Refund a payment

Who this is for

Landlords and property managers who need to give a tenant money back, such as a charge paid twice or a security deposit. Only an Owner on your team can refund a payment. See Add your team.

Before you start

• The payment is on the Payments tab of Rent & Payments and is applied to a charge. Only money applied to a charge is refunded.
• A check, cash or money order must be deposited first. See Checks, cash and bank deposits.
• A payment with an open dispute at the tenant's bank, or one the tenant won, can't be refunded. Its row says Disputed: no refund. See Disputes and chargebacks.

Steps

1. Open Rent & Payments under Money in the menu, then the Payments tab.
2. Click Refund on the payment.
3. Check the Refund Amount (USD). It starts at what is left to refund on the payment, and you can't go above it. Lower it for a part refund.
4. Optional: type a Reason.
5. Click Issue Refund.

A payment the tenant made online goes back to their bank account through Stripe. It shows as Pending at the bank until the bank confirms it, which can take several business days. Your books change only when it goes through, and the tenant is emailed then.

A payment you recorded yourself (check, cash, Zelle) is a record of money you gave back yourself. It is booked at once and the tenant is emailed.

Example

Maria paid her October rent of $1,800.00 online, then paid it again by mistake.

• On the second payment, click Refund. The amount is $1,800.00. Type the reason "Paid twice" and click Issue Refund.
• View Refund on the payment shows the refund as Pending at the bank.
• A few days later the bank confirms it. The refund shows Refunded, and Maria is emailed.

What happens next

• A refunded charge is owed again for the amount refunded, unless another payment covers it.
• Once a payment has a refund that is pending or went through, Void, Apply and Unapply are no longer offered on it. Refund stays until nothing is left to refund.
• View Refund lists every refund on the payment with its status and, for one that failed, why.
• A payment made online is never voided. Refund it instead.

When a refund fails

An online refund can fail at the tenant's bank, for example when their account is closed. When it does:

• Every Owner on your team is told inside eSamaHomes and by email.
• The refund is reversed in your books: the money is back and the charge shows as paid again.
• View Refund shows the refund as Failed, with the bank's reason.

Trying the refund online again would fail the same way, so the payment now offers Refund paid another way instead of Refund:

1. Pay the tenant yourself, by check, cash or Zelle.
2. Click Refund paid another way on the payment.
3. The amount starts at what failed, less anything you already recorded this way. Type a Reason, such as the check number, and click Record refund.

It is booked at once, nothing is sent through Stripe, and the tenant is emailed. On View Refund it shows as Paid another way.

If Stripe refused a refund when you sent it, it never reached the bank and nothing left your account. Refund stays on the payment; try it again.

If something looks wrong

• Don't refund an online payment in your Stripe dashboard. The tenant gets the money back, but eSamaHomes doesn't know, so your books are wrong. Always click Refund here.
• "That is more than is left to refund on this payment." Part of it was already refunded, or a refund is on its way. Open View Refund to see them.
• "This payment isn't deposited yet." Record its deposit first, or void it to hand it back.
• No Refund button. The payment is voided, fully refunded, not applied to a charge, or has a dispute.
• "Only an Owner of the account can refund a payment." You are a Member. Ask an Owner on your team to do it.
• A refund has been Pending at the bank for more than two weeks. Email hello@esamahomes.com with the tenant and the payment date.