Common Issues
payments
Refunds Not Working on My Website
You need to give a customer their money back, but the refund feature on your website isn't working. Maybe the refund button does nothing, you get an error message, or the refund appears to go through on your end but the customer never receives the money.
Refund problems are urgent because unhappy customers who can't get refunds often file chargebacks with their bank. Chargebacks not only cost you the refund amount but also come with additional fees ($15-25 per chargeback) and can get your payment account shut down if you have too many.
Even if your website's refund feature is broken, you can usually issue refunds directly through your payment provider's dashboard as a temporary fix while the main issue gets resolved.
Error Messages You Might See
Refund failed
Charge has already been refunded
Refund amount exceeds charge amount
Insufficient funds for refund
This payment cannot be refunded
Common Causes
- Refund feature never built — The AI tool generated a payment flow but didn't include refund functionality
- Wrong API permissions — Your API key doesn't have permission to issue refunds, only to create charges
- Refund amount exceeds original charge — The code is trying to refund more than what was charged, which payment providers reject
- Payment already refunded — The payment was already refunded (possibly directly through Stripe/PayPal) and can't be refunded twice
- Payment too old — Some payment methods have time limits on refunds (typically 90-180 days)
How to Fix It
- Refund directly through your payment provider — As a quick fix, log into Stripe or PayPal, find the charge, and refund it manually through their dashboard
- Check your API key permissions — Make sure your Stripe API key has the refund permission enabled
- Verify the refund amount — Make sure the code is sending the correct amount and currency for the refund
- Check the payment provider's refund logs — Look in Stripe or PayPal for any failed refund attempts and their specific error messages
- Build a proper refund flow — If your app doesn't have refund functionality, have a developer add it or use your payment provider's dashboard for refunds
Real developers can help you.
zipking
I am a technologist and product builder dedicated to creating high-impact solutions at the intersection of AI and specialized markets. Currently, I am focused on PropScan (EstateGuard), an AI-driven SaaS platform tailored for the Japanese real estate industry, and exploring the potential of Archify.
As an INFJ-T, I approach development with a "systems-thinking" mindset—balancing technical precision with a deep understanding of user needs. I particularly enjoy the challenge of architecting Vertical AI SaaS and optimizing Small Language Models (SLMs) to solve specific, real-world business problems. Whether I'm in a CTO-level leadership role or hands-on with the code, I thrive on building tools that turn complex data into actionable value.
Daniel Vázquez
Software Engineer with over 10 years of experience on Startups, Government, big tech industry & consulting.
prajwalfullstack
Hi Im a full stack developer, a vibe coded MVP to Market ready product, I'm here to help
Anthony Akpan
Developer with 8 years of experience building softwares fro startups
Kingsley Omage
Fullstack software engineer passionate about AI Agents, blockchain, LLMs.
Matt Butler
Software Engineer @ AWS
ISHANTDEEP SINGH
Senior Software Engineer with 7+ years of experience in React, JavaScript, TypeScript, Next.js, and Node.js. I’ve also worked as a tech lead for startups, owning end-to-end technical execution including architecture, development, scaling, and delivery. I bring a strong mix of hands-on coding, product thinking, and technical leadership, and I’m comfortable building products from scratch as well as improving and scaling existing systems.
Jacek Rozanski
Senior PHP/Symfony developer and DevOps engineer with 20+ years of professional experience, running opcode.pl (web development agency, est. 2004).
Day job: I'm the sole backend developer at merketing company where I own and maintain 11 PHP/Symfony microservices on AWS (ECS Fargate, RDS, S3, CloudFront), handle the full CI/CD pipeline (Bitbucket Pipelines, Docker), and manage monitoring with Sentry and CloudWatch. These services handle high request volumes in production every month.
What I bring to AI-built apps:
- I audit and fix security issues (OWASP methodology), performance bottlenecks, and architectural problems in codebases generated by Cursor, Claude Code, Lovable, Bolt, and v0
- I refactor AI-generated prototypes into production-grade applications with proper error handling, testing, and clean architecture (SOLID, DDD, hexagonal architecture)
- I set up the infrastructure AI tools don't touch: AWS hosting, CI/CD pipelines, automated deployments, database optimization, monitoring, and alerting
- I integrate external services: payment providers, email systems, partner APIs, SSO/auth
Tech stack: PHP 8.x, Symfony, React, Next.js, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Docker, AWS (ECS, RDS, S3, SQS/SNS, CloudFront), Terraform, Supabase. I also use AI tools daily (Claude Code, Cursor) in my own workflow, so I understand both the strengths and the gaps in AI-generated code.
Based in Poland (CET timezone). Available for async work and calls during EU/US business hours.
Meïr Ankri
Full-stack developer specializing in React / Next.js / Node.js with 6+ years of experience. I've worked across various sectors including automotive (Reezocar/Société Générale), healthcare (Medical Link SaaS), and e-commerce (Glasman). I build web apps end-to-end, from architecture to production, with a focus on scalability, performance, and code quality. I also mentor junior developers and contribute to technical decisions and code reviews.
Prakash Prajapati
I’m a Senior Python Developer specializing in building secure, scalable, and highly available systems. I work primarily with Python, Django, FastAPI, Docker, PostgreSQL, and modern AI tooling such as PydanticAI, focusing on clean architecture, strong design principles, and reliable DevOps practices. I enjoy solving complex engineering problems and designing systems that are maintainable, resilient, and built to scale.
Describe what's wrong in plain English. No technical knowledge needed.
Get HelpFrequently Asked Questions
Can I refund a customer without fixing the website?
Yes. Log into your payment provider (Stripe, PayPal, Square) directly, find the transaction, and issue the refund from their dashboard. This works regardless of whether your website's refund feature is broken.
How long does a refund take to reach the customer?
Credit card refunds typically take 5-10 business days to appear on the customer's statement. PayPal refunds are usually faster (3-5 days). Let the customer know the expected timeline when you process the refund.