A refund is required when a customer has already made a payment and some or all of the money received must be returned to the customer.
This is particularly the case when a customer:
has paid an invoice that is subsequently cancelled, either in full or in part;
has overpaid or made a duplicate payment;
returns a product or cancels a service that has already been paid for;
receives a discount or adjustment after payment;
needs to recover a deposit or down payment, subject to the applicable terms.
❗ Canceling a payment ≠ refunding the customer.
The key distinction is that a credit note corrects what was invoiced, while a refund returns money that has already been paid.
In some cases, both are required: issue the credit note to correct the invoice, then process the refund to return the money to the customer.
If you haven’t already done so, see the procedure Issue a credit note on an invoice.
Plannit invoice versions
🔍 What are version 1 and version 2 invoices?
Customers who created their Plannit account before July 2026 generally have version 1 invoices and quotes.
For accounts created as of July 2026, invoices and quotes are only available in version 2.
If your account was migrated from version 1 to version 2, each invoice displays an indicator showing which version it uses: ⓘ v1 or ⓘ v2.
▪️ Version 1 invoice
There are two ways to process a refund:
Using the original payment method.
Using a different payment method than the one originally used.
1️⃣ Using the original payment method
A. Online refund when the original payment was made online (Plannit Pay)
From the Invoices grid:
Open the invoice.
In the Payment Schedule section, click the arrow to the right of the payment line.
Select Refund.
Enter the amount to be refunded.
Add a note or reference (optional).
Click Save.
✅ The refund will automatically be processed using the payment method originally used by your customer.
B. Manual refund when the original payment was made manually (cheque, Interac e-Transfer, cash, etc.)
From the Invoices grid:
Open the invoice.
In the Payment Schedule section, click the arrow to the right of the payment line.
Select Refund.
Enter the amount to be refunded and the payment method used.
⚠️ You will then need to issue the refund directly to your customer (cheque, Interac e-Transfer, cash, etc.).
2️⃣ Using a different payment method than the one originally used
A. Manual (external) refund when the original payment was made online (Plannit Pay)
From the Invoices grid:
Open the invoice.
In the Payment Schedule section, click Issue a Refund.
Enter the amount to be refunded and the payment method used (cheque, Interac e-Transfer, cash, etc.).
Add a note or reference (optional).
Click Save.
⚠️ You will then need to issue the refund directly to your customer (by cheque, e-transfer, etc.).
*** If you use the QuickBooks Online accounting integration, refer to the following procedure: “Issue a Manual Refund for an Online Payment Using the QuickBooks Online Integration.”
Special situations
1️⃣ The payment has already been voided in Plannit
⚠️ Do not assume that the customer has been refunded.
In Plannit, voiding a payment does not mean that the money has been returned to the customer.
Here’s what to do depending on the situation:
If the payment was voided because it was declined by the bank, no further action is required.
If the payment was voided by mistake when you intended to refund the customer.
From the Invoices grid:
Open the invoice.
In the Payment Schedule section, manually record the payment.
Select Refund.
Enter the amount to be refunded and the payment method used.
⚠️ You will then need to issue the refund directly to your customer (by cheque, e-transfer, etc.).
2️⃣ Does everything match correctly in Plannit after the refund?
→ Yes
Refund complete! Verify the amount, invoice, and payment status, and keep a record of the refund method if needed.
→ No / Unsure
Escalate the situation to Plannit Support rather than making additional changes that could result in a duplicate refund or create inconsistencies.
3️⃣ The customer should NOT receive a cash refund but instead keep a credit to apply to their next invoice
This is an invoice adjustment, not a refund. See the procedure Issue a credit note on an invoice.
▪️ Version 2 invoice
For this version, there are several ways to issue a refund. The preferred method depends mainly on the merchant’s intent and the desired impact on the sales associated with the invoice.
Two options are available:
1️⃣ Issue a refund that modifies the sales associated with the invoice
Use this option in the following situations:
Partial return of merchandise
Reduction in the quantity actually sold
Service partially rendered
Pricing or quantity error discovered after payment
Item replaced with a less expensive item
Full or partial cancellation of an order
Fees charged in error
From the Invoices tab:
Click on the invoice for which you would like to issue a refund.
Click the Actions button and select Refund.
Determine whether it is a full or partial refund. If it is partial, enter the amount. Then select the date and the refund method, and click Save.
⚠️ You will then need to issue the refund directly to your customer (cheque, Interac e-Transfer, cash, etc.).
Results:
The invoice status changes to Awaiting payment, and the refund appears in the Payments tab.
In the contact record, under Payments, you will also be able to see all payments and refunds that have been processed for this customer.
2️⃣ Issue a refund without modifying the sales associated with the invoice
Use this option in the following situations:
Duplicate payment
Amount collected exceeds the amount due
Incorrect amount charged
Refund of a deposit that was not considered a sale
Correction of an error related solely to the payment
From the Payments tab:
Click on the payment you want to refund.
Click the Actions button and select Refund.
Determine whether it is a full or partial refund. If it is partial, enter the amount. Then select the date and the refund method, and click Save.
⚠️ You will then need to issue the refund directly to your customer (by cheque, e-transfer, etc.).
From the Payments tab:
Click +Refund.
Select the customer you want to issue a refund to.
Enter the refund amount, select the date, select the refund method, and click Save.
⚠️ You will then need to issue the refund directly to your customer (by cheque, e-transfer, etc.).
From the Contacts tab:
Click on the customer.
Click Payments at the top of the screen.
Click Actions and select Refund.
Determine whether it is a full or partial refund. If it is partial, enter the amount. Then select the date and the refund method, and click Save.
Results:
In the contact record, under Payments, you will be able to see all payments and refunds processed for this customer.
