Why your Stripe balance is a little lower after a refund
If you refund a card booking, you may notice that your Stripe balance ends up a little lower than before the booking was made. Nothing has gone missing. This is how Stripe works for every business that uses it, and here is exactly what is happening.
When a booking is refunded, Stripe keeps its card fee
When an owner pays by card, Stripe, the company that processes the payment, takes a small card fee from it. On a standard UK card that is currently 1.5% + 20p. Other cards cost more, and the charges you see will depend on which card the dog owner uses at booking.
A card hold that is released costs nothing
When an owner asks to book, the deposit is only held on their card: reserved, not taken. If you decline, or do not reply within 72 hours, or the owner cancels before you accept, the hold is released.
Once the balance is paid by card, the booking cannot be cancelled
More to read: how deposits and cancellations work.
Questions and answers
Why is my Stripe balance lower after a refund?
When a card payment is refunded, Stripe keeps its card fee. Our platform fee, if you pay one, is returned to you. Because Stripe keeps its fee, your next card payout can be slightly lower.
Does it cost anything if I decline a request?
No. Declining, or letting a request expire, releases the hold on the owner’s card. No payment was taken, so there is no card fee.
Can I cancel a booking after the balance was paid by card?
No. Once the balance has been paid by card, the Cancel option is no longer shown. You can still give money back yourself from your Stripe dashboard.
