Design a prepaid handover process for refunds and disputes
When a complaint moves from the till to support or finance, pass on the receipt, the original order reference and what the team has checked. Make clear who can investigate the order and who can approve a refund or credit. The supplier's status and the customer's remedy may be decided at different times.
Write the note so the next person can pick up the case without asking the customer to tell the story again. Include the open question, the next action and only the customer or payment details that person needs.
Handover record
| Stage | Required record | Decision owner |
|---|---|---|
| Intake | Sale ID, date, value, customer report | Support |
| Investigation | Original reference and status evidence | Operations |
| Provider contact | Query, response, timestamp | Authorised operator |
| Remedy | Evidence and policy basis | Approved manager |
| Closeout | Customer response and ledger entry | Support and finance |
By Freepaid ยท Published
Separate the questions
Check what the customer asked for, what staff submitted and what the supplier can confirm. A supplier can verify that a recharge completed while the business is still deciding whether to make an adjustment under its own policy.
Identify the role authorised to approve refunds, credits, replacement value or goodwill payments. Frontline staff can acknowledge the complaint and gather evidence without making a financial commitment outside their authority. Finance should know how approved adjustments are recorded so that the original supplier order remains visible and the adjustment is not misclassified as fulfilment.
Worked example: disputed R50 sale
A customer disputes an illustrative R50 sale. Support records the receipt number and complaint. Operations finds the original reference and checks the provider's approved status channel. The status remains unknown, so the case is assigned to an authorised operator for follow-up with the supplier. Support tells the customer that the transaction is being checked and gives a next update point.
Finance leaves the supplier refund blank until one is confirmed. If a manager authorises a separate R50 goodwill credit under company policy, finance records it against the case as its own entry. The original order stays open until the supplier confirms the result.
Make the transfer useful
In the handover, say what the customer is asking for and what you have verified. Add the original reference, where and when each check was made, the current status, who owns the next step and when it is due. Attach the few records the new owner needs. Leave credentials and unrelated customer details out.
If the case involves a voucher, record the batch and issue evidence without copying the live code into broad-access notes. If it involves direct recharge, preserve the original order reference and destination details according to policy. Different fulfilment methods require different identifiers, so define the fields for each product rather than forcing every case into a generic form.
Record which decision is waiting for evidence
Track the customer's request, the supplier's transaction status and any authorised adjustment as separate entries. The customer may ask for a refund while the supplier is still checking a debit. Show the support owner what to tell the customer and show finance which record it is waiting for. When the supplier sends a credit note, match it to the original debit and record its date. If the business separately approves a customer refund, record that payment and its authorisation too.
Close the loop and retain evidence
- Confirm the supplier outcome or record what remains unknown.
- Apply the authorised business decision separately from supplier status.
- Communicate the decision and any next step to the customer.
- Record any adjustment in the correct business ledger or case system.
- Close the case only when the evidence and communication are complete.
- Review repeated causes with operations and finance.
Keep the original reference open with the provider while the result is unknown. Retain the case under your usual policy and limit access to the staff dealing with it. For the initial evidence fields, see what to collect for a wrong-number report.