Refund

A refund returns money already charged to a client's card. On a platform that splits payments, a refund must also reverse the transfer to the shop, otherwise the platform returns the money while the shop keeps its share.

Also called: returning a deposit, reversing a charge

Refunds are where split-payment systems break quietly. Refunding the client is the visible half; reversing the transfer and the platform fee is the half that decides who is out of pocket.

For a shop, the practical points are how quickly a refund reaches the client's statement — usually several business days, set by the card networks rather than by any software — and whether a partial refund is possible.

Booked reverses both the transfer and the platform fee on every refund, so a refunded booking costs the shop its revenue and nothing more.