Instinct Payments offers a cardless refund process. You can refund payments after the two-hour void window has passed.
To process a refund, locate the payment in the Account ledger, click the 3-dot menu to the left of the payment, and select Refund.
You will then be prompted to select a partial or full refund. Click the circle next to the applicable option. If you are refunding a partial amount from the payment, enter the amount the refund should be and click “Refund.”
You will see a notification at the bottom of the account ledger informing you that the refund has been initiated.
Once the refund has been completed, a refund line item will be posted to the account ledger, and the client’s card will be refunded.
Accidental Charge and Refund of the Same Amount
If you mistakenly charged and refunded the same amount on the POS system, follow these steps:
Record the charged amount as a payment in Instinct.
Record the refunded amount as a refund in Instinct.
Add notes to each transaction to clarify the sequence and prevent future confusion. If you see "Refund Amount Does Not Match Account Balance " when funds are split between Account Credit and a specific Invoice balance, you cannot issue a single refund for the total amount until the money is consolidated. Here are your options:
Option A: Unapply the invoice’s remaining credit so it moves into Account Credit, then issue an account-level refund for the combined amount.
Option B: Issue two refunds:
A refund directly from the specific invoice for the amount tied to it.
A separate account-level refund for the amount in Account Credit.
Option C: Move the Account Credit onto the specific invoice, then issue a single refund from that invoice for the total amount.
Note: Account Credit functions like a client’s bank that can be applied to any visit or invoice. Balances tied to a specific invoice are restricted to that invoice unless unapplied or refunded directly.
Remaining Refund Due to Third-Party Financing: If the original card payment has already been fully refunded but a small amount remains due to third-party financing, follow these steps:
Process the remaining refund using the same third-party financing method that funded the payment.
Record the refund in Instinct to reflect the adjustment in the account.
Non-integrated payment customers must process credit/debit card transactions using their facility’s card terminals. The payment history in Instinct only records that the transaction was processed externally.
Gravity customers will see a Credit/Debit Card option instead of individual card types (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover). These customers can process card transactions directly from the Instinct invoice using their Clover device.
Best Practices for Avoiding Errors
Always double-check transaction details before processing refunds.
Use clear, descriptive notes for each transaction to keep records accurate.
Familiarize yourself with how Account Credit and invoice balances interact to avoid confusion.