SimplePractice Refund Not Available? Payment Too Old

Last reviewed: October 7, 2026.

SimplePractice can refund a card payment only within 180 days and only to the original card still saved on file. If the payment is older or the card is gone, refund the client another way, usually a practice check, and then record that refund in SimplePractice so the account balance is correct.

Check whether the card refund is still possible

SimplePractice’s refund guide sets the conditions for an online refund: the payment is within 180 calendar days, and the card used is still on file. A card that was deleted and re-added, or a one-time payment made through the portal without saving the card, does not qualify. Eligible payments are refunded from Billing > Card Transactions > Refund.

Treat the 180 days as a hard cutoff. If a refund is owed on a payment that is close to the limit, issue it now rather than after the next statement cycle.

Figure out how much actually went on the card

The refund should match the money taken from the card, which is not always the invoice amount. In the refunds we handle, the two differ in a few predictable ways:

• Part of the visit was paid from account credit. Only the card portion goes back to the card. The credit portion stays on the account (or is restored there).

• The client wants part of a credit back. Refund that amount and leave the rest as credit for future sessions. Confirm the split with the practice first.

• The charge is not where you expect. Check the client’s card transactions directly before saying nothing was charged. A charge can be easy to miss when several invoices and partial payments are on the account.

SimplePractice says card refunds can take 5–10 business days to reach the client, and the original processing fee is not returned to the practice.

Refund an old payment outside SimplePractice

1. Confirm the amount owed back, as above, and that no refund has already been issued for it.

2. Issue the refund from the practice, typically by mailed check to the client’s address on file. Note the check number and date.

3. Record the refund in SimplePractice as a manual refund with the matching method, so the client’s credit is cleared. The guide notes that a manual entry only records money returned elsewhere; it does not send anything.

4. Reopen the client’s billing and confirm the balance is now zero, or shows only the credit the client chose to keep.

The step that most often gets skipped is the last one. We regularly see practices mail a refund check and then have the account still show a credit, which invites a second refund later. Recording the check closes that loop.

Before you send the refund

• Make sure the overpayment is real. A credit can come from a deductible estimate that the payer later reduced, a session that was later billed to new insurance, or a fee that was removed. Fix the underlying visit, not just the money.

• Ask whether the client wants the money back or held as credit for future sessions. Some clients prefer to keep it, for example until their out-of-pocket maximum resets. A client who has ended treatment usually wants it returned.

• If the client is still enrolled in AutoPay, a refund can reopen the invoice and trigger another charge. Turn AutoPay off for that client until the balance is corrected; see pausing SimplePractice AutoPay.

For the practices Bomi bills for, we refund card-on-file credits through SimplePractice while the payment is inside the window. Past it, the practice issues the check and we update the account once they tell us it was sent.

Related Guides

• Did SimplePractice Charge the Card? How to Check

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I refund a SimplePractice payment older than 180 days?

Not to the card through SimplePractice. Return the money another way, such as a practice check, and record it as a manual refund so the account matches.

Why is the Refund option missing for a recent payment?

The card used for that payment may no longer be saved, or it was a one-time portal payment. SimplePractice can only refund to the original saved card.

Does recording a manual refund send the client money?

No. It only updates SimplePractice to reflect a refund you already issued outside the system.

Should I refund a small leftover credit?

Ask the practice owner. Very small credits are often left on the account or applied to the next visit rather than refunded, unless the client asks for the money.

Sources

• SimplePractice: Refunding a client