Forgotten refunds. Unreturned deposits. That "I'll pay you back" text. You know that refund you were told would arrive in a few days? Or the deposit you meant to chase? Start there. ChatGPT can help turn scattered conversations into a list you can actually work through.
The plan · THE PLAN · Gmail + Apple Messages · 10 prompts
- 1Connect Gmail and look for money that may still be outstanding.
- 2Check the evidence and draft a specific follow-up.
- 3On a compatible Mac, search Apple Messages for repayment promises too.
Connect Gmail
- Open Plugins in ChatGPT. If your account shows Apps, use that instead.
- Find Gmail, open it, and select Install plugin if shown. Choose Connect when prompted.
- Sign in to the Google account you want searched and review the requested access. Complete the authorization.
- Start a chat. Type @ and select Gmail, or choose it from +, sometimes under More. Paste Prompt 1 below.
Maverick's tip
Choose Gmail from the menu so it is attached to the request. If ChatGPT says it cannot access the inbox, fix the connection before treating its answer as a search result.
Find it. Check it. Follow up.
A message promising a refund is a useful lead. It doesn't establish whether the money later reached your card, bank, payment app, or pocket. Check the relevant payment history before saying something is unpaid.
The prompts below ask for evidence, later replies, and missing information. They also keep follow-ups in the chat so you can review the details before sending anything yourself.
| What you want | Start here |
|---|---|
| Search your inbox | Prompt 1 |
| Check results and draft emails | Prompts 2–3 |
| Search texts and draft replies | Setup and Prompts 4–5 |
| Dig deeper and track follow-ups | Prompts 6–10 |
| Keep the whole workflow handy | Quick Reference |
Find the Money in Your Email
This is the first prompt from the video, expanded so the answer gives you something you can verify. Replace the brackets and select Gmail before you run it.
Prompt 1: The inbox money search
Search my Gmail account [email address] from [start date] to [end date] for refunds I was promised, deposits due back, and purchases I reported never receiving. Read the relevant threads and look for later refunds, repayments, delivery updates, cancellations, or other resolutions. Treat unresolved items as candidates to check, not confirmed money owed. Make a table with the company, amount and currency if stated, reason, promise date, expected date, order or case number, a short evidence quote, and a source link if available. Flag missing details and what I need to verify. Combine duplicates. Tell me the dates and searches you covered and anything you could not access. Don't claim you checked every email. Only search and report. Do not send messages or change anything in my account.
What a useful result looks like
You should be able to open the original conversation and understand why each item made the list. "Maybe a refund from a store" isn't enough. You want the merchant, the promise, and the next thing to check.
| Type of lead | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Refund promised | An amount or order reference and a refund commitment |
| Deposit due back | Return terms, the relevant date, and any deductions mentioned |
| Missing purchase | Your non-delivery report and what support said afterward |
Maverick's tip
Start with a manageable date range. If the answer is cut short or the search is incomplete, use Prompt 6 to continue in smaller batches.
Check What Is Actually Unpaid
Before you chase anyone, open the source and check the matching payment record yourself. A refund might appear under a different merchant name, arrive in parts, or go back to the original payment method.
Prompt 2: Check the evidence
Review every candidate from our list. Search the related Gmail threads for later resolution and tell me the exact payment or delivery detail I should check myself. Use these statuses: Needs checking, Waiting within the stated timeline, Resolved in the records, or Confirmed unpaid by me. Only use the last status after I explicitly confirm it. Separate promised amounts from verified outstanding amounts. Flag partial refunds, possible duplicate entries, and unclear currencies. Don't add uncertain amounts into a confirmed total. Ask me for the missing facts before drafting a claim that something is unpaid. Only read and report.
Three things to check yourself
- The original promise. Was it a confirmed refund, a pending request, or a conditional offer?
- The timeline. Has the stated processing or return window actually passed?
- The payment. Check the relevant card, bank account, or payment app, including partial payments. For a personal repayment, remember cash and shared-expense offsets too.
Maverick's tip
You can tell ChatGPT "I checked item 2 and received the full refund on [date]." You don't need to upload an entire bank statement just to update one row.
Keep the total honest
Count each item once. Keep different currencies separate. If you haven't checked the payment history, leave the item under Needs checking. "No repayment found in these messages" is a useful observation, but it doesn't prove that no repayment happened.
Write the Follow-Up
Stay in the same chat for this part. Once you've checked the records, tell ChatGPT which items still need attention. It can use the dates and references it already found.
Prompt 3: The company follow-up
For each item I've confirmed still needs a follow-up, draft a short, polite email here in the chat. Do not create an external draft or send anything. Use the correct company, order or case number, promise date, and amount from the evidence. State only what we've verified. Ask for the current status, the expected completion date, and any refund reference or confirmation they can provide. If we haven't confirmed whether payment arrived, ask them to confirm the refund details instead of accusing them of nonpayment. Give me the subject and body for each email. Put unknown details in brackets and list anything I need to check before using it.
The kind of email you want
Subject: Follow-up on refund for order [number] Hi [team], on [date] you confirmed a refund of [amount] for order [number]. The stated processing window has passed, and I've checked the original payment method but haven't located it. Could you confirm its status and share the refund date and reference if it has been processed? Thanks, [name].
That example assumes you've actually checked the payment method and timeline. If you haven't, change it to a status request.
Before you send
Open the original support thread or the company's official support channel. Check the recipient, remove unresolved brackets, and make sure the amount and dates match. A clear email makes the issue easier to investigate. It can't guarantee a reply or a refund.
Maverick's tip
Reply in the existing support thread when it is the right conversation. The history and case number can save you from explaining the whole thing again.
Connect Apple Messages on Your Mac
The text-message part needs a different setup. OpenAI supports Apple Messages in Work or Codex in the Mac desktop app. It does not work in regular ChatGPT chats.
| Requirement | What to use |
|---|---|
| Computer | An Apple silicon Mac, such as an M1 or newer model |
| App | The ChatGPT desktop app for macOS |
| Conversation | A new Work or Codex chat |
| Messages | Conversations available on that Mac, including supported iMessage, SMS, and RCS history |
Set it up
- Open Plugins, find Apple Messages, and install it.
- Start a new Work or Codex chat.
- Ask it to use Apple Messages and grant the requested macOS permissions if you want to continue.
- Paste Prompt 4 below. This starts a separate search, so it doesn't need your Gmail results.
If older messages are missing
Open Messages on your Mac and check whether the conversations are there. Messages in iCloud can keep devices updated, but Apple notes that only recently accessed messages are stored locally. Don't assume a plugin search covers every year of history.
Maverick's tip
No compatible Mac? Keep using the Gmail workflow. You can also paste a relevant conversation excerpt into a chat and ask for a draft, but ChatGPT won't have searched the rest of your messages.
Find the "I'll Pay You Back" Texts
A dinner split, a concert ticket, or something you covered for a friend can be easy to lose track of. Search for the promise, then read what came after it.
Prompt 4: The repayment search
Use Apple Messages on this Mac to search [start date] to [end date] for people saying they would pay me back, reimburse me, send their share, or cover something I paid for. Read the surrounding conversation and later replies. List the person or chat, amount and currency if stated, reason, promise date, short evidence quote, and any later sign of repayment. Separate money owed to me from money I owe someone else. Don't infer a debt from a joke or vague comment. Label unresolved items Needs checking. Ask me about cash, payment apps, partial payments, or offsets before calling anything unpaid. State the search coverage and gaps. Do not send or change anything.
Prompt 5: The friendly text back
For [item or person], I've checked and [explain what is still outstanding]. Draft a friendly text here in the chat that sounds natural and mentions the specific expense. Include the amount only if confirmed. Give me a casual version and a more direct version. If anything is uncertain, use a question rather than an accusation. Don't invent a payment handle or deadline. Show which person and conversation each draft is for. Do not send anything.
Maverick's tip
"Hey, checking on your share of [expense]. Could you send it when you get a chance?" is often enough. Make the draft sound like you before using it.
Go Deeper: Three More Searches
Use these when the first pass gives you a lead or leaves a gap. Keep the relevant app selected and replace the brackets. Each prompt works as a follow-up in its existing chat.
Prompt 6: Search the next date range
Continue the money search in [Gmail or Apple Messages] for [start date] through [end date]. Use smaller date windows and additional result pages where supported. Keep the same evidence fields and check later resolutions. Merge duplicates with our existing list. Report what you covered and what remains unsearched. Only read and report.
Prompt 7: Track down one deposit
In Gmail, find the deposit I paid to [company] around [date]. Pull together the receipt, return conditions, any deductions, and the correspondence about returning it. Look for later resolution. Tell me what is documented, what is disputed, and what payment detail I need to check. Don't assume the full deposit is refundable. Only read and report.
Prompt 8: Rebuild a missing-order timeline
In Gmail, rebuild the timeline for [merchant and order number]: purchase, expected delivery, tracking updates, my non-delivery report, and support's response. Include later replacements or refunds. Flag contradictions and missing evidence. End with the one question I should ask support next. Do not send anything or assume that a delivery scan proves I received the order.
Maverick's tip
Specific names, order numbers, and dates give the search a clearer target. If an item isn't found, try the name used on the receipt or the support email address.
Keep Track and Follow Through
Finding the email is the start. Keep a simple list so the next step doesn't disappear into another forgotten conversation.
Prompt 9: Make one tracker
Turn the results in this chat and [any other results I paste] into one tracker. Include person or company, reason, source reference, currency, promised amount, verified outstanding amount, status, last contact, and next action. Merge items only when the evidence shows they are the same obligation. Keep uncertain entries separate. Leave unknown amounts blank and total only amounts I've confirmed as outstanding, separately by currency. Give me the table here without creating or changing external files.
If your Gmail and Messages searches are in different chats, paste only the relevant rows into the tracker chat. Don't assume one conversation can see another.
Prompt 10: Follow up after no response
I sent [paste message] on [date] about [item]. The company gave me this timeline: [timeline, or none]. I haven't received a reply as of [date]. Draft a brief follow-up here that references the first message and asks for a status update and next step. Don't invent legal deadlines, threats, or new facts. Do not send it or schedule anything.
Update the list when something changes
When money arrives, record the date and mark the item resolved. If only part arrives, record what is still outstanding. If the company disputes the request, save its explanation and decide what to check next before sending another claim.
Maverick's tip
Pick the clearest verified item first. One accurate follow-up is more useful than a batch of messages based on assumptions.
Mistakes That Make This Less Useful
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Treating "refund requested" as "refund promised" | Read the actual reply and any conditions. |
| Assuming no email confirmation means no payment | Check the original payment method yourself. |
| Calling a search exhaustive | Ask for dates covered, searches used, and gaps. |
| Counting the same amount twice | Match order numbers, dates, and related conversations. |
| Adding every number into one total | Separate unknowns, partial payments, and currencies. |
| Trying Apple Messages in a regular chat | Use Work or Codex in the supported Mac desktop app. |
| Copying a draft without checking it | Confirm the recipient, facts, tone, and every bracket. |
| Asking for "an email they can't ignore" | Ask for a concise, specific message the recipient can investigate. |
If the setup doesn't work
Check that the plugin is connected to the right account and available in the chat you're using. Availability can depend on plan, region, workspace, and device. Installation alone doesn't complete every connection.
If access is unavailable, copy the relevant receipt and support replies into a chat, with unnecessary personal details removed. Ask ChatGPT to organize that material and draft a follow-up. It can only review what you provide.
A useful result can also be "already handled"
Finding a later refund confirmation or remembering a cash repayment still clears something off your list. Keep resolved items out of the follow-up queue.
Forgotten Gift Cards, Credits and Vouchers
I ran this on my own email expecting a stray twenty dollar gift card, and it came back with 800 dollars of American Airlines credit that doesn't expire until 2028. I had no memory of it. If I had never gone looking I would have let the whole thing quietly disappear.
Use the same search with Claude by connecting Gmail under Customize, then Connectors. For the balance checks, connect Claude in Chrome, or use ChatGPT Work with @browser. If older receipts live in a different account, search that account too.
Find Unused Credits and Money Owed
Search my entire Gmail history for any money I am owed or have never used. Include gift cards, e-gift cards, store credit, airline and travel credits, vouchers, refunds that were promised, deposits, rebates, settlement payouts and unused promo credit on any account. For each one give me: the company, the amount, the date of the email, the code or reference number, the expiry date if there is one, and a direct link to the original email. Sort by highest value first and add up the total at the bottom. Do not invent anything. If you are unsure about an amount, say so.
Check Which Credits Are Still Valid
Now go to each of these companies' websites and actually check whether each credit or gift card is still valid and how much is left on it. I'll log in wherever you need me to. Come back with three lists: confirmed still good with the real balance, expired or already used, and the ones you couldn't verify.
Organize Credits by Expiry
Put everything you found into one clean table sorted by expiry date, with the company, amount, code, expiry and a link to the email. Flag anything expiring in the next 90 days in a separate list at the top.
Plan Which Credits to Use First
Set out a plan for using the ones expiring in the next 90 days, what to use first and what I'd spend it on.
Review Unused Subscriptions
Find every subscription I'm paying for that I haven't used in six months, with the cost, the renewal date, and what I'd save in a year.
Find Promised Refunds
Find any refund I was promised in an email but never actually received. Show me the original email, the amount, the date it was promised, and whether anything later confirms it arrived.
Find Settlement and Recall Notices
Search my Gmail for any class action settlement notices, recall notices, or emails saying I might be eligible for a payout or compensation. For each one, tell me the deadline to file and whether I still have time.
Six Other Places The Money Hides
Your inbox is the biggest single pile, but it isn't the only one. Check these by hand.
Airline accounts. Log in to each airline you've flown and look for a credits, vouchers or wallet section. Airlines are notorious for holding a credit in your account without ever emailing you about it again.
Hotel and travel loyalty. Point balances, and whether they expire from inactivity.
Store accounts. Store credit from returns sitting on the account rather than on a card.
PayPal and Venmo. Money someone sent you that you never moved to your bank.
Physical cards in a drawer. Anything that never touched your email will never show up in this search.
Unclaimed property. The one almost nobody knows about. Every US state holds money that belongs to you: old deposits, final paychecks, forgotten accounts. Search your name for free at missingmoney.com and on your state's own programme.
Heads up: Never pay anyone to find this for you. Searching and claiming through official state programmes is always free. Anyone offering to recover your unclaimed money for a percentage is a finder making money out of a search you can do yourself in five minutes.
Check the Email Connection
Check Which Inbox Is Connected
Can you see my Gmail? Tell me roughly how many emails are in there and what the date of the oldest one is.
Review access when you're done
To disconnect Gmail, open Settings > Apps or Plugins, select the connection, and choose Disconnect from the available connection menu. This stops future access through that account. It doesn't automatically erase earlier chats or saved memories.
One More Place to Check
Check utilities and old rentals for deposits refunded by check to an address you have already left.
Quick Reference
The whole workflow, on one page.
| What you need | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Find refunds, deposits, and missing purchases | 1 · Inbox money search |
| Check what is still outstanding | 2 · Evidence review |
| Draft the company follow-up | 3 · Email draft |
| Set up Apple Messages | Mac setup |
| Find personal repayment promises | 4 · Messages search |
| Write a friendly repayment text | 5 · Text draft |
| Cover more dates | 6 · Continue searching |
| Investigate a deposit | 7 · Deposit search |
| Rebuild a missing-order timeline | 8 · Order search |
| Track results in one place | 9 · Money tracker |
| Follow up after no response | 10 · Second follow-up |
The check before the message
Open the evidence. Check the payment. Confirm the amount and recipient. Review the draft. Then decide whether to send it.
DO THIS TODAY: Connect Gmail and run Prompt 1 for the last 12 months. Pick one candidate, check the original thread and payment history, then use Prompt 3 if a follow-up is needed. On a compatible Mac, use Prompt 4 to check repayment promises too. Keep your first pass small enough to finish.