At AvaiBook, making a refund of a charged amount (whether partial or total) is a simple process that you can manage directly from the details of a reservation.
Steps to make a return
Access the reservation:
Go to the Planning menu → Reservations.
Search and select the specific reservation you want to make the refund on, click on its ID to access the file.
2. Once inside the file, you will appear by default in the Payments > Online Payments section.
Locate the payout you want to return.
Select the "Return" option.
3. Specify the amount:
Indicate whether you want to refund the full amount or just a portion of the charge.
Confirm the amount to be refunded and review the details before proceeding.
On this screen, you will see the traveler's card where the refund will be made. Choose the amount (full or partial, subtracting fees if necessary) and click 'Return'.
4. Confirm the return:
Once set up, click "Return."
The system will process the transaction and the amount will be refunded to the guest's card automatically.
If you have available balance: If you have available balance in AvaiBook, the return will be processed automatically by subtracting from your available balance.
If you do not have an available balance or it does not reach the amount:
The system will redirect you to the payment gateway.
You will see the amount to be charged to your card (1).
You can use your default card or add a new one (2).
Confirm the return with 'Secure Card Payment'.
Upon completion, the system will confirm the operation. You can check the refund in Accounting > Movements.
If the amount you wish to refund corresponds to the advance payment of a booking managed through the booking engine, the booking will need to be cancelled. In this article, we'll explain how to cancel a booking from the booking engine.
How to check the amount returned (especially for partial returns)
Once the return has been made, you can easily check the amount that has been refunded.
Within the booking card, in the "Payments" section, you will be able to see the movement associated with the refund. In the case of partial refunds, the exact amount that has been refunded will be shown, keeping the rest of the original charge.
In addition, you can consult the complete details by accessing Accounting → Movements, where the operation will be reflected with the amount returned and its status.
This way, you can check at all times what amount has been refunded and which is still associated with the booking in the event of partial refunds.
How long does it take for the guest to receive the refund?
When a return or refund is made, the time in which the guest receives the amount in their account is not immediate. It depends on the customer's bank and the type of card used for payment.
Below, we detail the usual deadlines according to the type of card:
Domestic Card Payments
In the case of cards issued in the same country where the transaction is made, the usual refund period is:
3 to 10 working days
In some exceptional cases, depending on the bank, the refund may take up to 14 working days to be reflected.
International Card Payments
When the payment is made with a card issued in another country, the process may take longer due to the intervention of different banks and possible currency conversions.
The usual deadlines are:
7 to 21 business days
In exceptional cases, it can be extended up to 30 calendar days
📌Even if the refund is successfully processed from the system, the amount is not immediately reflected in the guest's account.
The payment time depends exclusively on the customer's bank. Therefore, in case of delay, the guest can contact their bank providing proof of the refund.
Important points to consider
Processing Time: The guest will receive the amount immediately to their card, in some exceptional cases, depending on the guest's bank the terms may be longer, in some cases up to 21 working days to be reflected in the guest's account. It recommends the cardholder check with their bank if they need more details.
Refunds to the original card: Refunds are always made to the same card with which the original charge was made. For security and banking reasons, it is not possible to refund to a different card, even if the guest provides new bank details or requests a change of card for the return.
Prepaid cards: In these cases, the issuing bank must manually process the refund. Suggest the guest inform their entity about the cancellation of the transaction (including date and time) to speed up the process.
Engine reservations: in order to be able to refund the advance, it will have to be cancelled.
If you see "Error 102: card denied by the issuing bank": you must check the card you are using to make the refund, it may not have an active one, it may not have enough balance or it does not allow you to make online payments. If you see any other errors, it may be a one-off Redsys server error. Don't try repeatedly.