FADED

How Refunds Work

When you cancel a paid appointment, FADED automatically attempts to refund the customer through Square. This guide explains what happens when things go right, what to do when they don't, and how to process manual refunds.

Automatic refunds

FADED uses a refund-first approach. When you cancel a paid appointment, the system attempts to refund the customer through Square before canceling the appointment. This protects customers from losing both their booking and their money.

1
You tap Cancel Appointment
The system starts processing the refund through Square before making any changes to the appointment.
2
Square processes the refund
If Square accepts the refund (status: PENDING or COMPLETED), the appointment is canceled and the customer is notified.
3
Customer sees confirmation
The customer sees the refund amount and status. PENDING refunds typically complete within a few hours. The customer's bank may take 2-7 business days to post the credit.
This is the happy path. Most refunds complete automatically with no action needed from you.

When a refund fails

Sometimes Square can't process a refund immediately — a network issue, a temporary outage, or an account problem. When this happens, the cancel modal walks you through retry attempts before offering an override.

First failure — retry available
Refund Failed
x
Refund Failed
Could not process refund automatically.
Attempt 1 of 3.
Go Back
Retry Refund (2 remaining)
All retries exhausted — cancel anyway available
Refund Failed
x
Refund Failed
Could not process refund automatically.
All 3 refund attempts failed. You can cancel without a refund — the customer will need to be refunded manually.
Go Back
Cancel Anyway
"Cancel Anyway" is a last resort. When you use it, the appointment is canceled without a refund. The platform admin and shop owner both receive an immediate email alert. The customer will need to be refunded manually — please inform them.

How to refund manually

If an automatic refund fails, you can process the refund manually from either FADED or Square directly. Square prevents double refunds automatically — you can't refund more than the original payment amount regardless of which method you use.

Option A: Retry from FADED
1
Open Shop Inbox
Go to your barber dashboard and open the Inbox page. Failed refunds appear under "Needs Attention."
2
Find the failed refund
Each row shows the customer name, amount owed, and failure reason.
3
Tap Retry
FADED sends a fresh refund request to Square. If the underlying issue is resolved (e.g., you've added funds), it should succeed.
Option B: Refund from Square Dashboard
1
Sign in to Square Dashboard
Go to squareup.com/dashboard and navigate to Transactions.
2
Find the payment
Use the search or filters to locate the original payment.
3
Click "..." then "Issue Refund"
Click the three-dot menu (...) next to the transaction, then select Issue Refund.
4
Choose refund amount and reason
Select full refund or enter a specific amount. Choose a reason, then click Issue Refund.
Refunds processed through Square Dashboard work exactly the same way. The customer receives an email from Square, and the credit posts to their account within 2-7 business days.
Option C: Refund from Square POS App
1
Open the Square POS app
Sign in and tap Transactions.
2
Find the payment
Search by card number, customer name, or receipt number.
3
Tap "Issue Refund"
Tap Select All Items for a full refund, or tap Amount to enter a specific amount. Tap Next, choose a reason, then tap Refund.

Common failure reasons

These are the most common reasons a refund might fail, and what you can do about each one.

Square connection expired
Your shop's connection to Square needs to be refreshed.
Go to Shop Settings and reconnect your Square account.
Insufficient funds
Your Square account balance doesn't have enough to cover the refund. Square will try to charge your linked bank account, but this can fail.
Add funds to your Square account or verify your linked bank account, then retry from Shop Inbox.
Payment under dispute
The customer has filed a chargeback/dispute with their bank. Square blocks refunds on disputed payments.
Resolve the dispute in Square Dashboard first. Contact Square Support if needed.
Network error
A temporary connection issue between FADED and Square.
Usually resolves itself. Retry from the modal or Shop Inbox in a few minutes.
Payment not refundable
The payment is older than 1 year, which is Square's refund window.
Refunds must be processed outside of Square (e.g., direct bank transfer to the customer).
Card issuer declined
The customer's bank rejected the refund (rare — usually means the card is closed or invalid).
Contact the customer to arrange an alternative refund method.

Delayed refund failures

In rare cases, Square accepts a refund initially (status: PENDING) but it fails days later — usually due to a funding issue with your Square account. This can take up to 14 days.

1
You receive an email alert
Both the platform admin and the shop owner receive an immediate email when a pending refund fails. The email includes the customer name, refund amount, and failure reason.
2
Check your Square account
The most common cause is insufficient funds. Verify your Square balance and linked bank account.
3
Retry from Shop Inbox or Square Dashboard
Once the underlying issue is fixed, retry the refund from your Shop Inbox or process it manually from Square Dashboard.
The appointment is already canceled at this point. The customer lost their booking when the refund was initially accepted. Resolving the refund promptly is important — the customer is owed money.

Key facts

Square prevents double refunds — you cannot refund more than the original payment, regardless of how many times you retry or which method you use.
Refunds can be issued up to 1 year from the original payment date.
Processing fees from the original payment are not refunded back to you.
Customers receive an email from Square when a refund is initiated and again when it completes.
Refund processing takes 2-7 business days to post to the customer's account, depending on their bank.
Account owners or team members with the "transactions" permission can issue refunds in Square.

Need help?

If you're stuck with a failed refund or need help resolving a payment issue, reach out to us directly.

aadi@bookfaded.com