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July 12, 2025
Question

How to I refund a Downpayment to a customer. Neither issuing a refund nor recoding an expense changes the open balance of the customer.

  • July 12, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 1 view
Is there any additional step that i cannot find? I cannot see why it does not work.

1 reply

QuickBooks Team
July 12, 2025

You might have missed the Accounts Receivable (A/R) category when refunding a down payment to customer, C-goetz.


Before we proceed, can you share how you track the down payment? This helps us determine the most accurate solution.

 

In QuickBooks Online (QBO), the Refund option can't be used to reimburse a down payment, as it will not affect the customer's balance. The transaction directly affects the items and services.

 

You'll want to make sure you're using an Accounts Receivable (A/R) account when making an expense transaction. This way, the available credit will be zero.

 

Here’s how to do it:

 

  1. Within your Expense transaction page, go to the Category field and select Accounts Receivable (A/R). Make sure you select the same A/R account, especially if you use a deposit when tracking down a payment.
  2. Enter the amount and other details.




     
  3. Click on Save and Close.

 

For more scenarios on recording customer refunds, you can refer to this article: Record a customer refund in QuickBooks Online.

 

Feel free to reply in the thread with your concerns. We're available 24/7 to assist you.