How to Do a Partial Refund on Shopify?

Quick Answer

To do a partial refund on Shopify:

1. Go to Orders → Select the order

2. Click "Refund"

3. Enter custom amount or select specific items

4. Click "Refund $XX.XX"

Refunds typically process in 5-10 business days.

Table of Contents

1. What is a Partial Refund?

2. When to Issue Partial Refunds

3. How to Do a Partial Refund on Shopify (Step-by-Step)

4. How to Refund Shipping Costs

5. Common Partial Refund Issues

6. Automating Partial Refunds

7. Best Practices

8. FAQ

What is a Partial Refund?

A partial refund is when you refund part of a customer's order instead of the full amount. This is useful when:

• Only some items in an order are returned

• You want to refund shipping costs separately

• A customer received a damaged item and you're offering compensation

• You're resolving a dispute with a partial credit

Unlike full refunds, partial refunds let you return only a specific dollar amount while keeping the order active in your system.

Partial Refund vs Full Refund

When to Issue Partial Refunds

Here are the most common scenarios where partial refunds make sense:

1. Single Item Returns from Multi-Item Orders

Example: Customer orders a t-shirt ($30) and shoes ($80). They return only the shoes.

Solution: Issue a $80 partial refund, keeping the $30 t-shirt transaction.

2. Damaged or Defective Items

Example: Customer receives a damaged item worth $50 in a $200 order.

Solution: Issue a $50 partial refund as compensation, let them keep the item.

3. Shipping Cost Adjustments

Example: You overcharged $10 for shipping.

Solution: Issue a $10 partial refund to cover the shipping difference.

4. Pricing Errors

Example: Item was listed at $50 but should have been $40.

Solution: Issue a $10 partial refund to correct the pricing error.

5. Customer Satisfaction Gestures

Example: Order arrived late, customer is unhappy.

Solution: Issue a $20 partial refund as goodwill compensation.

How to Do a Partial Refund on Shopify (Step-by-Step)

Follow these 5 steps to process a partial refund:

Step 1: Open the Order

1. Log into your Shopify admin panel

2. Click Orders in the left sidebar

3. Find the order you want to refund

4. Click on the order number to open it

💡 Tip: Use the search bar to quickly find orders by customer name, order number, or email.

Step 2: Click "Refund"

1. Scroll down to the Order Details section

2. Click the "Refund" button (top right of the order details)

Note: If you don't see the Refund button, the order may not be fulfilled yet. You must fulfill or capture payment before refunding.

Step 3: Select Items to Refund (Optional)

If you're refunding specific items:

1. In the Items section, find the product to refund

2. Enter the quantity to refund in the "Quantity" field

3. The refund amount will auto-calculate based on item price

For partial quantity:

• If customer ordered 3 items, enter "1" or "2" to refund partially

• Shopify calculates: (Item price × Quantity)

To refund custom amount instead:

• Leave all quantities at "0"

• Skip to Step 4 to manually enter amount

Step 4: Enter Refund Amount

1. Scroll to Refund Amount section

2. You'll see the calculated total based on items selected

3. To change to a custom amount:

   • Click the amount field

   • Type your desired refund amount

   • Must be less than or equal to the order total

Example:

• Order total: $150

• You can refund any amount from $0.01 to $150.00

• Enter $50 for a $50 partial refund

Step 5: Add Refund Reason (Optional) and Process

1. Refund Reason: Select from dropdown or type custom reason

   • Common reasons: "Item returned", "Damaged item", "Customer request"

   • This is for your internal records only

2. Restock Items: Check box if you want to add items back to inventory

   • ✅ Check: If item is being returned and resellable

   • ❌ Uncheck: If item is damaged, defective, or keeping with customer

3. Send Notification:

   • ✅ Check: Customer receives refund confirmation email

   • ❌ Uncheck: Silent refund (not recommended)

4. Click "Refund $XX.XX" button

✅ Done! The refund is processed immediately.

How to Refund Shipping Costs

To refund shipping as part of a partial refund:

Option 1: Include in Item Refund

1. Follow steps 1-3 above (select items)

2. In Refund Shipping section, enter shipping amount

3. Shopify adds shipping to total refund amount

4. Process refund

Option 2: Refund Shipping Only

1. Open the order → Click "Refund"

2. Set all item quantities to 0

3. In Refund Amount, enter the shipping cost manually

4. Example: Enter $15.00 to refund $15 shipping

5. Add reason: "Shipping refund"

6. Process refund

💡 Pro Tip: If you're refunding the full order including shipping, use "Full Refund" option instead of manually calculating.

Common Partial Refund Issues

Issue #1: "Refund Button is Greyed Out"

Cause: Payment hasn't been captured yet.

Solution:

1. Fulfill the order first

2. Make sure payment is captured

3. Wait 5-10 minutes, then try refunding

Issue #2: "Cannot Refund More Than Order Total"

Cause: You entered an amount higher than the order total.

Solution:

1. Check the original order total

2. Enter an amount equal to or less than that total

3. You cannot refund more than the customer paid

Issue #3: "Refund Failed - Payment Gateway Error"

Cause: Issue with payment processor (Shopify Payments, PayPal, etc.)

Solution:

1. Check your payment gateway settings

2. Ensure your account is in good standing

3. Try again in 10-15 minutes

4. If persists, contact Shopify Support

Issue #4: "Customer Says They Didn't Receive Refund"

Cause: Refund processing time varies by payment method.

Solution:

• Credit Card: 5-10 business days

• PayPal: 3-5 business days

• Shopify Payments: 3-10 business days

• Bank Transfer: 5-10 business days

Tell customers to check with their bank after the processing period.

Automating Partial Refunds (Save Time!)

Problem: Manual Refunds are Time-Consuming

If you process 10+ refunds per day, manually going into each order takes hours of admin time.

Solution: Self-Service Refund Portal

Modern order management apps let customers request partial refunds themselves:

How it works:

1. Customer logs into their account

2. Views their order

3. Selects items to return

4. Clicks 'Refund' and the order is updated without any manual intervention

Benefits:

• ✅ Reduces support tickets by 40-60%

• ✅ Faster processing (customers don't wait for email response)

• ✅ Less manual work for your team

• ✅ Better customer experience

Recommended Apps:

• Revize Order Editing & Upsell - Self-service order editing & refunds

• Rich Returns

• Loop Returns

💡 Pro Tip: Apps with self-service refunds integrate directly with Shopify, so refunds are automatically processed in your admin panel.

Best Practices for Partial Refunds

1. Always Add a Refund Reason

Why: Helps you track refund trends and identify product issues.

How:

• Use consistent reasons: "Item damaged", "Wrong size", "Changed mind"

• Review refund reports monthly

• If one product has high refunds → investigate quality issues

2. Communicate Refund Timeline

Why: Reduces "Where's my refund?" support tickets.

How:

• In refund email, state: "Refund will appear in 5-10 business days"

• Set up email template with timeline

• Add to your returns policy page

3. Restock Items Only if Resellable

Why: Prevents inventory discrepancies.

When to restock:

• Item is unopened and resellable

• Wrong item was shipped

• Customer changed their mind (unused item)

When NOT to restock:

• Item is damaged

• Item was used/opened

• Item is custom/personalized

4. Use Partial Refunds for Customer Retention

Instead of full refund:

• Offer 10-20% partial refund as compensation

• Customer keeps product + gets discount

• You keep the sale

Example:

• Customer: "My order arrived 2 days late"

• Bad response: Full refund + return

• Good response: "We're sorry! Here's a $20 refund. Keep the item with our apologies."

Result: Customer is happy, you kept 80% of the revenue.

5. Document Everything

Why: Protects you in chargebacks and disputes.

What to document:

• Screenshots of refund confirmation

• Customer's refund request email

• Photos of damaged items (if applicable)

• Tracking information for returns

Where to save:

• Add notes to Shopify order

• Use order tags: "partial-refund", "damaged-item"

FAQ: Shopify Partial Refunds

Can I do a partial refund without items being returned?

Yes! You can issue a partial refund for any reason:

• Customer satisfaction

• Damaged items (let them keep it)

• Compensation for late delivery

• Pricing errors

Just enter the custom amount in Step 4 and uncheck "Restock items."

How long does a partial refund take on Shopify?

Processing: Instant in Shopify admin

Customer receives money: 3-10 business days depending on payment method:

• Credit card: 5-10 days

• PayPal: 3-5 days

• Debit card: 3-7 days

Can I do multiple partial refunds on the same order?

Yes! You can issue multiple partial refunds on one order until you reach the order total.

Example:

• Order total: $100

• 1st partial refund: $30

• 2nd partial refund: $20

• You can still refund up to $50 more

Does a partial refund cancel the order on Shopify?

No. Partial refunds keep the order active as "Fulfilled" or "Partially Refunded."

Only full refunds change the order status to "Refunded."

Can customers request partial refunds themselves?

Not natively in Shopify. You need a third-party app to enable self-service partial refunds.

Recommended: Use an order management app with self-service portal. This lets customers select items to return and submit refund without emailing your support team.

Can I refund Shopify fees with a partial refund?

No. Shopify transaction fees are not refunded on partial refunds. You only recover fees on full refunds.

Example:

• Order: $100 (you pay $3 in Shopify fees)

• Partial refund: $50

• You still pay $3 in fees (not refunded)

Final Thoughts

Processing a partial refund is straightforward once you know the steps. The key is:

1. Open the order

2. Click "Refund"

3. Select items

4. Process the refund

For high-volume stores, consider automating partial refunds with self-service tools to save time and reduce support tickets.

Need help with order management/ order editing? Revize Order Editing & Upsell offers self-service refunds, order editing, and post-purchase automation for Shopify stores. Try it free →

For more complex order management needs, you can also use draft orders to create custom invoices for customers. Learn more in our complete guide to draft orders in Shopify.

Last updated: October 2025