All Collections
Settings
Business Tools
Payment
How to Issue a Refund in Spectora
How to Issue a Refund in Spectora

Refunds, Fees Editing. Keywords: Ref, refu, refun, refunding, efund, partial refund, credit, reimburse

Support Team avatar
Written by Support Team
Updated over a week ago

*Note: Refunds can only be processed through Spectora if the original payment was made through Spectora. Credit card payments and ACH payments can be refunded directly through Spectora. External payments like cash or check will need to be refunded outside of Spectora.


If you're using Spectora Payments, you can easily issue refunds on the Inspection Details page. In this article, we'll go over how to issue a full or partial refund, how to refund a bank transfer and the fees associated with refunds.


How to Issue a Refund in Spectora:

If you need to issue a full refund to a client, you can do so in just a few steps. In this section, we'll show you how to issue a full refund to your client.

πŸ’‘ Quick tip: Click on the video above to expand it in another window.

  1. Click on the inspection to open the Inspection Details page

  2. Click the 3 dots in the Fees & Payments box

  3. Click "Edit Fees & Payments"

  4. Click "Refund"

  5. Verify the refund amount

  6. Click "Issue Refund"


Issuing Partial Refunds

After issuing a partial refund, you will want to adjust the total amount to reflect the new total. This will prevent the inspection from showing as a partial payment still needing to be made. In this section, we'll show you how to issue a partial refund and how to balance the invoice so it shows as paid in full.
​

πŸ’‘ Quick tip: Click on the video above to expand it in another window.

  1. Click on the inspection to open the Inspection Details page

  2. Click the 3 dots in the Fees & Payments box

  3. Click "Edit Fees & Payments"

  4. Click "Refund"

  5. Enter the amount that needs to be refunded

  6. Click "Issue Refund"

  7. You'll be redirected back to the Inspection Details page.
    ​Click the 3 dots in the Fees & Payments box again.

  8. Click "Edit Fees & Payments"

  9. Click "+Manual Fee"

  10. Add a NEGATIVE line item for the SAME amount that you refunded

  11. Click "Save"

  12. The Fees & Payments box will now show green, meaning the invoice is balanced.


    ​

When issuing partial refunds, we will refund a proportional percentage of the original transaction fee. For example, if your initial charge was $100, your original fee was likely $3.65 (3.25% + 40 cents)**. If you refund $10, that is 10% of the original charge. The overall fee for the partially refunded charge would be reduced by $0.37, which is 10% of the original fee. That would make the fee on this $3.28. Note that this is different than a $90 charge, where the fee would be $2.33, because of the proportional refund!
​
​

**Note: If you pass on credit card fees to your client, the refund will include the full 3.95% fee. The rate of 3.25% + 40 cents is the technology fee when NOT passing on fees to your clients. For more information on passing on fees, check out this article!



​

Issuing a Refund for Payments Made via Bank Transfer

Payments made via bank transfer are refunded using the same process. However, because bank transfers take multiple days to process, you'll need to wait until the payment has settled in order to issue a refund. This usually takes about 4 business days, even though you'll see the funds paid out to you in 2 business days.


When waiting for a bank transfer to process so you can refund it, you have the option to be notified when the payment is successful. In the Internal box of the Inspection Details page, you can check the box to receive a reminder when the bank transfer is in your account:


Refund Fees

When you request a refund through Spectora, we apply a small fee to help cover the costs of processing the refund. This fee is assessed by banks and payment networks (like Visa and Mastercard) for handling payments. These networks have specific rules on fees for refunded payments, and often, banks and card networks keep the entire initial cost of a refunded transaction. In some regions and for certain payment types, there may be additional fees for refunded payments.

  • For full refunds, the fee matches the payment fee of the original transaction.

  • For partial refunds, the fee is smaller - calculated at the same rate as the original payment fee but adjusted for the reduced amount being refunded.


How will the fee be processed?

For refunds, lost disputes, or failed ACH payments Spectora will debit your account for the appropriate fee after the transaction.

For more information on refund fees, click here to check out our full article.


Frequently Asked Questions

  • I don't see a refund button when trying to refund a customer. Why not?

    If the refund button is not showing, it is most likely because the client paid via bank transfer (ACH) and these take longer to process. You'll need to wait until the payment has settled before you can issue the refund.
    ​

  • How long does it take for the funds to go back to the client's card?

    This depends on their banking institution. Typically, they will receive the funds in their account in about 3-5 business days.
    ​

  • My client paid with a check. How can I refund them?

    Since they did not pay through Spectora Payments with a credit/debit card or by bank transfer, you'll need to refund them outside of the software. You can choose to refund them however you'd like - cash, Venmo, Zelle, etc.
    ​

  • I need to cancel an inspection but the payment was sent via bank transfer and has not been received yet. Can I cancel the inspection in Spectora and still refund the client when the payment clears?

    Absolutely! It is a bit easier to issue the refund first, and then cancel the inspection, while it is still showing on your dashboard calendar. Once the inspection is canceled, you will need to go into your inspection list to open it and issue a refund. But you can definitely cancel the inspection first, then issue the refund once the payment clears.
    ​

  • If I cancel an inspection that has already been paid for will the client automatically receive a refund?

    • No, the system does not automatically issue refunds for canceled inspections. You'll need to issue the refund before or after canceling the inspection.
      ​

  • I made a mistake with the refund/I refunded the wrong amount. Can I cancel or stop the refund?

    • Unfortunately, we are not able to stop or cancel a refund once it has been initiated. You'll need to reach out to your client to make a new payment.
      ​


If you have any questions or feedback, write into our chat bubble or email support@spectora.com!
​

Did this answer your question?