HoneyBook makes it easy to issue refunds when needed—but there are a few situations where a refund can’t be processed, or where you might run into limitations. This guide walks you through refund eligibility, errors, and next steps if your client can’t receive a refund.
When refunds can’t be issued
You won’t be able to issue a refund through HoneyBook in the following cases:
You can manually mark these as refunded, but they won’t process through the platform
The file has expired
An ACH payment is older than 170 days
ACH payments have a 170-day refund window. After that, direct refunds are no longer supported.
Credit card payments can be refunded at any time.
This is because the funds are still waiting to clear the client's bank. Sometimes, depending on the bank, the client can try calling their bank and canceling the payment. Otherwise, you'll need to wait for the payment status to change from Processing to Paid, after which point you can initiate a refund
The file is still in draft mode
Either send the updated file before refunding, or delete the draft using the trash can icon in the draft menu
Refund processing and limitations
Refunds can’t be canceled once initiated
If the client’s original payment method is no longer available (for example, due to a canceled card), the refund will still go to the same bank. If they’ve left that bank entirely, a check will be issued
If your client hasn’t received their refund within 30 business days, contact [email protected]
Only account owners, file owners, admins, and super admins can issue refunds
Refunds can’t be issued via the mobile app at this time
Fix refund errors
If you're seeing errors when trying to issue a refund:
Insufficient funds
HoneyBook checks your available funds using a secure integration with Plaid. If you don’t have enough in the selected sub-account:
Select Connect to different account to try another sub-account
Alternatively, select Try Later and initiate the refund when funds are available
Grayed out accounts
Some sub-accounts might appear grayed out during the refund process. This means HoneyBook can’t process refunds from that account type due to bank transfer limitations.
Other refund scenarios
Client used the wrong card and wants to repay
First, issue a refund
Next, edit the file to add a new payment
Resend the file Once approved, the client can submit the new payment.
Refund issued, but client no longer has access to the original payment method
If your client is still with the same bank, the bank should send the refunded amount to their new account. If not, their bank will mail a check to them.
If your client hasn’t received their refund within 30 business days, contact [email protected].
Refund needed before payment is received
If a payment hasn’t yet been deposited to your account, you can still issue a refund. You won’t be charged since the funds haven’t settled.
One exception: Refunds for bank transfers require the payment to have the status Paid—not Processing.
This is because when bank transfer payment is processing, the funds are still waiting to clear the client's bank. Sometimes, depending on the bank, the client can try calling their bank and canceling the payment. Otherwise, you'll need to wait for the payment status to change from Processing to Paid, after which point you can initiate a refund.
Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message by clicking the Question Mark icon on any HoneyBook page. Our team is always happy to help!