---
updatedAt: 2025-10-12T20:29:54.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://docs.checkhq.com/llms.txt
---

# Refund a payment

Refunds are possible for failed credit payments associated with funded payrolls.

A refund indicates that a payment will be completed off-platform by the company, and they will now bear the responsibility for paying that employee, usually by a check. The net pay funds collected by Check for this employee will be returned to the company within 1-2 banking days. Additionally, the corresponding parent `payroll_item` or `contractor_payment` will have its `payment_method` set to `MANUAL`.

We recommend relying on the `can_refund` field on the Payment object to guide whether a refund is possible.

> 🚧 Status Changes from Refunds
>
> Refunding a failed payroll item or contractor payment sets `payment_method` to `MANUAL` and marks the item status as `paid`. If all items in the payroll are now complete, the parent payroll status will transition to `paid`. Status-change webhooks will fire for the item and, if applicable, the payroll, so ensure your automations and notifications handle `MANUAL` paid items appropriately.

# OpenAPI definition

```json
{
  "openapi": "3.1.0",
  "info": {
    "title": "check-api",
    "version": "2025-01-01"
  },
  "servers": [
    {
      "url": "https://sandbox.checkhq.com"
    }
  ],
  "components": {
    "securitySchemes": {
      "sec0": {
        "type": "apiKey",
        "in": "header",
        "name": "Authorization",
        "x-bearer-format": "bearer",
        "x-default": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  },
  "security": [
    {
      "sec0": []
    }
  ],
  "paths": {
    "/payments/{payment}/refund": {
      "post": {
        "summary": "Refund a payment",
        "description": "",
        "operationId": "refund-a-payment",
        "parameters": [
          {
            "name": "payment",
            "in": "path",
            "description": "ID of payment desired for refund",
            "schema": {
              "type": "string"
            },
            "required": true
          }
        ],
        "responses": {
          "200": {
            "description": "200",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "examples": {
                  "Result": {
                    "value": "{\n    \"id\": \"pyt_vIFHhvyGN47ej1upyIT8\",\n    \"status\": \"refunded\",\n    \"amount\": \"4522.0400\",\n    \"type\": \"employee_net_pay\",\n    \"parent_type\": \"payroll_item\",\n    \"parent_id\": \"itm_ENA4k8LMHbgpV07GLGSv\",\n    \"payment_attempts\": [\n        {\n            \"id\": \"pya_GaeJoEAzbqqc2D9GMfOF\",\n            \"created_at\": \"2022-02-18T21:32:44.957364Z\",\n            \"expected_completion_date\": \"2022-02-25\",\n            \"status\": \"refunded\",\n            \"failure_code\": null,\n            \"payment_method\": \"manual\",\n            \"payment_instrument\": null,\n            \"wire_details\": null\n        },\n        {\n            \"id\": \"pya_Kgl6ERboridVSfv4XKdT\",\n            \"created_at\": \"2022-02-18T20:14:40.713837Z\",\n            \"expected_completion_date\": \"2022-02-23\",\n            \"status\": \"failed\",\n            \"failure_code\": \"account_closed\",\n            \"payment_method\": \"ach\",\n            \"payment_instrument\": \"bnk_W7hjDGn6sU1d3U8dr9bq\",\n            \"wire_details\": null\n        }\n    ],\n    \"can_retry\": false,\n    \"can_refund\": false,\n    \"can_cancel\": false,\n    \"cancel_deadline\": \"2022-02-19T17:00:00.000Z\",\n    \"direction\": \"credit\",\n    \"company\": \"com_ENA4k8LMHbgpV07GLGSv\"\n}"
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "400": {
            "description": "400",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "examples": {
                  "Result": {
                    "value": "{}"
                  }
                },
                "schema": {
                  "type": "object",
                  "properties": {}
                }
              }
            }
          }
        },
        "deprecated": false
      }
    }
  },
  "x-readme": {
    "headers": [],
    "explorer-enabled": true,
    "proxy-enabled": true
  },
  "x-readme-fauxas": true
}
```