If you are experiencing errors or failures when attempting to process refunds through Global Payments, it is likely due to an unannounced change in their platform's security policy.
What is happening?
Global Payments has disabled "open-ended" refunds that are not directly tied to a specific original transaction across all accounts. Historically, this was a supported feature, but Global has now restricted this functionality behind a manual approval process.
Common symptoms include:
- Refund attempts failing immediately.
- Generic error messages during the refund workflow.
- Interrupted automated refund tasks.
How to restore your refund access
To get this functionality back, Global Payments now requires every account to undergo a Risk Review.
- Submit the Request: Complete the official [Global Payments Risk Review Form].
- Undergo Review: Global will evaluate your account details to determine if they will reinstate your refund capabilities.
Please note: This process is managed entirely by Global Payments. Approval is not guaranteed and is subject to their internal risk standards.
Current Status & Workarounds
Because this change was implemented without prior notice, there is currently no system-level workaround to bypass this restriction for Global Payments users. Our team is looking into developing support for transaction-linked refunds, but we do not have a confirmed timeline for that update yet.
Alternative Options
If your business relies heavily on the ability to issue refunds and you cannot wait for a Risk Review, we recommend exploring more stable payment processors.
We officially support integrations with Fiserv and Square, both of which offer:
- Transaction-based refunds: These are not affected by Global's recent policy change.
- Reliability: Fully integrated workflows with predictable fee structures.
- Seamless Setup: A more modern approach to payment standards that prevents these types of sudden disruptions.
Still need help?
If you have questions about the Risk Review form or want to discuss moving to a different processor to ensure your operations stay at 100%, please reach out to our support team.