If you refunded a client through Square or PayPal, you can log that refund on the invoice to keep your records and chart of accounts accurate. Logging a refund in Dubsado doesn't move any money: it's a record-keeping step, so you'll still issue the actual refund through Square or PayPal first.
If you collected the payment through Dubsado Payments instead, you can issue the refund directly from Dubsado. See issue a refund through Dubsado Payments for that walkthrough.
Before you begin: issue the refund with your payment processor
Square and PayPal process these payments outside Dubsado, so a refund can't be started from an invoice. Issue the refund directly through your Square or PayPal account first, then come back to log it on the invoice.
Logging a refund in Dubsado won't transfer funds back to your client. Issue the refund through Square or PayPal first, then record it here.
Log the refund
Once you've issued the refund through Square or PayPal, log it on the invoice so your records reflect it.
Navigate to the Invoicing page and open the invoice, or open the project and click the Invoicing tab (in a contact, click the Invoices tab) and open the invoice from there.
In the Payments column, click the Transactions tab (next to Payment plan).
Start the refund in either of two ways:
In the Transaction history header, click Refund (next to Payment), then choose the payment you're refunding from the Payment to refund dropdown. Each option shows the payment's date and amount, and payments that are already fully refunded are marked Refunded and can't be selected.
Or click the three-dot menu (...) on the payment you want to refund and choose Log refund. This opens the same dialog with that payment already selected.
Enter a Refund date. It defaults to today.
Enter a Refund amount. It defaults to the full refundable amount, up to a "Max $X" limit shown below the field. Click Add max amount to set it to the maximum, or enter a smaller amount for a partial refund.
Add a Note to contact (optional). If you later email your client a refund receipt, this note is included on it.
Add a Description (only visible to you) for your own records (optional).
Check Allow client to repay this amount (optional) to add the refunded amount back to the invoice's remaining balance.
Click Log refund.
The refund appears in the Transaction history list right after, nested under the payment it belongs to.
Logging a refund here only creates a record. It doesn't refund your client's money. If you haven't already, issue the actual refund through Square or PayPal first.
The Refund button stays disabled until at least one payment has been logged on the invoice. See manually add or delete a payment on an invoice to log one first.
Allow the client to repay
The Allow client to repay this amount checkbox controls what happens to the invoice's remaining balance after you log a refund. Check it if you expect to collect the refunded amount again in the future: the amount is added back to the remaining balance so you can invoice it again. Leave it unchecked (the default) if you don't expect the client to pay again, the remaining balance won't change. See allow contacts to repay for more on how repayment works.
Send a refund receipt
Sharing a refund receipt with your client is optional. Every logged refund automatically adds a link to the invoice that your client can use to view it, so you only need to send one directly if you want to notify them yourself.
From the refund's three-dot menu (...) on the Transactions tab, you can:
Send via email: opens an email draft addressed to your contact, pre-filled from the Send Refund template (Messages ➔ Default templates). Review it and click Send.
Copy link: copies the refund receipt's public link.
View refund receipt: opens the refund receipt in a new tab, the same page your client sees from their invoice.
Sending a receipt is optional. The invoice automatically includes a link to the refund receipt, so your client can view it from there.
Edit or delete a refund
You can change a logged refund's details, or remove it entirely, from the same refund row.
To edit a refund, click the three-dot menu (...) on the refund row and choose Edit, or click the row itself. The Edit refund dialog opens with the same fields you filled out when you logged it: Refund date, Refund amount, Note to contact, Description, and Allow client to repay this amount. Click Save to confirm your changes.
To delete a refund, click the three-dot menu (...) and choose Delete. A confirmation dialog appears: click Delete to confirm. This can't be undone.
Refund reporting
Refunds are distributed evenly across all income categories on the invoice. You can find them on the Transactions page (Invoicing ➔ Transactions) by filtering to the Refunds tab, and see your net income after refunds in the Chart of Accounts (Home ➔ Finance Reports ➔ Chart of Accounts).
FAQ
I logged a refund but the invoice balance didn't change. Why?
By default, logging a refund doesn't reopen the invoice's remaining balance, so paid or closed invoices stay closed. If you want the refunded amount added back to the balance so you can collect it again, check Allow client to repay this amount when you log the refund. See allow contacts to repay for more.
Can I edit a refund after logging it?
Yes. Open the refund row's three-dot menu (...) and choose Edit, or click the row directly. You can change the amount, date, note, description, or the repay setting.
What if I collected the payment through Dubsado Payments?
Dubsado Payments refunds are issued directly from Dubsado and move the money automatically. You don't need to log them manually. See issue a refund through Dubsado Payments for that walkthrough.
Do refunds automatically sync to QuickBooks or Xero?
No. Logging a refund in Dubsado doesn't log it in connected accounting software.
Will my flows keep running after I log a refund?
Yes. Flows triggered by a paid invoice continue running even after you log a refund.
Will logging a refund stop autopay?
No. Logging a refund doesn't affect autopay, clients enrolled in autopay continue as normal.