# Customer refund: how to issue the document

URL: https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/sales/customer-refund/
Updated: 2026-11-06

> The Customer refund document records a payout of money to a customer after a return of goods or a cancelled service. Create it in "Sales → Returns" from the icon next to the return you need, or in "Finance → Settlements with counterparties", enter the amount, the refund method (non-cash or cash) and save. Bimp updates settlements with the customer.

## When you need a customer refund

The Customer refund document is needed when you have given money back to a customer: they returned goods or cancelled a service after paying. Without it, the [cash desk](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/getting-started/bank-accounts-and-cash-desks/) shows money that is no longer there, and the customer's balance is wrong. The full [sales process from order to payment](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/sales/sales-process/) is covered in one article.

**Example.** A customer bought a dress for UAH 2,000 and paid by card. The next day she returned the dress. The manager issued a [customer return](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/sales/customer-return/), and the dress went back to the warehouse. Now the manager creates a Customer refund for UAH 2,000 based on it: the debt to the customer is closed, and an expense appears in the cash flow.

## How to create a customer refund

You can create the document in two ways:

1. **From the "Sales" section.** Open **Sales → Returns**, hover over the return you need and choose **Customer refund** in the icon menu.
   ![The returns journal: the icon menu is open next to the first row, the "Customer refund" icon is highlighted in red, and the "Returns" tab is highlighted at the top](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/aa27df7a-3497-482f-bb81-126298859710.webp)
2. **From the "Finance" section.** Open **Finance → Settlements with counterparties**, click **Create** and choose **Customer refund**.
   ![The "Settlements with counterparties" journal: after the "Create" button, a menu is open and the "Customer refund" item is highlighted in red](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/6d3e996d-37d3-411d-b826-991dad7f01b9.webp)

> [!NOTE] If the document is created from the "Sales" section, the "Customer" and "Organization" fields are filled in automatically and cannot be edited. In the "Finance" section, you need to fill them in manually and also choose the paid invoices.

## How to fill in the document

![The "Customer refund" form: on the left "Comment", "Responsible", "Agree with", "Creation date", "Document number", "Customer", "Settlement type" (Non-cash or Cash), "Organization", "Cash settlement type" (Cash desk or Card), the "Payment" table with cash desks and amounts; on the right the block "Select the invoices that were paid" with the columns "Document", "Refund amount", "Payment amount"](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/8f87c401-5cbf-452a-b1c1-38538b29e553.webp)

1. "Document number": enter it manually or leave it empty, and the system assigns the next number.
2. "Creation date": the current date; you can change it.
3. "Customer": pulled from the order or from the [counterparty card](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/counterparties/counterparty-card/).
4. "Organization": the company that refunds the money.
5. "Settlement type": choose **Non-cash** or **Cash**. For cash, in the "Cash settlement type" field choose **Cash desk** or **Card** and specify the particular cash desk in the "Payment" table.
6. In the block "Select the invoices that were paid", choose the paid documents and, in the "Refund amount" column, enter the amount you are refunding.
7. "Responsible": the employee responsible for the refund.
8. If needed, fill in "Comment" and the "Agree with" field.

The refund amount must match the amount of the paid invoice.

## What happens after saving

Click the save button. Bimp registers the refund and automatically updates [settlements with the customer](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/reports/customer-settlements-report/). The document goes into the section's operations archive, where you can view it for reporting.

## Common problems

**The "Customer" and "Organization" fields are inactive.** The document was created from the "Sales" section, so the data was taken from the return. To specify them manually, create the document in **Finance → Settlements with counterparties**.

## FAQ

**How do I refund a customer who returned goods?**

First issue a Customer return, then create a Customer refund based on it (the icon in the "Returns" journal) and specify the amount and the payout method.

**Why can I not change the customer and organization in a refund?**

If the document was created from the "Sales" section, these fields are pulled from the return and locked. To fill them in manually, create the document in "Finance → Settlements with counterparties".

**Can I refund the money in cash?**

Yes. In the "Settlement type" field, choose "Cash" and specify whether you pay from a cash desk or from a card.