Process Partial Refund
Quick Start
💰 Need to refund part of a payment? Split the payment first, then refund the specific portion.
- Split original payment → 2. Identify refundable portion → 3. Process refund → 4. Confirm member return
What you'll accomplish: Issue a partial refund to a member by splitting the original payment and processing a refund on the specific portion in about 15 minutes.
🚀 Quickstart
- Navigate to the original payment record
- Split the payment using the split payment process
- Identify which new payment represents the refundable amount
- Process refund on the selected payment portion
- Confirm refund details and member notification
⚠️ Before You Start
📋 Prerequisites Checklist
- You have access to the Financials permission set
- Original payment is posted and not previously refunded
- You know the exact amount to be refunded
- Member account and payment details are available
- Refund reason and approval are documented
💡 Understanding Partial Refunds
Why Split First:
- Salesforce doesn't support direct partial refunds of posted payments
- Split process creates separate payment records for each portion
- One portion can then be refunded completely
- Maintains accurate audit trail and allocation tracking
Partial Refund vs Other Actions:
- Partial Refund: Return portion of payment to member
- Full Refund: Return entire payment amount
- Void: Cancel payment (no money returned)
- Transfer: Move payment to different account/invoices
Common Refund Scenarios:
- Overpayment correction - Member paid too much
- Service cancellation - Partial service not provided
- Error correction - Wrong amount was charged
- Policy adjustment - Fee reduction or credit applied
📘 Detailed Instructions
Step 1: Locate Original Payment
- Navigate to the member's account record
- Find the payment through:
- Payments related list on account
- Payment reports or searches
- Global search by payment reference
- Open the payment record to verify details
Step 2: Split the Original Payment
Split Payment Process
You must first split the payment to isolate the refundable portion. This creates two separate payment records.
- Follow the Split a Payment process
- Configure split amounts:
- Refundable amount - Portion to be returned to member
- Remaining amount - Portion member keeps as valid payment
💰 Split Amount Examples
Example 1: Overpayment
- Original Payment: $500
- Correct Amount: $350
- Split: $150 (refund) + $350 (keep)
Example 2: Service Cancellation
- Original Payment: $1,000
- Service Used: $600
- Split: $400 (refund) + $600 (keep)
Example 3: Fee Reduction
- Original Payment: $750
- New Fee: $500
- Split: $250 (refund) + $500 (keep)
- Ensure allocation totals remain consistent
- Complete the split process
Step 3: Identify Refundable Payment
- Review the two new payment records created by the split
- Identify which payment represents the refundable amount
- Verify the amount matches what needs to be refunded
- Open the refundable payment record
Step 4: Process the Refund
Refund Configuration:
- Click "Refund Payment" on the refundable payment record
- Select refund method:
- Check refund
- Credit card reversal
- ACH return
- Cash refund
💳 Refund Method Guidelines
| Original Method | Recommended Refund Method | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Card | Credit card reversal | 3-5 business days |
| Check | Check refund | 7-10 business days |
| Cash | Cash refund | Immediate |
| ACH/Bank Transfer | ACH return | 1-3 business days |
Method Selection Tips:
- Match original method when possible
- Check payment laws for required refund methods
- Consider processing time for member satisfaction
- Document method chosen and rationale
-
Enter refund details:
- Refund date
- Refund reason/description
- Member notification preferences
-
Review refund summary for accuracy
Step 5: Complete Refund Processing
- Confirm all refund details are correct
- Click "Save" or "Process Refund" to execute
- Wait for system confirmation
System Actions:
- Creates negative payment record for audit trail
- Adjusts member account balance
- Updates invoice allocations if applicable
- Generates refund tracking record
✅ How to Know It Worked
Success Indicators:
- ✅ Refund confirmation message appears
- ✅ Negative payment record is created
- ✅ Member account balance reflects refund
- ✅ Original payment shows proper split status
- ✅ Refund appears in member's payment history
Verification Steps:
- Check member account for updated balance
- Review payment history for refund record
- Verify invoice allocations are adjusted correctly
- Confirm refund method processing initiated
- Test member notifications if configured
🆘 Troubleshooting
❌ Cannot Split Payment
Problem: Split payment function not working or available
Solutions:
- ✅ Check payment status - ensure it's posted and not locked
- ✅ Verify permissions - confirm Financials access
- ✅ Review payment type - some types may not support splitting
- ✅ Check for dependencies - payment plans or allocations may prevent splitting
❌ Refund Button Not Available
Problem: "Refund Payment" button not visible or accessible
Solutions:
- ✅ Verify split completed - ensure working with split payment, not original
- ✅ Check refund permissions - confirm user can process refunds
- ✅ Review payment status - payment must be in refundable state
- ✅ Check page layout - refund button may not be added to layout
❌ Refund Processing Fails
Problem: Error occurs when attempting to process refund
Solutions:
- ✅ Check payment allocations - complex allocations may cause issues
- ✅ Verify no payment locks from other processes
- ✅ Review validation rules that might prevent refund creation
- ✅ Ensure sufficient permissions for refund processing
❌ Incorrect Refund Amount
Problem: Refund amount doesn't match expectations
Solutions:
- ✅ Re-check split amounts - verify split was configured correctly
- ✅ Review payment allocations - ensure proper distribution
- ✅ Check for fees or adjustments that might affect amount
- ✅ Verify calculation of refundable portion
💡 Best Practices
Partial Refund Best Practices
- 📝 Document Everything - Record refund reason and approval
- 🔍 Verify Calculations - Double-check split and refund amounts
- ⏰ Process Promptly - Handle refunds in timely manner
- 📞 Communicate - Keep member informed of refund status
- 📊 Track Patterns - Monitor refund frequency to improve processes
- 💾 Maintain Records - Preserve audit trail for compliance
Member Communication Tips:
- Explain the process - Help members understand timing
- Provide tracking - Give refund reference numbers
- Set expectations - Communicate processing timeframes
- Follow up - Confirm member received refund
Financial Management:
- Reconcile refunds regularly with accounting systems
- Monitor refund trends to identify systemic issues
- Update procedures based on common refund scenarios
- Train staff on proper refund processing