How to Issue a Refund to a Bidder

Direct answer: Who issues the refund depends on the lane. If CharityAuctions collected the funds, Support issues it (support@charityauctions.com). If a payout was already sent, your organization refunds outside the platform. If your org connected its own Stripe, you refund through Stripe.

Refunds are not one button for every auction. Who collected the money (and whether a payout already went out) decides the lane.

SAM Ai Bot answers from help articles like this one. Use the live labels below.

Pick your lane first

Situation	What to do
CharityAuctions collected the funds	Support issues the refund
A payout was already sent	Your organization refunds outside that path
Your org connected its own Stripe and collected funds	Invoices & Payouts → All Transactions

Lane 1: CharityAuctions collected the funds

If CharityAuctions collected the money, chairs do not refund from the admin dashboard. Support must issue the refund.

Gather auction name or URL, bidder name and email, invoice number (if you have it), amount, full or partial, and a short reason.
Contact Support. See How to Contact CharityAuctions Support.
Or email support@charityauctions.com.

Support reviews the transaction and processes the refund. Full or partial refunds can both be available when Support handles the request.

Lane 2: A payout was already sent

If a payout was already sent, refunds cannot be issued in-product that way.

Your organization must issue the refund outside that path. Do not expect an in-product refund after the money has already been paid out.

If you are unsure whether a payout went out, check your payout history under Invoices & Payouts, or ask Support.

Lane 3: Your org connected its own Stripe

If your organization connected its own Stripe and collected funds, you can issue refunds from:

Invoices & Payouts
All Transactions tab

Keep that path short: open Invoices & Payouts, then All Transactions.

For more on invoices after the auction, see Managing Invoices and Collecting Payments. For how payouts differ when CharityAuctions vs own Stripe collected, see How Payouts Work in CharityAuctions.

Quick reminders

CharityAuctions collected → Support refunds. Use How to Contact CharityAuctions Support or support@charityauctions.com.
Payout already sent → org refunds outside that path. Not in-product that way.
Own Stripe → Invoices & Payouts → All Transactions.
Do not look for one universal refund button that covers every payment setup.

Need help picking a lane? See How to Contact CharityAuctions Support or email support@charityauctions.com.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the refund if CharityAuctions collected the funds?

CharityAuctions Support must issue the refund. Contact Support with the auction and bidder details. See How to Contact CharityAuctions Support, or email support@charityauctions.com.

What if a payout was already sent?

Refunds cannot be issued in-product that way. Your organization must issue the refund outside that path.

We connected our own Stripe. Where do we refund?

Open Invoices & Payouts, then the All Transactions tab. That is the live path when your org collected funds through its own Stripe.

Can I always refund from the admin dashboard?

No. Only the own-Stripe lane uses Invoices & Payouts → All Transactions. If CharityAuctions collected the money, go to Support. If a payout was already sent, refund outside that path.

What should I send Support for a CharityAuctions-collected refund?

Auction name or URL, bidder name and email, invoice number if you have it, amount, full or partial, and a short reason. That helps Support process the request quickly.

Can refunds be partial?

When Support handles a CharityAuctions-collected refund, full or partial refunds can both be available. Say which you need and the amount.

How do I cancel a purchase if the invoice is already paid?

If the invoice is paid, use the refund path on this page. To remove a bid, cancel an unpaid purchase, or remove a winner before payment, see How to Remove a Bid, Cancel a Purchase, or Remove a Winner.