> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sellauth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Refunds and Chargebacks

> Mark an order as refunded, return money as store balance, reverse cashback and affiliate commission, and deal with a chargeback.

Refunding on SellAuth is a bookkeeping action. It records the outcome on the invoice and reverses any rewards attached to it. Moving the money is a separate step, taken with your payment processor.

<Warning>
  **Marking an order as refunded does not refund the buyer.** SellAuth never holds the funds and cannot send them back. Issue the refund in Stripe, PayPal, your crypto wallet or wherever the payment landed, then record it here.
</Warning>

## Refunding an invoice

<Steps>
  <Step title="Refund the money at the source">
    Your processor's dashboard, or an on-chain transfer for crypto.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the invoice and choose Mark as Refunded">
    From [**Invoices**](https://dash.sellauth.com/invoices) in the dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Decide what else reverses">
    The dialog offers store balance, cashback and affiliate commission. Each is explained below.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The invoice moves to **Refunded** and remains in your history.

## Refund to store balance instead

Ticking **Refund to customer balance** credits the buyer's store balance instead of sending money anywhere. The amount is prefilled with what they paid and can be edited. Store balance is always in USD.

This works well for a wrong variant or a key that did not function, since it keeps the revenue and usually settles the ticket faster than a card refund. It does not replace a real refund when the buyer wants their money back.

## Reversing cashback and affiliate commission

If the invoice paid out rewards, the dialog offers to reverse them.

**Reverse cashback** deducts the cashback from the buyer's store balance. If they have already spent it, the balance goes negative and settles against their next purchase.

**Reverse affiliate commission** deducts the commission from the affiliate's balance, which can also go negative. Leave it unchecked when the refund was not the affiliate's fault, such as a stock problem on your side, since affiliates tend to leave over commission reversed on legitimate referrals.

Both reversals run independently of the refund. If a reversal fails, the refund still stands and the failure is reported separately.

## Partial refunds

There is no partial refund action on an invoice. Refund the difference at your processor, then either mark the whole order as refunded, or leave it completed and credit the difference to the buyer's store balance, whichever reflects your books more accurately.

## Chargebacks

Chargebacks are handled entirely by your processor. The buyer disputes the charge with their bank, the processor withdraws the funds, and you respond with evidence in the processor's dashboard.

Evidence that helps:

* **A written refund policy.** Processors ask for it during a dispute. Fill it in under [Legal Pages](https://dash.sellauth.com/shop/legal) so it also appears at checkout.
* **The invoice record.** Delivery timestamps, the delivered items, the buyer's email and IP address, and the terms checkbox they ticked are all on the invoice page.
* **The terms checkbox.** Requiring agreement at checkout creates a record that the buyer accepted your terms.

To reduce repeat cases:

* **Blacklist the buyer** from the invoice page. Email, IP and Discord ID can each be blocked in one click, which stops the same person buying again and disputing again.
* **Blacklist rules** apply to categories rather than individuals, covering VPN and Tor connections, disposable email domains and specific countries.

Mark the invoice as refunded once the processor debits you, so your records match your bank statements.

## Disputing an unfair review

Separate from payment disputes: a review that breaks the rules can be disputed from the invoice it belongs to. See [Reviews](/guides/reviews#disputing-a-review).

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="How checkout works" icon="cart-shopping" href="/guides/checkout">
    Invoice statuses and what each one means.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Supported payment methods" icon="credit-card" href="/guides/payment-methods">
    The methods you are accepting, and their risk profiles.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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