Refund Eligibility
Refunds can typically be actioned within 45 days of the original payment.
To confirm eligibility, see Bonsai’s guide here.
Refunding via Stripe or Bonsai Payments
Navigate to Invoices → select the invoice to refund.
Click More Options (upper left).
Select Refund Payment from the dropdown menu.
Choose Full or Partial Refund and enter the refund amount.
⚠️ Important: Do not issue refunds directly from your Stripe dashboard. Only refunds processed via Bonsai will account for processing fees correctly.
Note: A refund can take up to 10 business days to be fully processed. This is due to security reasons and may also vary depending on your client's financial institution.
If you were paid via credit card using Stripe or Bonsai Payments, click on the invoice you'd like to refund then click 'More Options' and select 'Refund Payment' from the dropdown.
Refunding via PayPal
Refunds for PayPal payments must be issued through your PayPal dashboard.
Refunding ACH Bank Transfers
ACH payments (bank transfers) are not integrated with Bonsai, so refunds must be issued manually via your bank account.
Consider this similar to issuing a refund for a check.
Refunding Other External Payment Methods
For payments outside Bonsai (external methods), refunds must be handled directly:
Wire transfer
Mailed check
Cash
Other payment platforms
Tip: Ensure the refund is issued through a secure method agreed upon with your client.
FAQs
Q: Why does the refund show as “processing”?
Refunds can take up to 10 business days to complete. If still processing after this period, contact Bonsai Support.
Q: Can collaborators issue refunds?
Only account owners can issue refunds. Collaborators cannot access this feature. For role details, see User permissions here