There are potentially two steps in the process of refunding an order:
Refund the customer using the "Refund This Order" box in the expanded order details page.
Add the returned quantity back into stock by voiding the order (for full returns) or manually (for partial returns).
How to process a refund
Step 1: Navigate to the Orders tab and search for the order using any of the search filters provided. Order Number, Customer Name or E-Mail are a good bet, but we also offer other ways to search.
Step 2: In the dropdown in the upper right, click on "Process Refund".
Step 3: Select the refund type, select the refund amount (limited by the amount received on the order), give a reason, and click Give Refund*.
*This will add a line item with refund details to the log in the Current Refunds area, so you can review the refund method and amount after the fact. The refund panel will give you the option to offer a refund based on the payment method that was used to make the initial purchase.
Important Refund Notes:
If you have your PayPal API field filled in on Account > Payments (the following fields are all required: API Password, API Signature, API Username, PayPal Account), then you may issue PayPal refunds directly from this screen by selecting PayPal from the drop-down. If these are not filled out, selecting PayPal here will only record that a refund was given through PayPal - no actual transfer of funds will occur. You will have to manually refund the order using the paypal website.
If you have an Authorize.net payment gateway set up and you are accepting credit card transactions, you can select credit card from the "refund type" drop-down and refund a customer's order using that method. Credit transactions do usually take at least one business day to "settle," so attempting to process a refund on the same day as the original transaction will likely return an error. In that case, log in to your Authorize.net and void the customer's unsettled transaction instead. Refunded amounts are displayed in your financial stats under the refunds tab. They are not split up by type of refund.
After refunding an order, you will likely want to return the quantities in that order back into stock. You can accomplish this by voiding the order.