Payment And Refund Safety

Payment and refund work needs careful handling. Spaces Help explains the operator view without exposing private payment systems or internal accounting steps.

Payment Setup Basics

Payment setup can involve bank account pages, Stripe Connect account pages, or provider flows. Use the labels shown in the app as the source of truth.

Payment setup may affect whether customers can complete bookings or subscriptions.

Who Should Handle Payment Setup

Payment setup should be handled by an authorized operator or finance owner.

Do not ask a customer, general member, or unrelated admin to complete payment setup.

Safe Payment Checks

Safe checks:

• confirm whether setup appears connected
• check whether the app shows a visible next step
• confirm the organization context
• use the approved provider flow
• ask the authorized payment owner to review setup

Unsafe actions:

• sharing full bank details in public screenshots
• sending payment credentials in chat
• copying provider tokens into support messages
• asking customers to troubleshoot operator payment setup
• changing payment setup without internal approval

Refund Work Basics

Refunds belong to the operator workflow in Spaces, but a refund is not just a button click.

Before acting on a refund, check:

• the booking or subscription
• customer request context
• visible payment state
• product policy
• cancellation timing
• whether the app shows an available action
• whether manual review is needed

Cancellation And Refund Are Different

Cancellation stops or changes access. Refund affects money.

A customer may cancel and receive no refund. A customer may also need refund review after cancellation. Treat them as related but separate.

Refund Communication

When communicating with customers:

• use the booking or subscription reference
• explain the visible status
• explain what the next step is
• keep policy language simple
• avoid internal accounting language
• never share payment secrets

Refund Review Example

A customer asks for a refund for a day pass.

Operator review should start with:

1. Open the related booking.
2. Confirm the product and date.
3. Check the visible booking and payment state.
4. Check the product policy.
5. Use the visible app action or follow the organization’s review process.
6. Reply to the customer with the outcome or next step.

When To Pause

Pause and ask for internal review when:

• payment setup looks wrong
• refund amount is unclear
• the booking or subscription record does not match the customer message
• provider setup failed
• sensitive account details are visible
• the action could affect many recurring bookings