# How do I refund a client or issue a credit note?

URL: https://help.sweb.so/en/pro/payments/refund-a-client
Mis à jour: 2026-07-03T00:00:00.000Z

To refund a client, open the relevant receipt and click "Refund": the dashboard issues a credit note that offsets the original receipt without ever deleting it, as required by French NF525 fiscal rules.

## Why nothing ever gets deleted

A confirmed sales receipt is tamper-proof: that's an NF525 requirement. Refunding a client never rolls back the original receipt, it stays viewable as-is in the history. Instead, the dashboard issues a **credit note** that attaches to it and reverses the amount. Both documents, the receipt and the credit note, coexist in your fiscal audit trail.

## Start a refund

From any open receipt (Transactions page, Finance hub, appointment record), click "Refund". A panel asks for the payment method, the amount, the reason, and an internal note if needed.

- **Cash or store credit**: the NF525 credit note is issued immediately on confirmation.
- **Card**: since your card terminal works independently, you first need to process the refund directly on it. The dashboard then asks you to enter the terminal's receipt number, and once you confirm, that confirmation is what issues the credit note on the dashboard's side.

## What the client sees

A refund email is sent to the client automatically once the credit note is issued. The reason you enter is shared with them; the internal note, on the other hand, stays strictly pro-only and only appears in your audit trail.

## Partial or full refund

You choose the amount to refund when entering it: a refund can be full or partial depending on the situation (full cancellation, goodwill gesture, error correction). The remaining amount due or already paid on the related appointment or project updates automatically.

## Edge cases

**A deposit needs to be refunded.** Open the relevant deposit's record and move it to the refunded status, no need to process anything else elsewhere. See [How to collect a deposit](/en/pro/payments/how-to-collect-a-deposit) for the full status tracking.

**The appointment is cancelled with a non-refundable deposit (arrhes).** No refund or credit note needs to be issued: the amount stays with you. See [Non-refundable deposit or refundable deposit: which one should I use?](/en/pro/payments/deposit-types-explained) for the distinction, and [What happens when a client cancels?](/en/pro/calendar/handle-cancellations) for the cancellation flow.

**The Refund button doesn't appear.** Access to refunds depends on your permissions on the account's fiscal settings. If you don't see it, check your permissions or those of the team member involved.

**You want to understand NF525 requirements in detail.** See [How does Sweb secure my register on a daily basis?](/en/pro/cash-register/understanding-nf525) for the full set of rules on fiscal immutability and traceability.