Why Process Square Refunds Correctly

When a customer paid through Square, the refund must be processed directly in your Square account — not in Thryv Business Center™. Processing the refund in the correct place ensures the transaction is reversed on the customer's card, your Square balance is updated accurately, and your records in both Square and Thryv Business Center stay in sync. Skipping the Square step means the refund will not reach the customer's bank account, even if it appears initiated in Thryv Business Center.

This article covers refunds for payments processed through Square. If the payment was processed directly through Thryv Business Center using ThryvPay, Stripe, or PayPal, see How to Process a Refund in Thryv Business Center instead.

How to Process a Refund for a Square Payment

1. Click Sales in the left-hand navigation of Thryv Business Center. Then click Payments Received. Locate the payment you need to refund and click Refund next to that payment.

   The screenshot below shows the Payments Received screen in Thryv Business Center. Each payment row displays the client name, payment date, amount, and a Refund button on the right side of the row. The Refund button appears for all payments regardless of which processor was used.

   

2. A prompt will appear informing you that Square payments must be refunded directly through your Square account. This prompt confirms that Thryv Business Center cannot process the Square refund on your behalf and directs you to complete the refund in Square.

   The screenshot below shows the Square refund prompt that appears in Thryv Business Center after clicking Refund on a Square payment. The prompt displays a message explaining that the refund must be completed in Square and does not include a direct refund button. No refund action takes place in Thryv Business Center at this step.

   

3. Open a new browser tab and go to squareup.com. Log into your Square account using your Square credentials.

4. Click Transactions from your Square Dashboard to open the transaction history.

   The screenshot below shows the Square Dashboard with the Transactions option highlighted in the left-hand navigation menu. The Transactions screen displays a list of processed payments with columns for date, customer name, and amount.

   

5. Locate the transaction you need to refund in the Transactions list. Use the search bar or date filters to find the correct transaction.

   The screenshot below shows the Square Transactions screen with a transaction located and highlighted in the list. The transaction row displays the date, customer name, payment method, and amount. Filter and search options appear at the top of the transaction list.

   

6. Click on the transaction to open the transaction detail panel on the right side of the screen. Then click Issue Refund.

   The screenshot below shows the transaction detail panel that opens on the right side of the Square Transactions screen after clicking a transaction. The panel displays the transaction amount, date, payment method, and customer name. The Issue Refund button appears at the bottom of the panel.

   

7. On the refund screen, check the box next to each item you want to refund. Then click Refund Items.

   The screenshot below shows the Square refund items screen with a list of items from the original transaction. Each item has a checkbox to the left of the item name and amount. The Refund Items button appears at the bottom of the screen and is only active after at least one item checkbox is checked.

   

8. Select a reason for the refund from the reason dropdown menu.

   The screenshot below shows the refund reason dropdown menu in Square. The dropdown displays a list of standard refund reason options such as customer request, duplicate charge, and item not received. One reason must be selected before the refund can be confirmed.

   

9. Click Issue Refund to confirm the refund. A green success notification will appear on the right side of your Square Dashboard confirming that the refund is being processed.

Square Refund FAQ

What does this article cover?

This article covers how to process a refund for a payment that was collected through Square when integrated with Thryv Business Center. This article does not cover refunds for payments processed directly through Thryv Business Center using ThryvPay, Stripe, or PayPal. For those refunds, see How to Process a Refund in Thryv Business Center.

What types of refunds can I process through Square?

Square supports full refunds, partial refunds, and itemized refunds. Refunds processed through Square on a mobile device must be requested and completed within 120 days of the original transaction date. Refunds processed through the Square Dashboard online can be issued within one year of the original transaction date.

How long does a Square refund take to reach the customer?

After a refund is issued in Square, it takes 2–7 business days for Square to process the refund and send it to the customer's card-issuing bank. After the bank receives the refund, it can take an additional 2–7 business days for the funds to post to the customer's account, depending on the bank's processing speed. In total, a Square refund can take between 9 and 14 business days to appear on the customer's account. Set customer expectations accordingly when issuing a refund.

Where can I get more help with Square refunds?

For additional questions about processing refunds through Square or Thryv Business Center, post your question in the Thryv Business Center User Community.