Refund request automation and tracking

**Purpose**

1.1. Automate end-to-end refund request initiation, validation, approval, execution, and tracking for after-school program payments.
1.2. Ensure transparent, auditable, and prompt handling of parent-initiated refund claims.
1.3. Provide real-time stakeholder updates, reduce manual intervention, and minimize errors or delays.

**Trigger Conditions**

2.1. Parent or guardian submits online refund request form via school portal.
2.2. Email with subject containing "refund request" arrives in billing inbox.
2.3. Payment gateway flags transaction as "disputed" or "chargeback."
2.4. Staff logs manual refund request in CRM or ticketing system.
2.5. Incoming SMS query for refund received on dedicated number.
2.6. Schedule-based scan for overpayment or unutilized credits in payment system.

**Platform Variants**

3.1. **Salesforce**
• API: Flow Builder with Case Creation and Status Update
• Trigger on "Refund Request" record addition; progress using Approval Process component.
3.2. **Zendesk**
• API: Ticket API—POST /api/v2/tickets.json
• Auto-create refund ticket, assign to finance team, update parent on status.
3.3. **Stripe**
• API: Refunds Endpoint—POST /v1/refunds
• Initiate refund, record result, and listen for webhook on success or failure.
3.4. **PayPal**
• API: POST /v2/payments/refunds
• Trigger on transaction ID, automatically refund and log status.
3.5. **QuickBooks Online**
• API: POST /v3/company/{company_id}/refundreceipt
• Create refund receipt tied to original invoice and update ledger.
3.6. **Twilio SMS**
• Feature: SMS webhook and Studio Flow
• Initiate refund on keyword ("REFUND"); confirm via two-way SMS.
3.7. **SendGrid**
• API: Mail Send (POST /v3/mail/send)
• Dispatch automated status updates to parents and finance.
3.8. **Google Forms/Sheets**
• Feature: Form Submit webhook and Apps Script
• Parse form submission and start refund approval workflow.
3.9. **Slack**
• API: Incoming Webhook and Workflow Builder
• Notify staff on new refund requests, approve via Slack button.
3.10. **SAP Concur**
• API: POST /api/v3.0/expenseentries
• Log refund as negative expense, update accounting, sync status.
3.11. **Freshdesk**
• API: POST /api/v2/tickets
• Generate support ticket with refund details for tracking.
3.12. **ServiceNow**
• API: Table API /api/now/table/incident
• Register refund as incident, link to payment record, monitor through workflow.
3.13. **Xero**
• API: POST /api.xro/2.0/CreditNotes
• Create credit/refund note, sync updates to payment dashboard.
3.14. **Zoho Books**
• API: POST /refunds
• Register refund, associate to customer, dispatch confirmation.
3.15. **Shopify (B2C school merchandise)**
• API: POST /admin/api/2023-01/refunds.json
• Initiate partial/full refund, track completion, update customer.
3.16. **Jira Service Management**
• API: POST /rest/api/3/issue
• Create refund issue, assign SLAs, advance via automation rules.
3.17. **Mailgun**
• API: POST /v3/messages
• Send transactional notifications to parents after each status change.
3.18. **HubSpot**
• API: POST /crm/v3/objects/tickets
• Log refund as a service ticket, trigger follow-ups based on pipeline stage.
3.19. **Outlook/Office 365**
• Feature: Outlook Rules + Power Automate flow
• Extract refund requests from emails, parse details, generate task.
3.20. **Docusign**
• API: POST /v2.1/accounts/{accountId}/envelopes
• Route refund consent form for parental e-signature, proceed on completion.

**Benefits**

4.1. Eliminates manual tracking and reduces processing errors.
4.2. Ensures regulatory and audit compliance with detailed traceability.
4.3. Drastically accelerates refund timelines, enhancing parent satisfaction.
4.4. Centralizes communication, minimizing follow-up queries.
4.5. Scales easily for seasonal spikes or across multiple locations.