner validation, Confirmed as validated and added to available balance, and Rejected as disqualified by the store for not meeting its terms. A Pending figure can change as the merchant checks the final order. It should not be treated as money already applied to the checkout. If shipping was paid and not refunded, that does not automatically mean it qualified for Cashback: the Guardian and Dyson merchant pages separately exclude shipping from eligible amounts. ## Read the actual merchant return condition Guardian's ShopBack Singapore page expressly says it prorates Cashback as an adjustment for partial returns or exchanges. Its page also states rejected, cancelled, refunded, exchanged or returned purchases are not eligible. Read both statements together: they identify a possible adjustment for a partially changed basket, not a promise that every remaining item will always qualify. Sephora, Dyson and Shopee each list rejected, cancelled, refunded, exchanged or returned purchases among non-eligible outcomes on their own merchant pages. Do not copy Guardian's expressly stated proration into those other stores' orders. Shopee also warns that an initially tracked rate can be adjusted on confirmation, while Dyson warns about validation adjustments for its product and bundle conditions. ## Compare the remaining purchase against its terms Keep an itemised invoice and refund confirmation so you can see what was retained. On a Guardian basket, check the retained items, any applied discount and non-eligible fees against the merchant page. On Sephora, check whether the retained product itself is excluded, such as The Ordinary, or whether the purchase used the excluded app. On Dyson, check the selected product against its linked exclusion list. A hypothetical example: you buy two eligible-looking items for SGD40 each and later return one. The refund and any Cashback outcome depend on the store's final order and ShopBack terms; it is not sound to calculate half of an unverified headline award and call it guaranteed. The illustration supplies no actual merchant rate, return approval or eligibility decision. ## Follow up with the right transaction details ShopBack Singapore's tracking-issues help advises checking whether an online purchase started through ShopBack, whether an unlisted code or third-party link was used, whether the order was returned or exchanged, and whether the store's own conditions were met. Check the merchant's stated tracking and confirmation timetable as well as the transaction status before deciding an entry is incomplete. If the final status or amount still appears wrong, use ShopBack's missing-Cashback reporting path described in its help article and retain your order and refund records. The useful question is what the merchant validated for the kept items under its own terms, not whether the first Pending amount looked larger. ## Frequently asked questions ### Will a partial Guardian return always erase all Cashback? Guardian's page describes prorated adjustments for partial returns or exchanges, subject to its full merchant conditions and validation. ### Can I apply Guardian's proration rule to Sephora? No. Read Sephora's own return and product exclusions; do not transfer a different merchant's adjustment rule. ### What does Pending mean after a refund? ShopBack Singapore's glossary says Pending awaits partner validation. Check the final merchant decision and your transaction status before treating an amount as confirmed. ## Stores mentioned - [Guardian terms](https://discover.shopback.sg/stores/guardian) · [Shop at Guardian](https://www.shopback.sg/guardian) - [Sephora terms](https://discover.shopback.sg/stores/sephora) · [Shop at Sephora](https://www.shopback.sg/sephora) - [Dyson terms](https://discover.shopback.sg/stores/dyson) · [Shop at Dyson](https://www.shopback.sg/dyson) - [Shopee terms](https://discover.shopback.sg/stores/shopee) · [Shop at Shopee](https://www.shopback.sg/shopee-web) ## About this guide The linked sources document ShopBack processes and merchant terms; any arithmetic examples are illustrations, not verified current prices or cashback amounts. Offers and exclusions can change. Check the current local ShopBack merchant page for the applicable terms before shopping. ## Related guides - [Beauty shopping in Singapore: compare the products you use](https://discover.shopback.sg/guides/beauty-shopping) - [Buying guide: choose a Dyson vacuum for your Singapore home](https://discover.shopback.sg/guides/choose-dyson-vacuum-singapore) - [Home shopping in Singapore: compare appliances and essentials](https://discover.shopback.sg/guides/home-shopping) ## Sources - [Guardian on ShopBack Singapore — prorated partial returns](https://www.shopback.sg/guardian) - [Sephora on ShopBack Singapore — excluded products and returns](https://www.shopback.sg/sephora) - [Dyson on ShopBack Singapore — product and return conditions](https://www.shopback.sg/dyson) - [Shopee on ShopBack Singapore — tracking adjustments and returns](https://www.shopback.sg/shopee-web) - [ShopBack Singapore Help — Cashback status glossary](https://support.shopback.sg/hc/en-gb/articles/360039178134-Cashback-glossary-What-the-different-terms-mean) - [ShopBack Singapore Help — incomplete Cashback checklist](https://support.shopback.sg/hc/en-gb/articles/360039674633-Cashback-tracking-issues-Missing-or-incomplete-Cashback)