Refunds & Returns
Handling returns gracefully builds customer trust. Sokobuni lets you issue refunds directly from the order detail view.
Types of refunds
| Type | When to use |
|---|---|
| Full refund | Customer returns everything, order cancelled |
| Partial refund | Customer returns some items, or goodwill compensation |
| Manual refund | You're compensating outside the platform (e.g. store credit) |
Issuing a full refund
Issuing a partial refund
- Open the order → click Refund
- Select Partial refund
- Enter the amount to refund (in KES or your store currency)
- Optionally specify which line items the refund applies to
- Confirm
Partial refunds don't automatically change the order status. Manually add an order note explaining what was refunded and why, so the history is clear.
Requesting return of items
If you want the item back before issuing a refund:
- Open the order
- Click Return items
- Select the items to return
- Enter a return shipping method (if applicable) and any instructions
- The customer receives a return request email with instructions
Once you confirm receipt of the returned item, you can then issue the refund.
Restocking returned items
After a return is received, you can restock the inventory:
- Open the return/fulfillment in the order
- Click Restock items
- Confirm the quantity to restock
The inventory count for those variants increases accordingly.
Digital product refunds
For digital products, refund the order amount but note that the download access is not automatically revoked. If you want to revoke access, you can mark the fulfillment as cancelled.
Refund timeline
PesaPal refunds typically process in 3–7 business days. The customer receives the funds in their original payment account (M-Pesa, Visa, etc.).
If a customer asks about a refund timeline, quote 5–7 business days to set expectations, then be pleasantly surprised if it's faster.