Process a Refund
Use refunds to return money to a customer after a sale has been settled. Refunds work on transactions that have already cleared.
Prerequisites
- Understand EPOS communication
- A paired terminal with a valid auth token
- Terminal IP address and serial number
Steps
- Send a refund request:
curl --location 'https://{IP}:{PORT}/payntpos/1.0.0/transaction?tid={TID}&disablePrinting=false' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Authorization: {AUTH_TOKEN}' \
--data '{
"transType": "REFUND",
"reference": "refund-456",
"amountTrans": 500
}'
- The terminal displays the refund screen.
- The customer presents their card to receive the refund.
- The response returns a UTI:
{
"transType": "REFUND",
"amountTrans": 500,
"uti": "f4df73e4-7400-3c78-99c0-52236c90479a"
}
The UTI is an alphanumeric string consisting of 1-64 characters. Special characters are not allowed. For example, 000000000001, 000000000002, 000000000003. Each UTI must be a unique value. The UTI can be re-used only when the previous one expires, which currently happens after 3 months, though this is subject to change.``
- Check the transaction status using the UTI.
Request Parameters
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| transType | string | Yes | Set to REFUND |
| amountTrans | integer | Yes | Amount to refund in cents |
| reference | string | No | Your reference ID for tracking. The reference ID is an alphanumeric string consisting of 1-36 characters, Special characters are not allowed. Usually shown in 5 groups separated by hyphens, for example, gr3d4fae-9dec-11d0-a763-00a0c91e6bf1 |
Full vs Partial Refunds
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Full refund | Return the entire transaction amount | Sale €50, refund €50 |
| Partial refund | Return a portion of the amount | Sale €50, refund €20 |
You can issue multiple partial refunds against the same original sale.
Refund vs Void
| Use Refund When | Use Void When |
|---|---|
| Transaction has settled | Transaction is still unsettled |
| Next day or later | Same day, before settlement |
| Customer may not have card | Cancelling immediately |
Settlement occurs daily at 01:00 UK time (winter) or 02:00 UK time (summer).
Important Notes
- Refunds require the customer to present their card.
- The refund is credited back to the original payment method.
- Processing time depends on the card issuer (typically 3-5 business days).
Related
- How to Void a Transaction – Cancel before settlement
- How to Process a Sale – Original sale transaction