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Tap to Pay on iPhone
Accept contactless payments right on your iPhone with the Mollie app
Accept payments
Embedded payments
Grow your business
Technical resources
About Mollie
Tap to Pay on iPhone
Accept contactless payments right on your iPhone with the Mollie app
Accept payments
Embedded payments
Grow your business
Technical resources
About Mollie
Streamline returns with Mollie's referenced online refunds
Streamline returns with Mollie's referenced online refunds
Streamline returns with Mollie's referenced online refunds
Discover how Mollie helps you link refunds directly to incoming payments and process returns faster.
Discover how Mollie helps you link refunds directly to incoming payments and process returns faster.
4 Dec 2024
The evolution of refunds
To appreciate how far we've come, let’s take a look at how refunds used to work. Here’s the story of refunds, over the last 50 years, in a nutshell:
Cash refunds (pre-1980s): Sure, it worked, but it was inconvenient, insecure, and inscrutable. Also, it meant we had to walk around with wads of cash.
Voucher refunds (1980s to 1990s): A great system for businesses, as it improved loyalty and reduced cash outflows – but customers didn’t always like being forced into buying from the same store.
Refund via PIN (2000s to 2020s): This is where we are today. An improvement, certainly, but it’s still clunky. Employees have to manually process refunds and then physically sign a receipt. It can also make reconciliation a nightmare.
Online referenced refunds (2020s onward): A modern solution. Fast, secure, and all online. Using this approach also means every refund is directly linked to an existing payment, cutting down on admin and making the entire system more streamlined.
Interestingly, some businesses still prefer processing refunds via PIN than online referenced refunds, which could be an example of ‘status-quo bias’. That’s where people feel comfortable with existing, familiar methods and become uncertain, or apprehensive, when faced with new technology. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s very real.
To appreciate how far we've come, let’s take a look at how refunds used to work. Here’s the story of refunds, over the last 50 years, in a nutshell:
Cash refunds (pre-1980s): Sure, it worked, but it was inconvenient, insecure, and inscrutable. Also, it meant we had to walk around with wads of cash.
Voucher refunds (1980s to 1990s): A great system for businesses, as it improved loyalty and reduced cash outflows – but customers didn’t always like being forced into buying from the same store.
Refund via PIN (2000s to 2020s): This is where we are today. An improvement, certainly, but it’s still clunky. Employees have to manually process refunds and then physically sign a receipt. It can also make reconciliation a nightmare.
Online referenced refunds (2020s onward): A modern solution. Fast, secure, and all online. Using this approach also means every refund is directly linked to an existing payment, cutting down on admin and making the entire system more streamlined.
Interestingly, some businesses still prefer processing refunds via PIN than online referenced refunds, which could be an example of ‘status-quo bias’. That’s where people feel comfortable with existing, familiar methods and become uncertain, or apprehensive, when faced with new technology. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s very real.
To appreciate how far we've come, let’s take a look at how refunds used to work. Here’s the story of refunds, over the last 50 years, in a nutshell:
Cash refunds (pre-1980s): Sure, it worked, but it was inconvenient, insecure, and inscrutable. Also, it meant we had to walk around with wads of cash.
Voucher refunds (1980s to 1990s): A great system for businesses, as it improved loyalty and reduced cash outflows – but customers didn’t always like being forced into buying from the same store.
Refund via PIN (2000s to 2020s): This is where we are today. An improvement, certainly, but it’s still clunky. Employees have to manually process refunds and then physically sign a receipt. It can also make reconciliation a nightmare.
Online referenced refunds (2020s onward): A modern solution. Fast, secure, and all online. Using this approach also means every refund is directly linked to an existing payment, cutting down on admin and making the entire system more streamlined.
Interestingly, some businesses still prefer processing refunds via PIN than online referenced refunds, which could be an example of ‘status-quo bias’. That’s where people feel comfortable with existing, familiar methods and become uncertain, or apprehensive, when faced with new technology. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s very real.
To appreciate how far we've come, let’s take a look at how refunds used to work. Here’s the story of refunds, over the last 50 years, in a nutshell:
Cash refunds (pre-1980s): Sure, it worked, but it was inconvenient, insecure, and inscrutable. Also, it meant we had to walk around with wads of cash.
Voucher refunds (1980s to 1990s): A great system for businesses, as it improved loyalty and reduced cash outflows – but customers didn’t always like being forced into buying from the same store.
Refund via PIN (2000s to 2020s): This is where we are today. An improvement, certainly, but it’s still clunky. Employees have to manually process refunds and then physically sign a receipt. It can also make reconciliation a nightmare.
Online referenced refunds (2020s onward): A modern solution. Fast, secure, and all online. Using this approach also means every refund is directly linked to an existing payment, cutting down on admin and making the entire system more streamlined.
Interestingly, some businesses still prefer processing refunds via PIN than online referenced refunds, which could be an example of ‘status-quo bias’. That’s where people feel comfortable with existing, familiar methods and become uncertain, or apprehensive, when faced with new technology. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s very real.
The current situation
There’s no doubt that we’ve come a long way, but let’s take a closer look at some of the known issues in the unreferenced refund via PIN system:
Unreferenced means they’re not directly linked to a payment, or the original form of payment, increasing the risk of fraud.
Unreferenced refunds often need to be processed manually
Only authorised employees can handle the refunds, which can lead to bad customer experiences when there’s no one available to process a refund.
An authorised employee needs to sign all return receipts.
The customer needs to present the original receipt, which isn’t always possible.
This all leads to inevitable delays, frustrating everybody involved.
And then, to make things more difficult, sometimes payment service providers (PSPs) add their own brand of frustrating red tape:
Needing six months of turnover before you can even access the feature.
Maximum €1,000 returns per day, per terminal.
Only works for debit cards.
Some PSPs have a limit of €200 daily refund via PIN transactions.
You get the idea. A system that's supposed to be simple and straightforward has become a tangled mess. On the positive side, there’s plenty of room for improvement, and that’s where we come in.
There’s no doubt that we’ve come a long way, but let’s take a closer look at some of the known issues in the unreferenced refund via PIN system:
Unreferenced means they’re not directly linked to a payment, or the original form of payment, increasing the risk of fraud.
Unreferenced refunds often need to be processed manually
Only authorised employees can handle the refunds, which can lead to bad customer experiences when there’s no one available to process a refund.
An authorised employee needs to sign all return receipts.
The customer needs to present the original receipt, which isn’t always possible.
This all leads to inevitable delays, frustrating everybody involved.
And then, to make things more difficult, sometimes payment service providers (PSPs) add their own brand of frustrating red tape:
Needing six months of turnover before you can even access the feature.
Maximum €1,000 returns per day, per terminal.
Only works for debit cards.
Some PSPs have a limit of €200 daily refund via PIN transactions.
You get the idea. A system that's supposed to be simple and straightforward has become a tangled mess. On the positive side, there’s plenty of room for improvement, and that’s where we come in.
There’s no doubt that we’ve come a long way, but let’s take a closer look at some of the known issues in the unreferenced refund via PIN system:
Unreferenced means they’re not directly linked to a payment, or the original form of payment, increasing the risk of fraud.
Unreferenced refunds often need to be processed manually
Only authorised employees can handle the refunds, which can lead to bad customer experiences when there’s no one available to process a refund.
An authorised employee needs to sign all return receipts.
The customer needs to present the original receipt, which isn’t always possible.
This all leads to inevitable delays, frustrating everybody involved.
And then, to make things more difficult, sometimes payment service providers (PSPs) add their own brand of frustrating red tape:
Needing six months of turnover before you can even access the feature.
Maximum €1,000 returns per day, per terminal.
Only works for debit cards.
Some PSPs have a limit of €200 daily refund via PIN transactions.
You get the idea. A system that's supposed to be simple and straightforward has become a tangled mess. On the positive side, there’s plenty of room for improvement, and that’s where we come in.
There’s no doubt that we’ve come a long way, but let’s take a closer look at some of the known issues in the unreferenced refund via PIN system:
Unreferenced means they’re not directly linked to a payment, or the original form of payment, increasing the risk of fraud.
Unreferenced refunds often need to be processed manually
Only authorised employees can handle the refunds, which can lead to bad customer experiences when there’s no one available to process a refund.
An authorised employee needs to sign all return receipts.
The customer needs to present the original receipt, which isn’t always possible.
This all leads to inevitable delays, frustrating everybody involved.
And then, to make things more difficult, sometimes payment service providers (PSPs) add their own brand of frustrating red tape:
Needing six months of turnover before you can even access the feature.
Maximum €1,000 returns per day, per terminal.
Only works for debit cards.
Some PSPs have a limit of €200 daily refund via PIN transactions.
You get the idea. A system that's supposed to be simple and straightforward has become a tangled mess. On the positive side, there’s plenty of room for improvement, and that’s where we come in.
Make returns effortless with Mollie
At Mollie, we’re allergic to financial bureaucracy. So, when we looked at the returns process, we decided to rip up the rulebook and start again.
Why? Because the existing system gave us a headache. We knew we could do it better.
Here’s how to complete an online refund with Mollie – in three simple steps:
Find the transaction and open the payment details in your Mollie Dashboard.
Initiate a full or partial refund back to the consumer’s original payment method.
All done. Yep, it’s that easy.
Refunds via our API work the same way. Just provide the payment ID of the original payment, choose full or partial refund, and that’s it. The money goes straight back to the customer’s account. (You can also process multiple refunds from the same transaction, if needed.)
At Mollie, we’re allergic to financial bureaucracy. So, when we looked at the returns process, we decided to rip up the rulebook and start again.
Why? Because the existing system gave us a headache. We knew we could do it better.
Here’s how to complete an online refund with Mollie – in three simple steps:
Find the transaction and open the payment details in your Mollie Dashboard.
Initiate a full or partial refund back to the consumer’s original payment method.
All done. Yep, it’s that easy.
Refunds via our API work the same way. Just provide the payment ID of the original payment, choose full or partial refund, and that’s it. The money goes straight back to the customer’s account. (You can also process multiple refunds from the same transaction, if needed.)
At Mollie, we’re allergic to financial bureaucracy. So, when we looked at the returns process, we decided to rip up the rulebook and start again.
Why? Because the existing system gave us a headache. We knew we could do it better.
Here’s how to complete an online refund with Mollie – in three simple steps:
Find the transaction and open the payment details in your Mollie Dashboard.
Initiate a full or partial refund back to the consumer’s original payment method.
All done. Yep, it’s that easy.
Refunds via our API work the same way. Just provide the payment ID of the original payment, choose full or partial refund, and that’s it. The money goes straight back to the customer’s account. (You can also process multiple refunds from the same transaction, if needed.)
At Mollie, we’re allergic to financial bureaucracy. So, when we looked at the returns process, we decided to rip up the rulebook and start again.
Why? Because the existing system gave us a headache. We knew we could do it better.
Here’s how to complete an online refund with Mollie – in three simple steps:
Find the transaction and open the payment details in your Mollie Dashboard.
Initiate a full or partial refund back to the consumer’s original payment method.
All done. Yep, it’s that easy.
Refunds via our API work the same way. Just provide the payment ID of the original payment, choose full or partial refund, and that’s it. The money goes straight back to the customer’s account. (You can also process multiple refunds from the same transaction, if needed.)
Benefits of referenced online refunds with Mollie
We’ve worked hard to make sure this refund system ticks all the boxes. So, here’s why our 250,000+ customers love our refund process:
Ease of use: Link returns directly to payments, eliminating manual errors and the need for printed receipts.
Unified process: Whether a payment is made online or in-store, the refund process is always the same.
Automatic reconciliation: Say goodbye to spending hours processing manual returns at the end of the month.
Compliant and secure: Refunds go straight to the customer’s bank account, reducing fraud risk and keeping you compliant.
Customer satisfaction: Faster, easier refunds = happy customers. And happy customers tend to return to buy again.
We’ve worked hard to make sure this refund system ticks all the boxes. So, here’s why our 250,000+ customers love our refund process:
Ease of use: Link returns directly to payments, eliminating manual errors and the need for printed receipts.
Unified process: Whether a payment is made online or in-store, the refund process is always the same.
Automatic reconciliation: Say goodbye to spending hours processing manual returns at the end of the month.
Compliant and secure: Refunds go straight to the customer’s bank account, reducing fraud risk and keeping you compliant.
Customer satisfaction: Faster, easier refunds = happy customers. And happy customers tend to return to buy again.
We’ve worked hard to make sure this refund system ticks all the boxes. So, here’s why our 250,000+ customers love our refund process:
Ease of use: Link returns directly to payments, eliminating manual errors and the need for printed receipts.
Unified process: Whether a payment is made online or in-store, the refund process is always the same.
Automatic reconciliation: Say goodbye to spending hours processing manual returns at the end of the month.
Compliant and secure: Refunds go straight to the customer’s bank account, reducing fraud risk and keeping you compliant.
Customer satisfaction: Faster, easier refunds = happy customers. And happy customers tend to return to buy again.
We’ve worked hard to make sure this refund system ticks all the boxes. So, here’s why our 250,000+ customers love our refund process:
Ease of use: Link returns directly to payments, eliminating manual errors and the need for printed receipts.
Unified process: Whether a payment is made online or in-store, the refund process is always the same.
Automatic reconciliation: Say goodbye to spending hours processing manual returns at the end of the month.
Compliant and secure: Refunds go straight to the customer’s bank account, reducing fraud risk and keeping you compliant.
Customer satisfaction: Faster, easier refunds = happy customers. And happy customers tend to return to buy again.
Why move away from unreferenced refunds?
Changing systems always comes with a bit of a learning curve, as we touched on earlier, but here’s the important thing to remember: referenced refunds are better for your business and customers.
Why? Because it means every refund is tied directly to the original transaction. And that means fewer errors, easier reconciliation, and a faster, more secure system.
The referenced refund process is also the same for both online and offline payments. So, no matter where or how your customers shop, you’ve got them covered.
Now, let’s explore how using referenced refunds could look for your business:
Scenario 1: Refunds with a receipt
When a customer comes in with a receipt, it’s straightforward. Scan the receipt, retrieve the payment details, and issue the refund through our API. Quick, clean, no headaches. Refunds arrive back in the customer's account in 1-2 business days.
Scenario 2: Exchange for a cheaper item
For exchanges, you process it as an alteration to the original transaction. If the customer is exchanging something for a cheaper item, the system automatically calculates the remaining amount and refunds the difference.
Scenario 3: Exchange for a more expensive item
If the new item costs more, a second payment is needed to make up the difference. But we’ve got that covered, too. Just keep both receipts that relate to the same transaction, and you can process refunds easily for either or both payments.
Scenario 4: Refunds without a receipt
No receipt? No problem. Using our List Payments API, you can track down the original payment details. Just search by date, time, or amount, and process the refund as normal. Easy for you and your customers.
Changing systems always comes with a bit of a learning curve, as we touched on earlier, but here’s the important thing to remember: referenced refunds are better for your business and customers.
Why? Because it means every refund is tied directly to the original transaction. And that means fewer errors, easier reconciliation, and a faster, more secure system.
The referenced refund process is also the same for both online and offline payments. So, no matter where or how your customers shop, you’ve got them covered.
Now, let’s explore how using referenced refunds could look for your business:
Scenario 1: Refunds with a receipt
When a customer comes in with a receipt, it’s straightforward. Scan the receipt, retrieve the payment details, and issue the refund through our API. Quick, clean, no headaches. Refunds arrive back in the customer's account in 1-2 business days.
Scenario 2: Exchange for a cheaper item
For exchanges, you process it as an alteration to the original transaction. If the customer is exchanging something for a cheaper item, the system automatically calculates the remaining amount and refunds the difference.
Scenario 3: Exchange for a more expensive item
If the new item costs more, a second payment is needed to make up the difference. But we’ve got that covered, too. Just keep both receipts that relate to the same transaction, and you can process refunds easily for either or both payments.
Scenario 4: Refunds without a receipt
No receipt? No problem. Using our List Payments API, you can track down the original payment details. Just search by date, time, or amount, and process the refund as normal. Easy for you and your customers.
Changing systems always comes with a bit of a learning curve, as we touched on earlier, but here’s the important thing to remember: referenced refunds are better for your business and customers.
Why? Because it means every refund is tied directly to the original transaction. And that means fewer errors, easier reconciliation, and a faster, more secure system.
The referenced refund process is also the same for both online and offline payments. So, no matter where or how your customers shop, you’ve got them covered.
Now, let’s explore how using referenced refunds could look for your business:
Scenario 1: Refunds with a receipt
When a customer comes in with a receipt, it’s straightforward. Scan the receipt, retrieve the payment details, and issue the refund through our API. Quick, clean, no headaches. Refunds arrive back in the customer's account in 1-2 business days.
Scenario 2: Exchange for a cheaper item
For exchanges, you process it as an alteration to the original transaction. If the customer is exchanging something for a cheaper item, the system automatically calculates the remaining amount and refunds the difference.
Scenario 3: Exchange for a more expensive item
If the new item costs more, a second payment is needed to make up the difference. But we’ve got that covered, too. Just keep both receipts that relate to the same transaction, and you can process refunds easily for either or both payments.
Scenario 4: Refunds without a receipt
No receipt? No problem. Using our List Payments API, you can track down the original payment details. Just search by date, time, or amount, and process the refund as normal. Easy for you and your customers.
Changing systems always comes with a bit of a learning curve, as we touched on earlier, but here’s the important thing to remember: referenced refunds are better for your business and customers.
Why? Because it means every refund is tied directly to the original transaction. And that means fewer errors, easier reconciliation, and a faster, more secure system.
The referenced refund process is also the same for both online and offline payments. So, no matter where or how your customers shop, you’ve got them covered.
Now, let’s explore how using referenced refunds could look for your business:
Scenario 1: Refunds with a receipt
When a customer comes in with a receipt, it’s straightforward. Scan the receipt, retrieve the payment details, and issue the refund through our API. Quick, clean, no headaches. Refunds arrive back in the customer's account in 1-2 business days.
Scenario 2: Exchange for a cheaper item
For exchanges, you process it as an alteration to the original transaction. If the customer is exchanging something for a cheaper item, the system automatically calculates the remaining amount and refunds the difference.
Scenario 3: Exchange for a more expensive item
If the new item costs more, a second payment is needed to make up the difference. But we’ve got that covered, too. Just keep both receipts that relate to the same transaction, and you can process refunds easily for either or both payments.
Scenario 4: Refunds without a receipt
No receipt? No problem. Using our List Payments API, you can track down the original payment details. Just search by date, time, or amount, and process the refund as normal. Easy for you and your customers.
Streamline returns with Mollie
Let’s face it, refunds shouldn’t be a headache for you, your employees, or your customers.
With Mollie, we’re bringing refunds into the future – making them faster, simpler, and a lot less frustrating.
Ready to ‘return’ your current payment service and switch to Mollie?
Get in touch and make refunds and money management effortless.
Let’s face it, refunds shouldn’t be a headache for you, your employees, or your customers.
With Mollie, we’re bringing refunds into the future – making them faster, simpler, and a lot less frustrating.
Ready to ‘return’ your current payment service and switch to Mollie?
Get in touch and make refunds and money management effortless.
Let’s face it, refunds shouldn’t be a headache for you, your employees, or your customers.
With Mollie, we’re bringing refunds into the future – making them faster, simpler, and a lot less frustrating.
Ready to ‘return’ your current payment service and switch to Mollie?
Get in touch and make refunds and money management effortless.
Let’s face it, refunds shouldn’t be a headache for you, your employees, or your customers.
With Mollie, we’re bringing refunds into the future – making them faster, simpler, and a lot less frustrating.
Ready to ‘return’ your current payment service and switch to Mollie?
Get in touch and make refunds and money management effortless.
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Simplify payments and money management
Drive revenue, reduce costs, and manage funds with Mollie.
Simplify payments and money management
Whether you want to grow internationally or focus on a specific market, everything is possible. Mollie supports all known payment methods, so you can grow your business regardless of location.
Simplify payments and money management
Drive revenue, reduce costs, and manage funds with Mollie.