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Who this is for
Hosts who want to send a partial or full refund to a guest.

Make sure your payout method (e.g., Stripe or Square) is connected to Houfy.

Have the reservation open so you can see the guest, dates, and amount paid.

Go to Reservations (or My Trips) on Houfy.

Open the Details of the booking you want to refund.

Type the amount you want to refund (any value up to the amount received).

Tell your guest the refund has been issued.

Refund amount not accepted: You may be trying to refund more than you received. Enter a smaller amount.

Refund button not showing: The payment might not have been processed through your connected processor. Check the reservation details or connect Stripe/Square.

Fees look different than expected: Processors typically do not return their original processing fees when you refund. Check your Stripe or Square statement.

Can I refund the full amount?
Yes—enter the full amount you received.

Can I refund more than I received?
No. You can only refund up to the amount you were paid.

Will Stripe or Square also refund their fees?
No. The original processing fees are usually not returned by Stripe or Square.

How long until my guest sees the money?
Most banks show refunds within 5–10 business days. Timing varies by bank and card.

Can I send more than one partial refund?
Yes—if the total of your refunds does not exceed what you received.

Refunds: Can I choose the amount?

Yes. You can refund any amount up to what you received for the reservation. You cannot refund more than the amount you were paid.

Who this is for
Hosts who take payments through Stripe or Square and need to refund a guest.

Important: Houfy never holds your money. You collect and refund directly through your payment processor (Stripe or Square).

If you refund a guest, your guest gets their money back.

You do not pay an extra “refund fee.”

The processing fees from the original payment stay with the processor and are not refunded to you.

Choose the processor you use with Houfy and follow the steps:

Please make sure to verify this information directly with Stripe and Square.

Need more detail? See Square refund overview.

Check your cancellation/refund policy in your booking messages.

Tell the guest the amount and when they should see it back.

If needed, share the refund reference from your processor.

Processing fees aren’t returned to you on refunds (Stripe and Square policy).

Refund timing depends on the card bank (usually a few business days).

For partial refunds, follow the same steps and enter a smaller amount.

Do Square or Stripe charge fees for refunding guests?

Stripe and Square do not charge an extra fee to issue a refund. However, the original processing fees are not returned to you. Refunds are made in your payment processor (Stripe or Square), not on Houfy.

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.

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

Your Stripe or Square account must be connected
Connect here: https://www.houfy.com/payment-methods

Decide if you want to refund the full amount or part of it

Stripe: Need more detail? See Stripe refunds.

Square: Need more detail? See Square refund overview.

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
https://stripe.com/docs/refunds

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

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.

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.

Refund a security deposit when Stripe or Square is connected

Houfy does not collect nor distribute any funds in any way to and from guests. The host is responsible for collecting and refunding damage deposits.

You can return a guest’s security (damage) deposit from Houfy or directly in your payment processor (Stripe or Square). You may refund the full amount or part of it. Houfy doesn’t hold your money—refunds are between you and your guest.

Hosts who collected a security (damage) deposit and need to return some or all of it.

If you use Stripe or Square, have your login ready.

Find the guest’s conversation for the reservation you want to refund.

Enter the refund amount (full or partial).

Can I refund a partial amount?
Yes. Enter any amount up to the deposit you received.

Are there refund fees?
Stripe/Square do not charge an extra fee to issue a refund, but the original processing fees are not returned to you.

Should I refund in Houfy or in Stripe/Square?
Either is fine. Both send the refund through your processor. Choose the one you find easier.

What if I collected the deposit by cash or bank transfer?
Return the money the same way you collected it, and keep a receipt for your records.

What if I need to keep part of the deposit for damages?
Enter a partial refund. Share a short note with the guest explaining what you kept and why.

How long do refunds take?
Banks usually show the refund within 5–10 business days.

Can I refund more than the deposit?
No. You can only refund up to the amount you received.

Guest refunds

Hosts

Guest refunds

Refunds: Can I choose the amount?

Do Square or Stripe charge fees for refunding guests?

Refund a security deposit when Stripe or Square is connected

How to refund a guest’s security deposit

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