Direct Ordering supports full and partial refunds on orders that have already been charged. This article explains how to request or process a refund, how refund amounts are calculated for orders with and without discounts (including how taxes are applied), and what to do if a refund is issued in error.

Processing a Full or Partial Refund

A refund can be requested from Checkmate Support or, depending on account permissions, processed directly from the Direct Ordering Admin Panel. Only orders that have already been charged can be refunded. An order is charged once it is closed, as explained in How Credit Card Payments Work. Orders still in a Pending or Open state have not been charged and are canceled (voided) instead, in full only, with no partial voids. For those steps, see Canceling (Voiding) an Order. A refund cannot be reversed once it is processed.

Requesting a Refund Through Support

To request a full or partial refund through Checkmate Support, email the following details to support@itsacheckmate.com:

• Restaurant name
• Restaurant location
• Order ID
• Items to be refunded
• Total dollar amount to be refunded

Support confirms once the refund is processed. The customer automatically receives an email confirmation, and the refunded amount typically appears on the customer's payment card within three to five business days, depending on the speed of the payment processor.

Refunding an Order Directly

Accounts with the appropriate permissions can process a refund from the Direct Ordering Admin Panel. The steps below walk through refunding an order.

Editing the Refund Confirmation Email

The refund confirmation email that customers receive can be edited in the Direct Ordering Admin Panel under Settings > Communications > Confirmation Emails > Refund.

How Refunds Are Calculated

Refunds are calculated from the final amount the customer paid, which reflects any discounts applied and the tax rate on the purchase. The sections below cover whole-order and partial refunds, with and without discounts, and how taxes factor in.

Whole Order Refunds

Whole Refunds Without a Discount

For an order without discounts, the full amount paid by the customer is refunded, including all taxes and applicable fees.

Example: order without a discount

• Order value: $100
• Tax rate: 8%
• Total amount paid: $100 + (8% of $100) = $108
• Refund amount: $108 (full refund)

Whole Refunds With a Discount

A discount changes the base amount from which taxes and the final refund are derived. The discounted total becomes the base for the refund: taxes are recalculated on the discounted total, and the refund reflects the actual amount paid.

Example: order with a 10% discount

• Original order value: $100
• Discount applied: 10%
• Discounted total: $100 − 10% = $90
• Tax rate: 8%
• Tax: 8% of $90 = $7.20
• Total amount paid: $90 + $7.20 = $97.20
• Refund amount: $97.20 (full refund)

Partial Refunds

A partial refund returns only part of an order rather than the entire amount, for example when a customer returns one item. Partial refunds account for the specific items returned, any discounts applied to those items, and the related taxes.

Partial Refunds Without a Discount

For an order without discounts, a partial refund is based on the price of the returned item and its tax.

Example: returning a single item

• Original order value: $100 (two items at $50 each)
• Tax rate: 8%
• Price of returned item: $50
• Tax on returned item: 8% of $50 = $4
• Total refund amount: $50 + $4 = $54

Partial Refunds With a Whole-Check Discount

When a discount applies to the whole check, the returned item is refunded at its discounted price. Determine the discounted total, apply the same discount percentage to the returned item, recalculate tax on that discounted price, and sum the two for the refund.

Example: $100 order with a 10% whole-check discount

• Original order value: $100
• Discount applied: 10%
• Discounted total: $100 − (10% of $100) = $90
• Price of returned item (before discount): $40
• Discount on returned item: 10% of $40 = $4
• Discounted price of returned item: $40 − $4 = $36
• Tax rate: 8%
• Tax on returned item: 8% of $36 = $2.88
• Total refund amount: $36 + $2.88 = $38.88

Partial Refunds With an Item Discount

An item discount can apply in two ways: a percentage off a specific item (for example, 10% off the fries), or a fully discounted free item as part of a promotion (for example, free fries with a burger). The refund calculation differs depending on which applies.

Example 1: percentage-based item discount

When a percentage discount applies to a specific item, the refund is based on the discounted price of that item, including adjusted tax.

• Burger price: $10
• Fries price (before discount): $5
• Discount applied: 10% off fries
• Discounted price of fries: $5 − (10% of $5) = $4.50
• Subtotal after discount: $10 + $4.50 = $14.50
• Tax rate: 8%
• Tax: 8% of $14.50 = $1.16
• Total amount paid: $14.50 + $1.16 = $15.66

If the customer returns the fries:

• Price of fries after discount: $4.50
• Tax on fries: 8% of $4.50 = $0.36
• Total refund amount: $4.50 + $0.36 = $4.86

Example 2: fully discounted (free) item

When an item is free as part of a promotion, no refund is issued for it, because the customer did not pay for it. Refunds apply only to paid items.

• Burger price: $10
• Fries price (before discount): $5
• Discount applied: fries free with a burger (−$5)
• Subtotal after discount: $10
• Tax rate: 8%
• Tax: 8% of $10 = $0.80
• Total amount paid: $10.80

If the customer returns the burger:

• Original price of burger: $10
• Tax on burger: 8% of $10 = $0.80
• Total refund amount: $10 + $0.80 = $10.80

Undoing a Refund

A refund cannot be reversed once it is processed. If a refund is issued in error, contact the customer and ask them to resubmit the order. The customer can do this in a couple of minutes from the Order History section of their account. For help guiding a customer through reordering, see How easily can customers Reorder a past order.