# Clients' account credit

> How deposits and money paid ahead sit on a client's account until used at checkout, and how to refund, add or take off credit.

Source: https://docs.fullcolumn.com/checkout/account-credit

Account credit is money a client has with your salon: deposits, payments made online when booking, and any credit you add. It isn't tied to one appointment. It comes off a bill only when you press **Use credit** at checkout, stays put if they cancel or miss an appointment, and is refunded only when they ask.

## Where to see a client's account credit

- **The client's profile**: a note says "$30.00 credit on their account – it comes off the bill at checkout", and the **Account** tab shows the balance, like **Account · $30.00**.
- **Their appointments**: the **Payments** panel shows their credit, with **View account**.
- **The calendar**: hover over an appointment to see the client's credit with its other details.
- **Checkout**: "Sam has $30.00 account credit" with **Use credit**.
- **The client area**: clients signed in see "You have $30.00 credit with us".

The **Account** tab shows the balance, how much of it can be refunded, any deposit requests not paid yet, and every movement in and out, newest first.

## Using account credit at checkout

1. Make sure the client is chosen as the payer.
2. Press **Use credit**. It covers as much of the bill as it can, and any other payments you'd entered come down to make room.
3. Lower the amount if they'd like to keep some for next time. It can't go above what they have.

Only the payer's own credit can be used, also when one sale pays for several people's appointments. Credit you added is used first, then the oldest money.

## Refunding account credit

1. On the client's profile, open the **Account** tab and press **Refund**.
2. Enter the **Amount**, up to what can be refunded.
3. Check **It goes back the way it was paid**:
   - **Back to Visa ••4242**: card payments through Stripe go back to that card.
   - **Cash from the till**: cash deposits are given back from the till.
   - **By EFTPOS (refund it there)**, bank and other ways: refund it yourself, the same way.
4. Enter a **Reason**, like "Moving away, asked for it back", and press **Refund**.

The newest money is refunded first. Cash refunded from the till is recorded as petty cash paid out, so the [cash-up](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/sales/cash-up) still balances: the toast tells you how much cash to hand over. Card refunds usually show on the client's statement within 5–10 days.

Credit you added by hand can't be refunded as money, only used. Refunding needs the **Refund card payments and account credit, and remove saved cards** permission; on a Front desk device it asks for your password first.

## When an account credit refund doesn't go straight through

- **Stripe hasn't confirmed it yet**: it's off their account, the entry shows **Waiting for Stripe**, and FullColumn finishes it automatically. If you were refunding more than one card, refund the rest once it has.
- **Stripe refuses it**: that part goes back on their account and the refund stops there, telling you what was refunded before.
- **It fails later** (even weeks later, when the card's bank sends it back): the money goes back on their account credit.

See [refunds that wait or fail](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/checkout/refunds-and-voids#when-a-refund-is-still-processing).

## Adding or taking off credit by hand

For a goodwill gesture, or to fix a mistake:

1. On the **Account** tab, press **Add or take off**.
2. Choose **Add credit** or **Take credit off**.
3. Enter the **Amount** and a **Reason**, like "Sorry about the wait last time", and save.

Credit you add can be used at checkout but isn't refunded as money. Taking credit off takes credit you added first. To put a payment on their account, [take a deposit](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/checkout/deposits) from an appointment instead.

This needs **Add or take off clients' account credit**: owners and managers have it by default.

## Removing a deposit entered by mistake

A deposit recorded twice, or never actually taken, can be removed while none of it has been used:

1. On the **Account** tab, find the deposit and press **Remove**.
2. Say why, like "Entered twice", and press **Remove**.

It comes off their account and out of that day's takings and cash-up, as if it was never entered. This works for cash, EFTPOS, bank, other and your own payment types. A card deposit through Stripe really was taken, so it's [refunded](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/checkout/account-credit#refunding-account-credit) instead.

This needs **Add or take off clients' account credit**.

## What each entry in the account history means

| Entry                                               | What happened                                                         |
| --------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Deposit**                                         | Money paid onto the account, with how (card, cash, EFTPOS…).          |
| **Added by the salon** / **Taken off by the salon** | Changed by hand, with the reason.                                     |
| **Used at checkout**                                | Taken off a bill, with the sale number.                               |
| **Kept as a fee**                                   | Kept as a [no-show or late cancellation fee](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/checkout/no-show-fees). |
| **Refunded**                                        | Given back, and how.                                                  |
| **Put back (sale voided)**                          | Credit a voided sale had used, back on the account.                   |
| **Removed (entered by mistake)**                    | A deposit taken back out.                                             |

Deposits show what's left of them: **$10.00 left**, **Used up**, **Refunded**, or **Used, $5.00 refunded**. Changes made by the team say who made them.

## Account credit in reports

Credit held for clients is money you owe them until they use it, so it isn't counted as takings until it's used at checkout. The **Account credit** card in [Reports](https://docs.fullcolumn.com/reports/overview) shows what's held now and for how many clients, with deposits taken, used and refunded in the dates you chose. **Show clients** lists who holds it.

## Common questions

### Is a deposit refunded when a client cancels?

No. It stays on their account for next time. Refund it if they ask.

### Can I refund credit I gave as a goodwill gesture?

No, credit added by the salon can only be used. Take it off with **Add or take off** if it was a mistake.

### What happens to credit if I archive a client?

It stays on record with them.

### Why can't I see the Refund button?

There's nothing refundable on the account, or you don't have **Refund card payments and account credit, and remove saved cards**.