If a booking already has a paid or retained deposit and you need to return money to the guest, you can start the refund directly from the booking details.
WarningOnly the Owner can refund a deposit. The button is not available to Manager, Receptionist or Provider roles.
Start a refund
- Open the booking in the dashboard.
- Click Refund deposit.
- Enter the amount to refund. By default, Bokko suggests the full remaining refundable amount.
- Optionally choose a reason — Service issue, Goodwill refund, Partial cancellation, Provider error or Other — and add an internal note.
- Confirm the refund. Bokko sends the refund request through the payment provider used for that deposit.
InfoRefunds are processed through the payment provider used for the original deposit. The exact processing time depends on that provider and the guest's bank.
Partial refunds
You can refund less than the full amount, for example if the booking was partly fulfilled. You can also send multiple partial refunds until the full paid deposit has been returned.
WarningBokko automatically prevents you from refunding more than the remaining refundable amount.
What happens automatically on cancellation?
WarningThere is no automatic deposit refund. Bokko never starts a refund by itself on any cancellation path — neither when you cancel nor when the guest does. Returning a paid deposit is always your deliberate action, on this screen.
This is deliberate: a refund moves money, and your cancellation policy decides whether it is due. The system does not guess on your behalf.
| How the booking ends | What Bokko does with the deposit |
|---|---|
| You or your staff cancel | Nothing — the deposit stays in the paid state. If you want to return it, start the refund here. |
| The guest cancels within the window | Nothing. Your cancellation policy usually means it is due back — but you have to start it. |
| The guest cancels late | Nothing. If your policy lets you keep it, there is nothing to do; if you return it as a goodwill gesture, start it here. |
| The guest does not show up | The deposit is marked as retained. That is a bookkeeping marker — no money moves here either. |
| Auto-close after an expired deposit deadline | Nothing to refund: on that path no payment ever arrived by definition. |
TipIf your cancellation policy promises the guest a refund, it is worth reviewing cancellations daily — Bokko does not remind you, and the guest expects it based on your policy.