What are China's train ticket refund fees?

Refund fees run 0% to 20% of the ticket price on a time ladder: free at 8+ days before departure, then 5%, 10% and 20% as you get closer — and after the train departs, the ticket can't be refunded at all. The schedule below is 12306's own English FAQ, not a reseller's policy.

The official fee ladder

Two official footnotes change how you use the ladder: a changed (endorsed) ticket can only be changed once, and if the changed train departs during the Spring Festival peak season, its refund is charged a uniform 20% no matter when you cancel. Fares are rounded per 12306's half-yuan rounding rules, with a minimum fee on tiny amounts.

What if you missed the train?

A missed train is a reschedule, not a refund: same-day changes at the window for the fare difference only (endorsement works in the 12306 app up to departure; after departure it's the window). In genuine special cases — illness, force majeure — stations can process a refund within 2 hours after departure with a station-master's approval, but don't plan around that.

Where the money goes back

Refunds on 12306 bookings return to the original payment method — the linked international card or Alipay/WeChat Pay — within the bank's settlement time, typically a few business days. Booking through Trip.com instead? Their support processes the same official fee schedule with an English interface, which is one reason first-timers pay the small fee — see 12306 vs Trip.com.