Refunds
A refund happens in two steps, in this order: the client is refunded first, because it’s their money, and then your transfer is reversed if one had already been made. Each step can succeed or fail independently, which is deliberate — a failure in the second step doesn’t leave a client without their refund.Card processing on a refund
Stripe keeps its fee when money goes back. Its real cost, taken against the full price, can be larger than the cancellation fee it’s now being deducted from.Processing is clamped to what the session can carry. On a refunded session you net zero rather
than owing us the difference.
Failed reversals
Sometimes Stripe has already paid your balance out to your bank before a refund is issued. The reversal then fails, the client’s refund stands, and the shortfall becomes a receivable recorded against your account. This isn’t treated as an error to retry. It’s a debt for a person to work out with you, and you can see anything you’re said to owe — somebody should be able to see what they’re being told they owe.Disputes
A dispute — a chargeback — is a client’s bank pulling a payment back. If your share of the disputed session had already been transferred, it’s recorded as a receivable. Open Therapy holds the payment losses on disputes, but the freeze is not a judgement about you — it’s a hold while the facts are established.If your account is frozen
Write to billing@opentherapy.app with the session details. Include anything relevant: appointment records, correspondence with the client, and your attendance record for the session.Reducing disputes before they happen
Most disputes are a client not recognising a charge, not a client contesting the care.Your name is on the statement
You’re the merchant of record, so your practice name appears — not Open Therapy. Make sure the
name a client sees at booking matches the one on your Stripe account.
Choose a policy and keep it visible
Cancellation fees are the most disputed charges. The policy is quoted at checkout and in the
confirmation email, which is exactly the evidence that resolves it.
Record attendance promptly
An attendance record contemporaneous with the session is stronger than one added a fortnight later.
Answer messages
A client who can reach you asks you before asking their bank.