> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.business.blaaiz.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Refunding a collection

> Refund a collection back to its original sender, and track the refund lifecycle

Use the Refund API to return a collection to the person who paid it. Blaaiz sends the funds back through the same provider that received the payment.

## What you can refund

Blaaiz refunds a collection only when all of these conditions are true:

* The collection belongs to one of your business customers.
* You created the collection through the API.
* The collection is a successful EUR or GBP ClearJunction collection.
* The refund starts within 7 days of the collection.
* No refund exists for the collection yet.

<Note>
  Collections that you create on the Blaaiz dashboard (your own treasury collections)
  cannot be refunded through this API. A Blaaiz admin handles those refunds.
</Note>

## Rules

* **Full amount only.** Blaaiz always refunds the full original collection amount. There is no `amount` field on the request.
* **One attempt per collection.** After a refund starts, the collection cannot be refunded again through the API.
* **7-day window.** The refund must start within 7 days of the collection.
* **EUR and GBP only.** Refunds to source are supported for EUR and GBP ClearJunction collections. Card collections use the card refund flow instead.

## Idempotency

Send an optional `reference` on the request as your idempotency key.

* The same `reference` on the same `transaction_id` returns the same refund. Blaaiz does not create a second refund.
* The same `reference` on a different `transaction_id` returns a 400 error. Use a new `reference`.

This makes it safe to retry a refund request after a network timeout.

## Authentication and scopes

The Refund API uses OAuth client-credentials tokens. Request the scopes you need:

* `refund:create` — to start a refund with `POST /refund`.
* `refund:read` — to read a refund with `GET /refund/{id}`.

Both scopes belong to the `collections` bundle. `refund:read` also belongs to the `read-only` bundle. See [Authentication](/guides/authentication).

## Refund lifecycle

1. Call [`POST /refund`](/api-reference/refund/create) with the `transaction_id`.
2. Blaaiz creates the refund with `status` set to `PROCESSING` and sends a `refund_initiated` webhook.
3. Blaaiz delivers a final webhook when the refund settles:
   * `status` set to `successful` when the provider returns the funds.
   * `status` set to `failed` when the refund fails.

Track the status through the [Refund webhook](/guides/webhooks/refund) or by polling [`GET /refund/{id}`](/api-reference/refund/get).

<Note>
  The refund `status` on the API response is uppercase (`PENDING`, `PROCESSING`,
  `SUCCESSFUL`, `FAILED`). The webhook `status` field is lowercase (`processing`,
  `successful`, `failed`).
</Note>

## Failed refunds

A failed refund returns a webhook with `status` set to `failed` and a `failure_reason`. Blaaiz handles the funds. You do not need to retry the refund.

## Refund status on transactions

The Transaction API shows the refund state of each collection:

* [List transactions](/api-reference/transaction/list) returns `refund_status` on every item.
* [Get transaction](/api-reference/transaction/get) returns `refund_status` and a nested `refund` object.

The nested `refund` object needs a credential that can read refunds. An OAuth token must carry `refund:read`; a token with only `transaction:read` still sees `refund_status` but not the nested `refund` object.

## Related pages

* [Initiate a refund](/api-reference/refund/create) — start a refund.
* [Get a refund](/api-reference/refund/get) — read a refund status.
* [Refund webhook](/guides/webhooks/refund) — payload and lifecycle.