> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dishink.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Refunds

> Return money to a customer with a manager-authorised, ZRA-compliant credit note.

## Overview

A refund reverses part or all of a **paid** sale. Unlike a Void (same-day, no money moved), a refund actually returns money and issues a **ZRA Credit Note** — the legally-required fiscal counter-entry to the original Smart Invoice.

Refunds are opened from **Transaction History** → tap the sale → **Refund**.

## Refund Modal

Every refund needs:

| Field                      | Required | Notes                                                                                                                                                      |
| -------------------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Manager PIN**            | Yes      | Minimum 4 digits. Any manager-level PIN works.                                                                                                             |
| **Reason**                 | Yes      | Free-text, min 3 chars. Six **Quick chips** pre-fill it: *Wrong item*, *Wrong quantity*, *Customer complaint*, *Price error*, *Duplicate charge*, *Other*. |
| **ZRA Credit Note Reason** | Yes      | Dropdown — see codes below.                                                                                                                                |
| **Amount**                 | Yes      | Free-text, or **Full** / **Half** quick chips. Max = original total − already-refunded.                                                                    |
| **Refund method**          | Yes      | Cash · Mobile Money · Card (defaults to original payment method).                                                                                          |

### ZRA Credit Note Reason Codes

| Code   | Reason         | Use when…                                                       |
| ------ | -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **01** | Reversal       | Whole transaction was wrong (duplicate charge, wrong customer). |
| **02** | Wrong item     | Customer got the wrong dish.                                    |
| **03** | Wrong quantity | Charged for 2, got 1.                                           |
| **04** | Wrong price    | Menu price was outdated on the receipt.                         |
| **05** | Goods returned | Retail item / bottled product returned unopened.                |
| **06** | Other          | Anything else — expand in the Reason field.                     |

<Note>
  The ZRA reason code is embedded in the Smart Invoice credit note XML that submits to ZRA. Pick the closest match — auditors reconcile these codes against your books.
</Note>

## Full vs Partial Refund

* **Full** chip → pre-fills the full remaining refundable amount.
* **Half** chip → pre-fills half.
* **Manual** → type any amount up to the max shown.

If the customer only wants some items refunded, tick those lines in the transaction detail view before opening the Refund Modal — the max recalculates.

## Refund Method

Refunds default to the original payment method (a card sale refunds to card, a MoMo sale to MoMo). You can override:

* **Cash refund** — opens the till drawer instruction on the receipt.
* **Mobile Money** — records the provider (MTN / Airtel / Zamtel) and an optional transaction reference for reconciliation.
* **Card** — refund is initiated on the card terminal; enter the terminal's approval code in the confirmation dialog.

## Step by Step

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Transaction History">
    POS → **Shift** tab → find the sale (by table, tag, receipt no, or amount).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the sale">
    Tap the transaction → **Refund** button (visible only for paid, non-voided sales within your refund window).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Manager PIN">
    Any manager-level PIN. Overrides are logged with the manager's name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a Reason chip">
    Or type a free-text reason (min 3 chars).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a ZRA credit-note code">
    Codes 01–06. Match your reason as closely as possible.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the amount">
    Full · Half · or manual entry.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick refund method">
    Defaults to the original — override if the customer wants a different channel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    A credit-note receipt prints, ZRA Smart Invoice submits, and the transaction shows *Refunded K…* in the history.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Refund Modal with reason chips, ZRA code dropdown, and Full/Half amount chips.">
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/dishink/images/pos/refund-modal.png" alt="Refund modal placeholder" />
</Frame>

## Offline Refunds

Refunds require the ZRA API to be reachable. If offline, DishInk still accepts the refund locally and returns the money physically — the credit note **queues** and submits automatically when the internet returns.

The transaction shows a **⚠ Pending ZRA** badge until the queued credit note is accepted. Managers can force-retry from **Smart Invoice → Fiscal Compliance**. See [Fiscal Compliance](/smart-invoice/fiscal-compliance).

## Tips & Best Practices

* Match the **ZRA code** to the actual root cause — auditors read them and mismatches trigger queries.
* Always print and hand the customer the credit note receipt. It's their proof for card refunds that take 3–5 business days to land back on the card.
* For frequent "wrong quantity" refunds, review the waiter's order-entry — the fix is usually training, not more refunds.
* **Half** and **Full** chips prevent typos on large amounts. Prefer them over typing when applicable.

## Common Mistakes

* **Refunding when a Void would work.** Same-day, unchanged bill, no receipt handed to the customer → Void is faster and cleaner (no credit note filed). See [Voids](/pos/voids).
* **Using ZRA code 06 (Other) as a catch-all.** ZRA flags accounts with unusually high "Other" volumes. Use specific codes wherever they fit.
* **Refunding without ticking specific lines** — you refund the whole bill's proportion instead of the returned items. Tick the specific items first.
* **Cash refund from an empty till.** Batch Invoice Cash Out flags negative cash drawers. Ensure the drawer holds enough — otherwise refund to a different method and reconcile later.

## Related Pages

* [Voids](/pos/voids)
* [Transaction History](/pos/shift)
* [Fiscal Compliance](/smart-invoice/fiscal-compliance)
* [ZRA Integration](/smart-invoice/zra-integration)
* [Batch Invoice Cash Out](/pos/batch-cash-out)