Overview
SquadTrip lets organizers issue full or partial refunds directly from the dashboard. When you refund a traveler, the processing fee is also refunded back to your connected Stripe account. Refunds take up to 10 business days to appear on the traveler's statement.
How to Issue a Refund
Log in to your organizer dashboard
Navigate to the refund section in your trip management area
Search for the traveler by name or email
View their payment details and booking information
Choose your refund type:
Refund Type | What It Does |
Full Refund | Refunds every payment the traveler has made -- deposit, installments, and fees |
Partial Refund | Refunds specific transactions you select from the payment history |
Custom Amount | Refunds a specific dollar amount you enter |
Confirm the refund -- the traveler receives an email with the refund details
How Fees Are Handled in Refunds
When you issue a refund, the 6% processing fee is refunded back to your Stripe account (via Stripe's application fee refund). Here's how it breaks down:
Example: Full refund on a $1,000 trip (traveler paid the fee)
Item | Amount |
Traveler originally paid | $1,060 ($1,000 + $60 processing fee) |
Traveler receives back | $1,060 |
Organizer's Stripe account | Processing fee refunded back to you |
Example: Partial refund of $500
Item | Amount |
Refund to traveler | $530 ($500 + proportional processing fee) |
Processing fee portion | Refunded proportionally |
BNPL refunds: If the traveler paid with Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay, the 4% BNPL convenience fee is also included in the refund calculation proportionally.
What the Traveler Sees
After you issue a refund, the traveler receives an email showing:
Their total amount originally paid
The total amount refunded (including all fees)
A note: "Please allow up to 10 business days for you to receive each individual refund"
Their payment schedule history
The refund email shows the combined refund amount including fees, so the traveler may see a number slightly different from the base trip price.
Refund Timeline
Processing time: Refunds are submitted to Stripe or Square immediately
Traveler receives funds: Up to 10 business days from the refund date
Your Stripe dashboard: Shows the refund as processed right away, but the traveler's bank controls when it appears on their statement
Important Notes
You can only refund payments that have already been processed -- future scheduled installments are not refundable (cancel them instead)
Refunds cannot exceed the total amount the traveler has paid
Issuing a full refund does not automatically cancel the traveler's booking -- cancel the booking separately if needed
Stripe's own processing fees (~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) are not returned to you when you issue a refund -- this is Stripe's policy
For Square payments, refunds follow the same process but are processed through Square's refund system
Troubleshooting
Problem | Solution |
Refund amount looks higher than expected | The displayed refund includes the processing fee. A $500 trip refund may show as $530 because the 6% fee ($30) is included. |
Traveler says they haven't received the refund | Refunds take up to 10 business days. If it's been longer, check your Stripe dashboard for the refund status and provide the traveler with the refund confirmation details. |
Cannot find the traveler in the refund section | Search by exact email address. If the traveler doesn't appear, they may not have any completed payments to refund. |
Want to refund only part of one payment | Use the "Custom Amount" option and enter the specific dollar amount you want to refund. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I get the 6% processing fee back when I issue a refund? A: Yes. When you refund a traveler, SquadTrip's 6% processing fee is refunded back to your connected Stripe account. However, Stripe's own card processing fees (~2.9% + $0.30) are not returned -- that's Stripe's standard policy for all refunds.
Q: How long do refunds take to reach the traveler? A: Up to 10 business days after you issue the refund. The exact timing depends on the traveler's bank or card issuer. The refund is submitted to Stripe immediately, but banks process incoming credits on their own schedule.
Q: Does a full refund automatically cancel the booking? A: No. Issuing a full refund returns the money but does not cancel the traveler's reservation. You should cancel the booking separately if the traveler is no longer attending. This prevents confusion if the traveler still appears on your guest list.
Q: What if a traveler paid with BNPL -- how does the refund work? A: For BNPL payments, the refund goes back through the original payment method. The 4% BNPL convenience fee is included in the refund calculation proportionally. The BNPL provider (Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay) handles adjusting the traveler's repayment schedule.
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