Overview
When a client has made a payment via Adyen and a refund is required, you can process this directly from the Pay dashboard in Legl. The refund is returned to the client's original payment card and the amount is deducted from your firm's selected bank account via direct debit.
Before you start
The payment must be fully transferred into your firm's bank account before a refund can be initiated.
You need the Can refund payments permission enabled on your user account. If you cannot see the refund option, ask your firm Admin to check your permissions in Settings > Users.
For payments taken via Stripe (before November 2024), see How to refund a payment taken via Stripe.
ℹ️ Important
This process does not apply to:
Pay by Bank payments and bank transfers made outside of Legl. These refunds must be arranged directly with the client.
Payments taken via Stripe before November 2024. See How to refund a payment taken via Stripe.
How to refund a payment
Log in to your Legl account.
Navigate to Pay > Payments.
Locate and select the payment you want to refund.
Click Refund payment in the top right corner of the payment details page.
Select the bank account from which the refund will be processed. By default, this is the account that received the original payment.
Review the refund amount and confirm the details are correct.
Click Confirm to process the refund.
The refund is processed immediately and the amount is deducted from your firm's selected bank account via direct debit.
What happens next
Client notification
Your client receives an email confirming the refund is being processed.
The email includes the acquirer reference — a unique code that will also appear on their bank statement to help them identify the refund.
Refunds typically reach the client within 3–8 working days, depending on their bank's processing time.
Firm notification
Your designated bookkeeper or financial contact receives an email once the funds are withdrawn from the firm's bank account.
A follow-up email confirms when the refund has been successfully returned to the client.
Viewing refund details
Go to Pay > Payments.
Select the relevant payment.
Scroll to Refund details.
You will see the acquirer reference (which matches both the client's and firm's bank statements), the bank statement identification format, and the expected return timeframe. Use the acquirer reference to match the withdrawal to a specific client refund on your firm's bank statement.
Important information
Refunds can only be made to the original payment card.
Your firm remains liable for all transaction fees associated with refunded payments.
If the refund cannot be processed due to insufficient funds in the selected bank account, your firm will receive an email notification.
Legl does not support payment reversals — these must be processed as refunds. For payment disputes and chargebacks, see How payment disputes and chargebacks work.