How do I cancel a booking, issue a refund, or do both?
You can manage refunds and cancellations from a single flow.
To get started:
Go to Trips and click Manage Trip.
Open the three-dot menu next to the booking.
Select Cancel or Refund.
You will then see three options:
Cancel and Refund
Cancel Only
Refund Only
The option you choose determines how the booking and payment plan will be updated.
Cancel and Refund
Choose this option when you want to cancel a package or add-on from a booking AND return money to the traveler.
Once selected, you can then choose what should be canceled:
Once there, you can select the refund method:
If you're issuing a refund via WeTravel, you'll first select which payments to refund and enter the amount to refund before confirming.
Note: The refund amount defaults to 0, so you must manually enter the amount you want to refund.
If you do not have enough funds to process the refund, WeTravel will display an insufficient funds message with the option: "How to top-up your account?" . If applicable, the message will also show the additional amount required to process the refund, so you can see why your available balance is insufficient.
If you’re issuing a refund outside of WeTravel, it will be recorded on the booking, but no funds will be processed through WeTravel.
Examples:
A traveler cancels their trip and is entitled to a refund.
A traveler cancels an add-on and should receive money back.
You need to cancel part of a booking and issue a partial refund.
Depending on the amount you refund, WeTravel may ask what should happen to any remaining funds.
If the refund is smaller than the cancelled amount, you can:
Keep the difference (for example, as a cancellation fee), or
Apply the difference to the remaining booking balance
Note: If the booking is already fully paid, you cannot apply the difference to a remaining balance because no balance exists. In this case, you must either refund the full cancelled amount or keep part of it as a non-refundable amount.
Cancel Only
Choose this option when you want to cancel a package or add-on from a booking but do not want to return funds to the traveler.
Examples:
The booking is non-refundable.
The traveler wants to use the value toward a future arrangement.
You need to cancel a booking while deciding how funds will be handled later.
Once selected, you can then choose what should be cancelled:
The cancelled items will be removed from the booking, and the booking total will be updated accordingly.
Refund Only
Choose this option when you want to return money to a traveler without canceling any packages or add-ons from their booking.
Examples:
Offering goodwill compensation.
Correcting a pricing mistake.
Returning part of a payment while keeping the booking active.
The booking remains active, and the refund is recorded on the booking.
When you select Refund Only, you'll see three options:
These options let you choose whether the refund should reduce the booking value, keep the booking value unchanged, or simply record a refund that was already made outside WeTravel.
Refund and Update Booking
Select this option when you want to refund the traveller and reduce the value of the booking accordingly.
Once selected, you can select the refund method:
If you're issuing a refund via WeTravel, you'll first select which payments to refund and manually enter the refund amount before confirming.
Note: When you select a payment to refund, the refund amount defaults to 0. You must manually enter the amount you want to refund.
Refund Now, Collect Later
Sometimes you may want to return money to a traveler temporarily while keeping the original booking value unchanged.
Choose Refund Now, Collect Later when:
You need to return funds now.
The traveler is expected to repay the amount later.
You want the traveler to remain responsible for the full original booking amount.
In this case:
The amount paid on the booking is reduced.
The booking total remains unchanged.
The traveler still owes the full booking amount.
No booking cancellation occurs.
External Refunds/Refund Outside WeTravel
If you have already refunded the traveler outside of WeTravel, you can record the refund for reporting purposes.
Once selected, you will be asked to confirm the details, that the refund is final/cannot be undone, and to add a custom message to the notification email if desired:
Examples:
Cash refund
Bank transfer
Check payment
ACH, BACS, or SEPA payments that can no longer be refunded through WeTravel
Recording an external refund does not move any funds. It simply updates your records.
Note: You can choose whether you want your client to receive a confirmation email by selecting this option in the box. We highly recommend using the note field to include details about the refund so you and your client know what it refers to.
Important Notes
Refund fees
When you initiate a refund through WeTravel, your traveler will receive the full refund amount to their payment method.
WeTravel will reimburse our fee, but the card or wire processing fee may be deducted from your WeTravel balance depending on your Card Fee Refunds settings and, if enabled, the organizer's choice for the individual refund.
For local bank payments, refunds remain free of charge, as there is no card processing fee for bank transfers.
Refunds cannot be reversed
Once a refund has been processed or recorded, it cannot be canceled or undone.
Refunds may take time to appear
Refunds typically appear on a traveler's statement within 5–10 business days, depending on the payment method and financial institution.
Failed refunds
Refunds processed through WeTravel may occasionally fail during processing. If this happens, WeTravel will notify the organizer and automatically reverse the failed refund. The amount will be returned to the booking as paid and can be refunded again or recorded as an external refund if the traveler has already received the funds outside of WeTravel.
If the booking remains active and has unpaid installments, the returned amount will be applied to those outstanding installments.
Use the original payment method whenever possible
Returning funds to the original payment method is the safest way to prevent disputes and chargebacks.
Bank transfers have refund limitations
Some bank transfer payments cannot be refunded through WeTravel after 180 days. In those cases, you can process the refund externally and record it in WeTravel. Please see this article for more information: Refunding bank transfer payments that are older than 180 days.
Previous Balance Adjustments
If a booking already has a Balance Adjustment created before the Custom Adjustment flow was introduced, the booking total and amount due may differ because the historical Balance Adjustment remains part of the booking history.
You can remove an existing Balance Adjustment if needed:
Locate the booking.
Click the three-dot menu on the right-hand side.
Select Manage Payment Plan.
Click Edit Plan.
Click the trash icon next to the Balance Adjustment row and confirm the deletion.
Once deleted, the payment plan will realign with the original trip price.
Please note:
Existing Balance Adjustments can only be deleted; they cannot be edited.
After deleting a Balance Adjustment, use Add Custom Adjustment to make any new corrections.
The delete option is only available when a booking has an existing Balance Adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between "Refund Only" and "Refund Now, Collect Later"?
Refund Only reduces the value of the booking and records a refund on the booking.
Refund Now, Collect Later only reduces the amount paid. The booking total remains unchanged.
How are refunds and discounts displayed on a booking?
Refunds and discounts are now grouped under one catch-all category: Add-ons and adjustments.
This category is used across booking surfaces, including:
Manage Booking
View Booking
Buyer Receipt
This simplifies how refunds, discounts, and other adjustments are displayed and avoids confusion about which category they belong to.
On the buyer receipt, WeTravel still distinguishes between items that are assigned to a traveler and items that are not assigned to a traveler.
Can I cancel a booking without refunding the traveler?
Yes. Select Cancel Only.
Can I refund a traveler without canceling their booking?
Yes. Select Refund Only.
Can I partially refund a traveler?
Yes. You can refund any eligible amount, either through WeTravel or as an external refund.
What happens if a refund fails?
If a refund fails, WeTravel will notify you by email and automatically reverse the failed refund. The refunded amount will be returned to the booking as paid, which may cause the booking to show an overpayment.
You can retry the refund through WeTravel or record an external refund if the traveler has already been refunded outside of WeTravel.
If the booking remains active and the traveler has unpaid installments, the amount returned from the failed refund will automatically be applied to those outstanding installments. This will update the booking balance to reflect the returned funds.
Will travelers receive an email?
Travelers receive email notifications for refunds processed through WeTravel.
Where did the Balance Adjustment feature go?
Balance Adjustment has been replaced with Custom Adjustment.
You can now add either a Positive Adjustment (Custom Add-on) to increase the booking total or a Negative Adjustment (Custom Discount) to reduce the amount owed.
To create one, open the booking, click the three-dot menu, and select Add Custom Adjustment. Then choose the appropriate adjustment type, enter the amount and details, and complete the update.
This provides a clearer distinction between charges and discounts while maintaining a transparent record of all booking changes.
Can I delete a previous Balance Adjustment from a booking?
Yes. If a booking has an old Balance Adjustment, you can remove it.
To delete a Balance Adjustment:
Locate the booking.
Click the three-dot menu on the right-hand side.
Select Manage Payment Plan.
Click Edit Plan.
Click the trash icon next to the Balance Adjustment row and confirm the deletion.
Deleting the Balance Adjustment will clear the previous adjustment and realign the payment plan with the original trip price.
Please note:
You can only delete the existing Balance Adjustment; it cannot be edited.
After deleting it, use Add Custom Adjustment to create any new corrections.
The delete option is only available for bookings that currently have a Balance Adjustment.
Why is my booking total different from the amount due after using Custom Adjustments?
If a booking already has a Balance Adjustment created before the Custom Adjustment flow was introduced, adding a Custom Adjustment will not remove or replace the previous Balance Adjustment.
In these cases, the booking total and amount due may differ because the historical Balance Adjustment remains part of the booking history. Custom Adjustments can be used for new corrections, but they will not reverse an existing Balance Adjustment.
If you need to correct a booking that has a previous Balance Adjustment, please contact our support team for assistance.
Can I choose whether payment method fees are refunded?
Some organizers may see a payment method fee option during the refund confirmation step. This allows them to choose whether to absorb eligible payment method fees or pass them on to the traveler.
If you would like to learn more about this option, please contact us at info@wetravel.com.
For any questions or feedback, please contact us at info@wetravel.com. 🎉