# Transactions & Refunds **For:** operations managers processing payments and refunds day-to-day **What you'll learn:** how to read payment status on an order, capture authorized payments, issue full and partial refunds, and understand how refunds affect order totals. > This is a **how-to guide for the dashboard**, not the API. If you're building an > automated payment system instead, see the [Admin API](/admin/fulfillment-orders) > reference or the [Usage Guide](/usage-guide). --- ## Before you start You'll need an admin login for your store and the **Orders** section visible in the left navigation. Every action in this guide starts from an order's **detail page** — open the order first by clicking it in the Orders list (see [Order Processing](/guides/order-processing) for how to find an order). Throughout this guide, screenshots use a **demo store** — the names, orders, and amounts shown are fake. All prices are decimals: $32,200.00 shows as `32200.00`. --- ## 1. Understanding payment status When you open an order detail page, the **Summary** section at the top shows the financial breakdown. Four key fields tell you the payment picture: | Field | What it means | |-------|--------------| | **Order Total** | The full price of the order (items + shipping + tax, minus any discounts) — this is what the customer owes | | **Paid Total** | How much the customer has actually paid so far | | **Outstanding** | How much is still owed: `Order Total - Paid Total` | | **Payment Status Badge** | "Not paid" (red) if `Paid Total = 0`; "Paid" (green) if fully paid; "Partially paid" if some but not all captured | **Example:** An order has Order Total $32,200.00, Paid Total $0.00, Outstanding $32,200.00, and a "Not paid" badge. This order is waiting for payment capture. ![The Summary totals and Payments panel showing a "Not paid" order](images/transactions-refunds/payment-status.png) The **Payments** section below the Summary shows a "Total paid by customer" line and any payment method details. --- ## 2. Capturing a payment When a customer's credit card payment is **authorized** but not yet **captured**, the funds are held but not moved. You must capture the payment to complete the transaction. ### When to capture - Customer paid at checkout but the payment shows as "Pending" or "Authorized" - You're ready to fulfill the order and need confirmed funds - The authorization window is closing (many cards auto-expire after 7 days) ### How to capture 1. Open the order detail page 2. Scroll to the **Payments** section 3. Click **Capture Payment** (or the payment capture button in the order actions menu) 4. Confirm the amount — it should match the Order Total 5. Click **Confirm** to process ### What changes after capture - **Paid Total** updates to match Order Total - **Outstanding** becomes $0.00 - **Payment Status** changes from "Not paid" to "Paid" - The Activity Timeline logs the capture event - Customer receives a payment confirmation email (if automated emails are enabled) > **Tip:** If capture fails, the customer's card may have expired, been declined, or the authorization may have lapsed. Have the customer retry payment with a fresh card or contact your payment processor for details. --- ## 3. Issuing a full refund A full refund returns the entire Order Total to the customer's original payment method. Use this when a customer cancels before shipment or requests a refund for the whole order. > **Caution:** Refunds are difficult to reverse. Always double-check the order number and refund amount before confirming. If you refund the wrong amount or order, contact your administrator immediately. ### How to issue a full refund 1. Open the order detail page 2. Click **Refund Payment** in the Payments section (or use the order actions menu) 3. The refund dialog shows the full Order Total — verify it's correct 4. Click **Confirm Refund** to process 5. The refund is sent immediately to the customer's payment method ### What the customer sees - Their payment method shows a refund transaction (may appear within minutes or up to 2 business days depending on their bank) - The customer receives a refund confirmation email (if automated emails are enabled) - The funds appear back in their account within 3–5 business days (bank-dependent) ### What changes on the order - **Paid Total** remains unchanged (it was $X, now still shows $X as a historical record) - **Payment Status** changes from "Paid" to "Refunded" - The Activity Timeline logs the refund with date, amount, and refund method - A red refund badge appears in the Payments section --- ## 4. Issuing a partial refund A partial refund returns only part of the Order Total — useful for refunding a single item, a discount, or a specific amount the customer disputes. ### How to issue a partial refund 1. Open the order detail page 2. Click **Refund Payment** in the Payments section 3. In the refund dialog, you'll see the full Order Total 4. Change the refund amount to the amount you want to refund (use decimals: enter `100.00` for $100.00) 5. Optionally, add a note explaining which item(s) or why (e.g., "Refund for damaged item - Modern Coffee Table") 6. Click **Confirm Refund** ### What changes on the order - **Paid Total** decreases by the refund amount - **Outstanding** increases to show the new unpaid balance - If the refund amount equals the Order Total, the Payment Status becomes "Refunded"; if less, it becomes "Partially Refunded" - The refund appears in the Activity Timeline with the exact amount **Example:** Order Total $100.00, customer paid in full. You issue a $40.00 refund for one damaged item. Now Paid Total is $60.00, Outstanding is $40.00, and the status is "Partially Refunded." --- ## 5. Reading a refunded order Once a refund is issued, the order tells a clear financial story through the Summary totals and payment timeline. ### What you'll see - **Order Total** — unchanged (still shows the original total) - **Paid Total** — reduced by the refund amount (or zero if fully refunded) - **Outstanding** — shows any remaining balance - **Payment Status** — "Refunded" (full refund) or "Partially Refunded" (partial refund) - **Refund badge** — red badge in the Payments section showing refund amount and date ### Activity Timeline entries The timeline shows: - "Payment captured" — when the customer's payment cleared - "Refund issued" — when you refunded money, with the exact amount - "Refund applied" — confirmation the refund reached the customer's payment method This record is useful for support follow-ups — if a customer says they didn't see a refund, you can check the exact date it was processed. --- ## 6. When NOT to refund **Do NOT use the refund tool if items are coming back to the warehouse.** When a customer is returning or exchanging items, use the **Return** or **Exchange** tools instead (see Returns, Exchanges & Claims). The difference: - **Refund** = just money back, no items expected to return - **Return** = customer sends items back, then receives refund (warehouse tracks inbound stock) - **Exchange** = customer sends items back, receives different ones in exchange If you refund before items are received back, you lose track of inventory and customer accountability. Use Returns/Exchanges to keep the warehouse synchronized. --- ## Quick reference - **Read payment status:** check Order Total, Paid Total, Outstanding, and the payment badge - **Capture a payment:** when authorization is pending, click Capture Payment to move funds - **Full refund:** verify the order number and amount, click Refund Payment, confirm - **Partial refund:** change the refund amount in the dialog to the specific amount you want to refund - **Refunds are hard to reverse:** double-check before confirming; contact admin if you refund the wrong amount - **Read refunded orders:** Paid Total decreases; status shows "Refunded" or "Partially Refunded"; timeline logs the refund - **Items coming back:** use Returns or Exchanges, not Refund (see Returns, Exchanges & Claims) - **Refunds take 3–5 days:** the money goes back to the customer's card/bank; confirm via timeline, not customer email