How Viva refunds generally work
Whether money comes back turns on your timing and your fare.
Cancel within 24 hours of buying and Viva returns the ticket price in full, whatever fare you're on. It's the strongest and simplest refund on the airline, and the only one that ignores your fare, so if you booked and had second thoughts, this is the window to act inside of.
Beyond that window, whether a cancellation pays back money or only travel credit depends on your fare and Viva's refund terms, and the Zero fare in particular is locked, with no changes at all. We read the actual terms on your ticket rather than assume, because the answer genuinely varies.
For card refunds, Viva's terms give about five business days on domestic cards and ten on international cards, when the refund is requested within 180 days of purchase; other payment methods return as Viva Cash. The full mechanics, including what changes close to departure, are in their own section below.
This is the stronger footing. Viva's own published Carta de Derechos, its summary of Mexican passenger-rights law, gives you, on an airline-caused cancellation, a choice that includes a full refund of the affected segment plus compensation. Our flight-status guide covers the whole ladder, and if a refund is your best option we'll pursue it.
Viva has no discounted bereavement fare, but its contract does allow a documented refund exception for the death of a close family member or a serious illness, requested by email before check-in with a certificate. It is at Viva's discretion and, if approved, paid only as travel credit. See the dedicated section below.
Eligibility depends on your fare and timing. We never quote refund amounts because yours depends on your ticket, an agent confirms what you're owed, and our service fee, before anything is filed. You can also request it yourself free at vivaaerobus.com.
The refund doors on Viva
Verified from the airline's published rules; your ticket decides which applies.
How your refund actually comes back
The form the money takes matters as much as whether you qualify, and on Viva it turns on when you cancel and how you paid.
Inside the 24-hour window you choose how the refund returns, either a bank transfer or a Flight Certificate, the travel credit you spend on a future Viva booking. Same money-back right, two ways to receive it.
Cancel with fewer than four days before the flight and an eligible refund comes back only as a Flight Certificate, whatever you originally paid with. This close to departure, do not expect cash or a card reversal.
When a refund goes back to a card, Viva's terms give five business days for domestic cards and ten for international cards, as long as you request it within 180 days of purchase. Past 180 days it shifts to Viva Cash or a bank transfer instead.
Refunds on PayPal, MercadoPago, Kueski or cash bookings return as Viva Cash, usually within 24 hours. These are refund mechanics set by the airline, not our service fee.
Money back or not, the questions that decide
Almost every Viva refund case comes down to these.
A refund is realistic when…
Best case
- You act within 24 hours of purchase
- Viva cancelled and you decline the alternative
- Your fare terms leave a refund path open
- A long, airline-caused disruption triggers the Carta de Derechos
Little or nothing is likely when…
By choice
- You cancel a Zero ticket by choice, outside 24 h
- The 24-hour window has closed
- Your fare only allows travel credit
- A bereavement refund is credit only and at Viva's discretion
The 24-hour window is the one that doesn't care about your fare. It's the strongest refund Viva offers and it closes fast. If you've just booked and something feels off, don't wait to be sure, call us now and we'll cancel inside the window while you still can.
Traveling because of a death or serious illness
Viva has no bereavement fare, but it does publish a documented refund exception. Here is what it really is, honestly.
There is no discounted bereavement or compassionate fare on Viva, so if you are booking last-minute for a funeral, the ticket price is the ordinary price. What Viva does publish, in its contract of carriage, is a documented refund exception: a passenger who cannot fly because of the death of a close family member, or a serious illness, may request cancellation and a refund by emailing a death certificate or a medical certificate to atencion.clientes@vivaaerobus.com before check-in.
Two honest caveats matter here. First, approval is at Viva's sole discretion, it is a request and not an automatic right, so nothing is guaranteed. Second, when it is approved, the refund is issued only as a Flight Certificate, travel credit, never cash or a card reversal. Send the documentation before you check in, not after, and keep a copy. If you are in this situation, call us and we will help you frame the request and gather what Viva looks for, though the decision stays theirs.
Frequently asked
I just booked and want to cancel, do I get my money back?+
I have a Zero fare, can I get a refund?+
Viva cancelled my flight, what am I entitled to?+
Do you charge to request a refund?+
Contact options
Reach Viva directly, or let us handle it.
Contact Viva Aerobus directly
The airline's own official channels, free.
More Viva Aerobus help
Related guides.