Sometimes you need to return money to a guest — a cancellation, a change of plans, dropping an add-on, or switching payment methods. TripWorks lets you refund a payment in full or in part, right from the trip's Payments tab.
In this article
Full and partial refunds
- Full refund — return the entire payment.
- Partial refund — return part of it, for cases like a guest downsizing to a smaller experience, fewer travelers than booked, or removing add-ons or products.
Open the trip, go to the Payments tab, and issue the refund on the payment you want to return.
Credit card refunds are processed through TripWorks and typically take 5–10 business days to appear on the guest's statement, depending on their bank.
Are processing fees refunded?
Usually not — and this is an industry standard, not a TripWorks choice. When a card payment is refunded, the card networks generally keep the processing fee on the original transaction. If you pass fees to your customers at checkout, plan for the fact that refunding a booking doesn't automatically claw back that processing cost. Factor it into your cancellation policy so a refunded booking doesn't quietly cost you the fee.
"I refunded them, but they don't see it"
If you issue a refund on the same day as the original charge, it's handled as a reversal. A reversal removes the charge entirely — so instead of showing a separate refund line, it simply disappears from the guest's statement (and often from any "pending" list too). If a guest is worried they don't see a refund line, that's why: advise them to contact their bank to confirm the original charge didn't go through.
"Unable to process this refund — insufficient Refund Reserve balance"
Refunds are funded from money you actually have. Before processing one, TripWorks checks that the refund amount doesn't exceed three things added together:
- Your Stripe balance — both funds already settled and funds still pending from recent sales (pending money still counts toward this).
- A standing $1,000 house credit every account gets automatically.
- Any Refund Reserve you've arranged with TripWorks ahead of time (see below).
If the refund is larger than all three combined, it's blocked with this message instead of going through.
This shows up most often in the off-season, or right after a slow stretch, when there isn't much recent revenue moving through Stripe to draw from. Two ways to resolve it:
- Wait for new sales. As bookings come in, even pending/unsettled ones add to your available balance, and the refund may go through once there's enough.
- Set up a Refund Reserve. This is a funded cushion of extra money, held on your behalf, specifically to cover refunds when incoming sales aren't enough. There's no self-service way to fund one — go to Setup Reserve and request one; a TripWorks support rep will follow up on the amount and timing.
If you know a slow season is coming and expect refund requests during it (a common pattern for seasonal or weather-dependent operators), request a Refund Reserve before the season starts rather than after you're already stuck.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a refund take?
Card refunds typically take 5–10 business days to appear, depending on the guest's bank.
Do I get the processing fee back when I refund?
Generally no — card networks keep the original processing fee on a refund. Account for this in your cancellation policy.
Why can't my guest see the refund on their statement?
A same-day refund is a reversal, which removes the charge entirely rather than showing a refund line. Have the guest check with their bank to confirm the charge didn't post.
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