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Allowing refunds with Authorize.net

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In order to process refunds in a separate batch from the original transaction (which is how most refunds occur), clients will need to download Authorize.net's Expanded Credit Capabilities form:

http://www.authorize.net/files/ecc.pdf

NOTE: You do not need this feature if you typically refund money against the original order within 120 days of purchase and up to the original authorized amount.

An occasional refund needed that is past 120 days can be accomplished via the Authorize.net web interface.

Only apply for this feature if you constantly need to refund money outside the original order and/or outside 120 days (and don't wish to refund to a gift certificate for store credit.

Once the form is filled out, faxed back to Authorize.net, and processed by Authorize.net's customer support team, clients will be able to process refunds through Theatre Manager - sometimes within hours, sometimes up to 2 days later. The sure way to know is to check the status of your Expanded Credit Capabilities.

To check the status of your Expanded Credit Capabilities, you can look directly within the gateway for your Authorize.net account.

  1. Go to the home page
  2. Click on the Merchant Profile link on the left hand side
  3. A series of settings will appear, including 'Additional Services.' The Expanded Credit Capabilities should read 'Enabled."

This is only for processing refunds in a separate batch, after the End of Day deposit has been done for the original charge. In cases where the card is to be refunded before settlement, users should instead Void and Delete the payment in Theatre Manager. Then the tickets can be refunded to clear the order balance that will be created when the payment is voided. There is no additional setup required through Authorize.net in order to process voids.
Refunds are processed immediately by Authorize.net. YOU CANNOT VOID A REFUND

If you fail to settle a batch containing a refund before the Authorize.net sweep time, you will receive a warning during the End of Day that the batch may be out of balance (even if it is not).

It is also important to note that the ECC form will allow users to run a refund in any amount to a card without matching up the refund amount to the original charge. Because of this, there are a couple of important considerations:
  • Clients may want to limit who can do refunds in Theatre Manager through their Employee Access settings.
  • Clients may also be cautious with whom the Virtual Gateway login and password is shared as users could run refunds directly from within that interface.