There are no fees to issue a refund, but the service fee on the original payment is nonrefundable. When a partial or full refund is issued, the Seller always covers the service fee regardless of whether the fee was originally assigned to the Buyer or the Seller.
Example: Selling One Hoodie for $50.00
Here's how the service fee (3.95% of the purchase price plus $0.95 per transaction) plays out at checkout depending on who's assigned to pay it:
| Buyer Pays Fee | Seller Pays Fee | |
| Price of Hoodie | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Service Fee Charged to Buyer | $2.93 | -- |
| Amount Buyer Pays at Checkout | $52.93 | $50.00 |
| Service Fee Charged to Seller After Checkout | -- | $2.93 |
| Seller Net Earnings | $50.00 | $47.07 |
If the Buyer Pays the Fee
The Buyer paid $52.93 at checkout ($50.00 for the hoodie plus the $2.93 service fee), and the Seller's net earnings were $50.00.
- Standard refund: The Buyer receives $50.00 back, the balance the Seller actually received.
- Full refund (optional): The Seller can choose to refund the full $52.93. In that case, the $2.93 fee is debited from the Seller's balance or connected bank account.
If the Seller Pays the Fee
The Buyer paid $50.00 at checkout (no fee added), and the Seller's net earnings were $47.07 ($50.00 minus the $2.93 fee).
- Refunding the full $50.00 purchase debits the $2.93 fee from the Seller's balance or connected bank account.
In both scenarios, the $2.93 service fee stays with SignUpGenius and its payment partners; it's never returned to the Buyer or the Seller.
Why the Fee Isn't Refundable
A large portion of the cost of payment processing comes from fees that banks and payment networks (like Visa and Mastercard) charge on every transaction. These networks set the rules for which fees apply to refunds, and in many cases, banks and card networks keep the entire upfront cost of a refunded transaction. For some regions and payment types, refunded payments may also incur additional fees.
Why Isn't the Fee Exactly 3.95% + $0.95?
When fees are passed to the Buyer, the processing fee must be calculated on the total amount being charged. Because the fee itself is part of the total transaction amount, a small adjustment is required to fully cover processing costs. This is why the fee may appear slightly higher than simply taking 3.95% of the purchase price and adding $0.95.
For a $50 purchase:
- Purchase amount: $50.00
- Total service fee: $2.93
- Total charged to Buyer: $52.93
This ensures the Seller receives the full purchase amount after payment processing costs are applied.