Refund a security deposit when Stripe or Square is connected

Summary

You can return a guest’s security deposit using Houfy or directly in Stripe or Square. You may refund the full amount or part of it. Stripe and Square do not charge an extra fee to send a refund, but they keep the original processing fee.

Who this is for

Hosts who connected Stripe or Square to Houfy and need to send money back to a guest.

Before you start

• Your Stripe or Square account must be connected
  Connect here: https://www.houfy.com/payment-methods
• Have the guest’s reservation ready
• Decide if you want to refund the full amount or part of it

Steps

Option A — Refund from Houfy

1. Go to Reservations (or My Trips) on Houfy.
2. Open the Details of the booking you want to refund.
3. Click Refund.
4. Type the amount you want to refund (any value up to the amount received).
5. Review the amount.
6. Click Confirm to send the refund.
7. Tell your guest the refund has been issued.

Option B — Refund in Stripe or Square

1. Go to your payment dashboard
• Stripe: https://dashboard.stripe.com
• Square: https://squareup.com/dashboard
2. Click Payments (or Transactions)
3. Open the reservation payment
4. Click Refund
5. Enter the refund amount
6. Click Submit (or Confirm)
7. Tell your guest the refund is on the way

Stripe: Need more detail? See Stripe refunds.

Square: Need more detail? See Square refund overview.

Fees for the refund

Stripe

• Stripe & Square do not charge a fee to issue a refund
• Stripe & Square will keep the original processing fees
• Refunds are returned to the guest's original payment method

Learn more from Stripe:
https://support.stripe.com/questions/understanding-fees-for-refunded-payments<br/>https://stripe.com/docs/refunds

Learn more from Square:
https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5060-refund-overview

Troubleshooting

I don’t see the Refund button on Houfy
The payment may not have gone through Stripe or Square on Houfy. Refund directly through your processor.

Refund failed
Check your Stripe/Square balance and account verification. Try again later.

Guest can’t see refund yet
Banks take a few business days. Ask the guest to wait and check again.

I collected the deposit another way
Refund it the same way you collected it. Houfy cannot move funds.

FAQs

Can I refund only part of the deposit?
Yes. Type the amount you want to return.

How long does it take?
Most refunds appear in 5–10 business days, depending on the guest’s bank.

Are processing fees returned to me?
No. Stripe and Square keep their original processing fee.

Can I change the card used for the refund?
No. Refunds must go back to the same card the guest used.

Does Houfy move the money?
No. Payments and refunds happen through Stripe or Square, not Houfy.

Last updated: 3 November 2025