Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami meminta pengembalian uang kepada kasir karena pesanan belum sampai. - We request a refund from the cashier because the order hasn't arrived yet.

In this sentence, kami is correct because you’re talking about your group, not including the person you’re speaking to (e.g., telling a friend what your group did). Using kita would mean the listener is part of that “we,” which doesn’t fit when referring to an action directed at the cashier. You’d use kita only if you want to include the listener in the group that asked for the refund.

What’s the difference between meminta and minta?

Both mean “to ask (for),” but:

meminta is the standard/formal form (with the meN- prefix).
minta is the colloquial/neutral root form, very common in speech.

Your sentence is slightly more formal with meminta. In everyday conversation, Kami minta pengembalian uang … is perfectly natural.

What exactly does pengembalian uang mean? Is it the same as “change”?

Pengembalian uang means “a refund” (money returned because something didn’t arrive, was faulty, etc.). Don’t confuse it with:

uang kembali = change (the money the cashier gives you after you pay). So, use pengembalian uang (or pengembalian dana) for a refund; use uang kembali for change.

Can I say minta uang kembali for “ask for a refund”?

Be careful: uang kembali is typically understood as “change.” To avoid ambiguity, say:

minta pengembalian uang/dana
minta uangnya dikembalikan
Colloquial: minta refund

Why kepada kasir? Could I use ke kasir or pada kasir?

All three can appear, but they differ in feel:

kepada kasir: standard/neutral when the recipient is a person.
ke kasir: common and natural in speech; slightly more casual.
pada kasir: also acceptable, but kepada is preferred for a person.

So your sentence with kepada kasir is good, and ke kasir would be fine in everyday conversation.

Could I make the person the object, like “We asked the cashier to refund the money”?

Yes. Two common patterns:

Kami meminta kasir untuk mengembalikan uang kami.
Kami meminta agar/supaya kasir mengembalikan uang kami. These put the cashier as the object of meminta and add an infinitive-like clause with untuk/agar/supaya.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Kami meminta kepada kasir pengembalian uang?

The most natural order is what you have: meminta [thing] kepada [person].

Kami meminta pengembalian uang kepada kasir sounds best.
Kami meminta kepada kasir pengembalian uang is grammatical but less natural.

What’s the function of karena? Could I use sebab or makanya?

karena means “because.” Alternatives:

sebab ≈ “because” (a bit more formal/literary).
makanya ≈ “that’s why/so,” used for results, not causes. You’d restructure:
Pesanan belum sampai, makanya kami meminta pengembalian uang. Your original cause-after-effect order with karena is natural.

Why belum sampai and not tidak sampai?

belum = “not yet” (there’s an expectation it will/should happen).
tidak = plain negation “not/does not.”
In this context, pesanan belum sampai = “the order hasn’t arrived yet.”
pesanan tidak sampai would suggest it didn’t/won’t arrive (or failed to arrive), which is stronger and less neutral.

What does sampai mean here? Could I use tiba or datang?

Here sampai = “to arrive/reach.” Alternatives:

tiba = “arrive,” a bit more formal: pesanan belum tiba.
datang is usually for people coming: you’d generally avoid pesanan belum datang in formal contexts, though it can occur colloquially. For deliveries, you can also say pesanan belum diterima (“hasn’t been received”) or belum sampai ke alamat kami.

Is pesanan the same as pesan?

pesan as a verb = “to order”; as a noun = “message.”
pesanan (with pe- -an) = “an order (that was placed).”
So pesanan is the correct noun for a purchase order. Colloquial orderan exists but is informal and best avoided in formal writing.

Does Indonesian mark past tense here?

No. Indonesian doesn’t mark tense the way English does. Time is inferred from context or time words like sudah (already), belum (not yet), tadi (earlier), kemarin (yesterday). Your sentence is understood from context as a past action or a present report.

Why is there no “the” or “a” before kasir?

Indonesian doesn’t use articles like “a/the.” kasir can mean “the cashier” or “a cashier,” depending on context. If needed, you can add itu (“that/the”) for specificity: kasir itu.

Is pesanan singular or plural here?

Indonesian doesn’t mark plural by default. pesanan can mean “the order” or “orders,” depending on context. To be explicit, add numbers or quantifiers:

satu pesanan / beberapa pesanan / semua pesanan kami

Do I need a comma before karena?

Not in your sentence (main clause + karena-clause). If the karena-clause comes first, use a comma:

Karena pesanan belum sampai, kami meminta pengembalian uang.

How could I say this more politely to staff?

Use softeners like permisi, maaf, tolong, or a more tentative phrasing:

Permisi, kami ingin meminta pengembalian dana karena pesanan kami belum sampai.
Maaf, boleh kami minta uangnya dikembalikan? Pesanan kami belum sampai. These are polite and natural with customer service.

Is there a more formal or business-like verb than meminta?

Yes: mengajukan (“to submit/put forward”):

Kami mengajukan pengembalian dana kepada kasir karena pesanan belum sampai. This sounds more formal or procedural (e.g., in emails, apps, or written complaints).

Can I make a passive-style version?

Yes, for example:

Kami meminta agar uang kami dikembalikan karena pesanan belum sampai. (requesting that the money be returned)
Or flip the focus: Uang kami dikembalikan oleh kasir karena pesanan belum sampai. (the cashier returned our money because …)

If the order never arrives at all, how can I say that?

Use stronger negation:

Pesanan tidak pernah sampai.
Pesanan tidak sampai-sampai. (colloquial, emphasizing frustration) Then the result clause can use makanya: Pesanan tidak pernah sampai, makanya kami minta pengembalian dana.