Practical guide ยท September 16, 2026
Refund or void? A payment-terminal correction checklist
A customer was charged the wrong amount, a sale appears twice, or an item is coming back. Before pressing a correction button, find the original transaction and establish what actually completed. A void and a refund are different operations, and the available choice depends on your payment system, transaction type and batch status. Use this guide to build a staff procedure, then confirm the exact steps with your provider for your terminal model.
Start with the transaction, not the customer's banking screen
Find the merchant transaction record using its receipt reference, date, amount and terminal. Check whether it was approved, declined, already corrected or still uncertain. If a communication failure left the outcome unclear, stop and ask the provider to reconcile that specific transaction before trying another charge or correction. A screenshot alone is not your complete merchant record.
For Moneris Go, the documented void procedure cancels the whole purchase in the current batch and must use the original terminal. Once that batch is closed, its instructions direct the merchant to a refund. Partial voids are not supported in that procedure. These are product-specific rules, not universal instructions for every debit machine. See the Moneris Go void guide.
Choose the question that matches the situation
| Situation | Check first | Next step to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong amount on a completed sale | Original record, batch state and whether any correction exists | Whether the full sale is eligible for a void before entering the correct sale |
| Customer returns one item | Original purchase, item value and store return policy | Supported partial refund procedure and required authorization |
| Two apparent charges | Whether there are two approved merchant transactions | Which specific record, if any, needs correction |
| Terminal timed out | Provider's recorded outcome | Reconcile before retrying; do not assume failure |
| Refund entered incorrectly | Refund reference and current status | Provider's refund-correction process; do not improvise a new sale |
This table is a triage worksheet. It does not authorize a return or replace your provider's instructions. An exchange, a split payment and a tip adjustment may each need a different procedure. Put those cases on your training list instead of assuming that the basic purchase example covers them.
A six-field correction log
For each case, record the original sale reference, the reason, the approved correction amount, the authorized staff member, the new correction reference and the final confirmed result. Link to your existing receipt system rather than collecting extra card details in a spreadsheet. Add a short unresolved note when support needs to investigate, with an owner and a follow-up time.
Train staff to read back the amount and identify the original record before confirming. Afterward, check for a successful result and retain the correction receipt according to your business's recordkeeping procedure. If the printer fails, investigate the transaction result before running the correction again. A missing piece of paper is a reason to look up the record, not sufficient evidence that the operation failed.
Keep the till and payment records connected
In a non-integrated setup, fixing the inventory or till entry may not correct the card transaction. Moneris explicitly describes separate POS and terminal steps for non-integrated PAYD Pro Plus credit-card voids. Confirm the equivalent workflow on your own setup. Moneris: voiding a credit-card sale.
An illustrative training case: a cashier enters a sale incorrectly and the supervisor confirms that it can be voided. The supervisor records the original reference, completes the supported void, confirms the result and then authorizes the corrected sale. At closing, the team should be able to explain the relationship between all three records. Practice the sequence in a provider-approved training environment; do not create live customer transactions merely for practice.
Use the end-of-day reconciliation checklist to investigate unmatched register, batch and settlement entries. Keep unresolved corrections visible for the next shift so a second employee does not independently repeat the action.
Questions to ask before choosing a terminal
- Who may perform refunds, and can permissions be assigned by role?
- How does the system find the original transaction across multiple lanes?
- Which corrections require the customer's card or presence?
- What happens if the terminal or receipt printer disconnects midway?
- How are corrections reflected in the POS, payment report and accounting export?
- What fees and customer-facing timing should staff explain, using your actual agreement?
Do not promise an instant release of funds or a fixed refund arrival date without confirmed provider guidance. Ask for a demonstration of your real correction scenarios alongside the terminal quote comparison worksheet. To discuss your checkout requirements, contact PBH Canada through the sign-up page.