# Reverse a payment

The Payment Reversal API returns funds back to the customer by automatically performing the appropriate action depending on the payment's status. For example, if a payment is:

- Authorized and captured – The payment is fully refunded.
- Authorized but not captured – The payment is voided.
- Authorized and partially captured – The partial capture amount is refunded and the remaining authorization amount is voided.
- Partially refunded – The rest of the partial capture amount is refunded and the remaining authorization amount is voided.
- Awaiting an automatic retry due to a failure – The pending payment retries are cancelled.

Reversals are always processed for the full payment amount, in the same currency as the original authorization.

> **Information**
>
> If you only want to partially return funds to the customer, request a [partial refund](https://www.checkout.com/docs/payments/manage-payments/refund-a-payment.md) instead.

---

## Request a payment reversal

For card payments, a payment reversal performs all required actions with a single reversal request.

For non-card payments, a payment reversal only performs one action per reversal request. For example, for payment methods that support both refunds and voids:

1. The first time you request a payment reversal, the payment is voided.
2. The second time you request a payment reversal, the payment is refunded, if possible.

If the payment is eligible for a reversal, call the [Reverse a payment](https://api-reference.checkout.com/tag/Payments/#operation/reversePayment) endpoint and provide the payment's ID as the `{id}` path parameter.

> **Information**
>
> Your base URL's `{prefix}` value is unique to your account and environment. To learn how to retrieve your base URLs for the sandbox and production environments, see [API endpoints](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/api/api-endpoints.md).

**Production**

`POST` `https://{prefix}.api.checkout.com/payments/{id}/reversals`

**Sandbox**

`POST` `https://{prefix}.api.sandbox.checkout.com/payments/{id}/reversals`

### Request example

```json
{
  "reference": "ORD-5023-4E89",
  "metadata": {
    "coupon_code": "NY2024",
    "partner_id": 123989
  }
}
```

### Response example

```json
{
  "action_id": "act_y3oqhf46pyzuxjbcn2giaqnb44",
  "reference": "ORD-5023-4E89",
  "_links": {
    "payment": {
      "href": "https://{prefix}.api.checkout.com/payments/pay_y3oqhf46pyzuxjbcn2giaqnb44"
    }
  }
}
```

> **Note**
>
> If you attempt to reverse a payment that was already reversed, you receive a `204` response.
>
>
> If the payment cannot be reversed, you receive a `403` response. For example, if the payment is declined or is still undergoing [3D Secure (3DS)](https://www.checkout.com/docs/payments/authenticate-payments/3d-secure.md) authentication.

As reversals are processed asynchronously, the response does not specify whether the reversal was successful.

To track the status of the reversal, subscribe to the [payment webhooks](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/event-notifications/event-types.md#Gateway). For example, if the payment was voided, you receive a [Payment voided](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/event-notifications/event-types/payment_voided.md) webhook.

> **Information**
>
> You cannot cancel a reversal after it is processed.