The Article Processing Charge (APC) is only ever charged after a manuscript is accepted for publication - never at submission and never during review (see Fees and Waivers).
If the APC has been paid but the article has not yet been published - because the author withdraws it, or it does not ultimately proceed to publication for any other reason - the full APC is refunded, no deduction. Contact the editorial office to request this.
If the article has already been published and is later retracted, the retraction-fee clause in Fees and Waivers applies instead (70% of the APC withheld from any refund) - publication has already consumed the editorial, formatting, hosting and archiving costs the APC covers.
How refunds are processed. All refunds are issued to the original payment method used - never to a different account or by any other means - and typically reflect within 5-7 business days, per our payment gateway's own standard settlement timeline.