You can refund any collected payment yourself. Refunds are your call — you're not required to issue one outside your cancellation terms, and you can choose to anyway.

## How to refund

1. Go to **Finance → Payments**.
2. Select the payment.
3. Select **Refund** in the **Payment Details** panel.
4. Confirm in the **Refund Payment** dialog.

The money returns to the card the client originally used. It can't be sent anywhere else.

## Refund statuses

| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| **Pending** | Started and processing. Funds haven't returned yet |
| **Requires Action** | Something else is needed before it can complete. Contact support |
| **Refunded** | Complete. Funds are on their way back to the client's card |
| **Failed** | The attempt didn't work and no money moved. Contact support |
| **Canceled** | The refund won't be processed. No money returns |

## How long it takes

Once the status is **Refunded**, the money is on its way. How quickly it shows on the client's statement is up to their bank — usually a few business days, sometimes longer. If a client says they haven't received it, the **Refunded** status is what to point them at.

## Refunds that happen automatically

You don't have to issue these yourself:

- A client dropping a booking within your cancellation window is refunded automatically
- On a deposit booking cancelled after the window, a paid remainder is refunded and the deposit is forfeited

See [When a Client Drops or Cancels](/hc/djs/articles/when-a-client-declines-drops-or-cancels).

## Fees on a refunded payment

Refunding returns the client's money. It doesn't recover the card processing cost on the original payment. Worth factoring in on a goodwill refund of a large amount.

## If the payout has already gone out

Refunding a payment already transferred to your bank is deducted from your balance or from upcoming payouts. If your balance is empty, the deduction comes out of the next payments you collect.

## When to do it anyway

Sometimes refunding outside your terms is the right call — a genuine emergency, a venue cancellation, or a mistake on your side. It costs you the booking, but a client who was treated well when something went wrong is the one who recommends you.