When you log or process a refund on an invoice, the Allow client to repay this amount checkbox controls whether the refunded amount is added back to the invoice's remaining balance.
How the checkbox affects your invoice balance
Whether you select the checkbox depends on whether you expect to collect the refunded amount from your contact again.
Selected: the refunded amount is added back to the invoice's remaining balance. Your contact still owes that amount, and the invoice's status updates to reflect the new balance.
Left unselected: the remaining balance doesn't change. The refund is recorded, but treated as uncollectible, so you're not expecting to collect that amount again.
For example, say an invoice totals $500 and your contact has already paid it in full, leaving a remaining balance of $0. You then issue a $150 refund.
If you leave Allow client to repay this amount unselected, the remaining balance stays at $0 because you don't plan to re-collect the refunded amount.
If you select Allow client to repay this amount, the remaining balance changes from $0 to $150 because you plan to collect that amount again.
Where to find it
The checkbox appears at the bottom of the refund form whenever you log a new refund or edit an existing one. Navigate to the Invoicing page and open the invoice, or open the project and click the Invoicing tab, then start or edit a refund from the invoice's Transactions tab. See issue a refund through Dubsado Payments for the full walkthrough of logging a refund.
Changing it after a refund is created
For refunds processed through Dubsado Payments, you don't have to edit the refund to change your mind. In the Transactions tab, click the three-dot menu (...) on the refund and select Allow contact to repay (if the remaining balance currently doesn't include the refund) or Remove from remainder (if it does).
This option isn't available for refunds you logged manually. To change the repayable state on a manually logged refund, click the three-dot menu (...) on the refund and select Edit instead.
FAQ
Will payment plan installment statuses change?
If you leave Allow client to repay this amount unselected, installment statuses don't change, since they're based on the remaining balance. If you select it, statuses may update after the refund: an installment shows Overdue if its due date has already passed, or Unpaid if the due date is in the future or hasn't been set.
How does this affect autopay?
Logging a refund doesn't stop autopay. If you select Allow client to repay this amount and autopay is active, your contact's scheduled payments continue as normal. Once all required autopay installments have been collected, any remaining balance from the refund has to be collected manually. See autopay on payment plans for more on how autopay works.
Can I change this after a refund has been created?
Yes, for refunds processed through Dubsado Payments. Click the three-dot menu (...) on the refund in the Transactions tab and select Allow contact to repay or Remove from remainder. For a manually logged refund, edit the refund instead to change whether it's repayable.