Refunds and declined charges

What to do when a payment doesn't go through, and what happens when you refund.

Maintained by the Cool team · updated on 8/25/2026

Declined charge

A payment can come back declined (card refused, limit, wrong data). It shows that way in your panel, with the reason the gateway returned — not just "failed".

Recovering a declined charge is usually worth more than a new sale: the person already wanted to buy. The "What to do now" card lists the last 30 days.

Refund

You refund from the financial panel. What happens depends on where the money was:

  • Still in guarantee — the amount goes back to the customer and simply never enters your payout. Nothing leaves your account.
  • Already paid out — the amount goes back to the customer and is recorded as a post-payout reversal, deducted from the next one.

That's why the guarantee window exists: inside it, a refund costs you nothing.

The customer's access

Refunding does not remove access automatically. To remove it, take the person out under Members — the separation is deliberate, because not every refund means expulsion.

Chargeback

That's when the customer disputes the purchase directly with their bank, without talking to you. It arrives on the same screen with its own status. Responding fast with the conversation history is what helps most — and the history is in your CRM.

Didn't solve it? Talk to us — your request gets a case number and you follow the reply in your account.Open a request