💸Issuing Refunds

This guide will walk you through the process of issuing refunds from various screens within the CrowdWork platform.

How to Issue Refunds

CrowdWork provides multiple options for issuing refunds to your patrons. In general, refunds can be initiated throughout your account by:

1. Clicking the three dots "•••" to the right of any order

2. Selecting "Issue Refund"

3. Completing the "Refund Confirmation" form

Read below for details on initiating refunds from specific screens:

• Orders Screen

• Tickets/Registrations Screen

• Show/Class Details Screen

• Customer/Student Details Screen

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Initiating Refunds from the Orders Screen

1. Navigate to the "Orders" screen from your Dashboard menu.

2. Locate the order you wish to refund and click the "View" link on the far right.

3. On the order details screen, click the "Issue Refund" button in the top right.

4. Continue in the "Refund Confirmation" dialog to complete the refund.

Initiating Refunds from Other Screens

In addition to the Orders screen, here are the most common ways to locate an order you wish to refund...

• Customer or Student Details Screens: Click the "View" link to the right of the customer/student to see their orders. Click the three dots "•••" next to the order you wish to refund. Select then complete the "Refund Confirmation" form.

• Tickets and Registrations Screens and Details Screen of a Specific Show or Class: In the list of tickets/registrations, click the three dots "•••" to the right of the order you wish to refund. Select then complete the "Refund Confirmation" form.

On mobile devices and smaller screens, you may need to horizontally scroll to see the full table, including the "View" link and three dots "•••" options.

Finalizing a Refund

1. In the "Refund Confirmation" display:

   • To issue a complete refund: Press the blue "Issue Full Refund" button

   • To issue a partial refund:

     1. Select "Issue Partial Refund"

     2. Enter the custom amount

     3. Press the blue "Issue Partial Refund" button

2. The refund will be submitted for processing immediately after clicking either blue "Issue Refund" button.

Issuing Full Refunds

Issuing Partial Refunds

Additional Refund Options

The "Refund Confirmation" dialog offers three extra options alongside the amount. Each is a checkbox you tick before issuing the refund, each is off unless you check it, and each appears only when it applies to that particular order.

Refund to a Gift Card

Rather than sending money back to the patron's original payment method, you can issue the refund as a new gift card. In the "Refund Confirmation" dialog, check "Create and refund to a new gift card instead of the original payment method."

CrowdWork creates a new gift card carrying the refunded amount, and no money is returned to the original card. The patron redeems it by entering the code in the Gift card code field at checkout and clicking Apply. Any balance they don't spend stays on the card for a future purchase.

Don't see this option? It only appears when Gift Cards are turned on for your theatre — otherwise the dialog shows a prompt to enable them. See Setting Up Gift Cards.

Cancel Remaining Payment Plan Installments

When the order was bought on a payment plan and still has payments scheduled, the dialog offers "Cancel [number] remaining payment plan installments." Checking it marks those upcoming (and paused) installments as Canceled, so the patron won't be charged again.

Installments the patron has already paid aren't affected by this checkbox — refund those using the refund amount itself.

A refund does not cancel a payment plan on its own. If you issue the refund without checking this box, the patron's remaining installments stay scheduled and will keep being charged. For help reading a patron's payment plan statuses or handling a failed payment, see Helping Your Patrons.

Email the Patron Their Refund Details

To let the patron know the refund went through, check "Email refund details automatically." CrowdWork sends them a summary with the subject "Your refund for Order #[number]" showing what was refunded and where it went.

The email adapts to the choices above: if you refunded to a gift card it includes the code and how to use it, and if you canceled remaining installments it tells them so.

This option appears only when the patron has an email address on file. It isn't sent unless you check the box, so tick it any time you want the patron notified — otherwise the refund happens quietly.

Recognizing Refunded Orders

Partial refunds, including the amount, are only noted on the details screen of an order.

Full refunds will be reflected throughout your account wherever the order is displayed, including the following places:

• On the Details Screen of an Order, full refunds will be marked as "Refunded" and will include the amount refunded.

• On the Orders overview screen, full refunds will be marked as "Refunded" in the Status column.

• On the Tickets or Registrations screens, and on the details screen of a specific Show or Class, the list of orders will display "Refunded" below the customer's name.

Refund status on Order Details screen

Refund status on the Orders screen

Refund status below a customer's name

Notes on Refund Processing

A few things to keep in mind when issuing refunds:

• Refunds go back to the original payment method by default — or to a new gift card if you choose that option

• Refunds to credit or debit cards can take 7-10 business days to appear

• Remaining payment plan installments keep running unless you cancel them as part of the refund

• The patron is only emailed about the refund if you check that option

• Refunds can only be issued up to the original amount charged

• Full refunds will be noted with "Refunded" status in order lists and on the details screen of an order

• Partial refunds will only be noted on the details screen of an order

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Issuing refunds in CrowdWork is a straightforward process that can be done from multiple places within our application. You can process refunds for your patrons quickly and easily. And as always, if you need help, our support team is here for you.

Not ready to refund? If a patron can't attend but you want to keep their record on file without blocking the seat, consider using Standby status instead. This frees up capacity without fully canceling their admission.