Refunding an invoice
How to refund a paid invoice, how each payment method is handled, and what a refund changes.
You can refund any paid invoice from its invoice page. Refunds always cover the full amount, and only owners and admins can issue them.
Refund an invoice
Open the paid invoice.
Open the … menu at the top right of the page.
Choose Refund if the invoice was paid by card, or Mark as refunded if it was paid any other way.
Confirm in the dialog.
The confirmation dialog shows the amount and describes what happens next. The rest depends on how your client paid.
Card payments
If your client paid by card through Stripe, Billow asks Stripe to refund the card. The invoice stays Paid until Stripe confirms the refund, then changes to Refunded.
If you have since disconnected Stripe, a card-paid invoice shows Mark as refunded instead. Billow then only updates the record, and you refund the card from your Stripe dashboard.
A refund you issue from your Stripe dashboard has the same effect.
Bank transfers and manual payments
If the invoice was paid by bank transfer, or you marked it paid yourself, Billow does not move any money. Mark as refunded only updates the record, and the invoice changes to Refunded straight away.
Send the money back to your client through your bank. The dialog reminds you:
Send the [amount] back yourself Billow only automates refunds for invoices paid through Stripe. Transfer the money back to your client through your bank.
Card disputes
Your client’s bank can reverse a card payment through a dispute, without any action from you. Billow records the dispute in the invoice’s activity feed, followed by its outcome.
Outcome | What happens to the invoice |
|---|---|
You lose the dispute | Changes to Refunded, the same as an issued refund |
You win the dispute | Stays Paid |
After a refund
Refunded is a final status. The invoice cannot go back to Paid. To charge your client again, create a new invoice.
Refunded invoices no longer count toward the revenue figures on your dashboard.
Refunding a deposit invoice frees the project’s deposit slot. The next invoice you create on that project shows the Invoice Type choice again.
Deleting a refunded invoice
How it was paid | Can it be deleted? |
|---|---|
Card, through Stripe | No, never |
Bank transfer or marked paid | Yes, by an owner or admin |
What your client receives
Billow does not email your client about a refund. For card payments, Stripe sends its own refund receipt if receipts are turned on in your Stripe account.
Partial refunds
Billow cannot issue partial refunds. You can issue one from your Stripe dashboard, but this is not recommended for now: the invoice stays Paid, and Billow only notes the partial refund in the activity feed.
