Hello, dear hoteliers!
Refunds are a crucial part of keeping your guests happy and your reservations running smoothly. Whether you’re using AmenitizPay or handling manual transactions, knowing how to handle refunds like a pro is essential. In this guide, we’ll show you the ropes for refunding payments with AmenitizPay and logging refunds for non-AmenitizPay transactions.
To better grasp the refund process, it's important to differentiate between logging a refund and issuing an actual refund. Logging a refund serves as an internal record for accounting or visibility without transferring funds back to the guest. This is typically used for manual payment records or third-party payment systems. On the other hand, issuing an actual refund involves a payment action that transfers money back to the guest, particularly for transactions processed through AmenitizPay.
1.Refund a payment with AmenitizPay
Watch our tutorial
A step-by-step guide
1️⃣ Reservations tab: Log in to your Amenitiz account and navigate to the 'Reservations' section in your left menu.
2️⃣ Booking details: Select the reservation you need to refund and click on 'View booking details'.
3️⃣ Payments tab: In the booking details, find the 'Payments' tab. We're getting there!
4️⃣ Locate the transaction: Identify the AmenitizPay transaction you want to refund and click on the blue eye icon next to it.
5️⃣ Initiate refund: Click on the 'Refund' button and send the money flying back to your guest’s account.
📌 Note
No extra fees: Refunds come with no additional commission. When you refund a reservation paid through AmenitizPay, your guest receives the full amount back. However, the original payment processing commission is not refunded to you and is retained by AmenitizPay.
Additionally, while issuing a refund with AmenitizPay incurs no extra fees, the initial processing fee charged at the time of the original payment is not refunded to you. This ensures transparency in understanding the refund process and its financial implications.
📌 Note
Owner only: Only the account owner can process refunds. So, if you’re not in charge, you’ll need to get the boss to handle it!
📌 Note
The refunded amount will appear on your guest’s credit card within 5 to 10 business days.
Troubleshooting Common Refund Issues
Refund Doesn’t Appear in Transactions
If a refund doesn't show under transactions, it might have been logged rather than processed as an actual refund. Ensure the correct process was followed and reprocess the refund if necessary.
Refund Not Received by Guest
For manual payments or third-party processor refunds, verify that the refund was issued as a payment action and not merely logged. Double-check the payment method and amounts to ensure they are accurate.
Over-Refund or Duplicate Refund Entry
This is often an accounting issue rather than a double payment. Use the 'Create a payment' feature to adjust the total by offsetting the additional amount, ensuring the booking's total aligns correctly.
2.Log a Refund for non-AmenitizPay transactions
If you have transactions that weren’t processed through AmenitizPay and you just need to register them for accurate accounting, we’ve got you covered.
Logging refunds helps maintain accurate financial records without initiating actual payments. It's especially useful for documenting manual payments or those processed through external systems, offering visibility in the system without impacting guest accounts.
Watch our tutorial
A step-by-step guide
1️⃣ Reservations tab: Log in to your Amenitiz account and navigate to the 'Reservations' section in your left menu.
2️⃣ Booking details: Select the reservation you need to refund and click on 'View booking details'.
3️⃣ Payments tab: In the booking details, find the 'Payments' tab.
4️⃣ Locate the transaction: In the list of transactions, find the one you need to log a refund for. If it was a manual transaction, it would be listed as a Transaction in the type column.
5️⃣ Log the refund: Click on the 'Log refund' button and register the transaction so that your accounting is up to date.
Don’t forget to insert the exact amount corresponding to the transaction you’re looking to refund.
⚠️ Warning
When you log a refund keep in mind that these are only visual registrations of transactions, not actual refunds.
If a logged refund needs to be converted into an actual refund, locate the original transaction, verify the payment method, and follow the steps to issue a refund via AmenitizPay. This ensures any discrepancies between logs and actual payments are resolved effectively.
Make sure to distinguish between transactions made through AmenitizPay and manual transactions. AmenitizPay transactions will be labelled as such, whereas manual transactions will simply be listed as Transaction in the type column.