# How to refund a customer

### You can refund non-disputed payments to customers directly from the Payments overview page in the Dashboard or using the Stripe API. The default refund amount is the full charge amount, but you can adjust the amount to give a partial refund.
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Refund [non-disputed payments](https://stripe.com/docs/disputes#refunding-disputed-payments) to your customers using the Stripe API or directly from the Dashboard--see instructions below for both methods. Refunds take 5-10 days to process and appear on the customer's account. Because of the limited window to cancel a refund, we recommend using test mode to try out the process if needed--see below for more information.
### **From the Dashboard**
1. Find the charge to be refunded in the [Payments overview](https://dashboard.stripe.com/payments) page.
1. Click the **••• icon** to the right of the charge and select **Refund payment**. Alternatively, click on the charge and click the **Refund button** on the top right corner of the payment page.
1. The default refund is for the full amount. For a partial refund, enter a different amount to be refunded.
1. Select a reason for the refund. If you select **Other**, you must provide an explanatory note that is attached to the refund.
1. Click **Refund**.
### **Using the Stripe API**
Create a [create_refund](https://stripe.com/docs/api#create_refund) call in the API.
1. In the API call, include the [charge ID](https://stripe.com/docs/api/charges/object#charge_object-id) to refund.
1. To refund an amount different than the full charge amount, include the [amount parameter](https://stripe.com/docs/api/refunds/create#create_refund-amount) and enter the amount to refund. If no amount is entered, the default action will be a refund of the full charge amount.
1. Run the API call.
### Use test mode to try out the refund process
Once you’ve initiated a refund, you have a very limited window to cancel. You can use test mode to try out the process beforehand. To enter test mode from the account picker in the upper left corner of the Dashboard: select **Switch to sandbox** then click **Test mode**. Once in test mode, you can try creating refunds before actioning on the live charges. Actions taken in test mode use the test API key, which means no real transactions are processed, not changes made to your actual customers. Learn more about [test mode and sandboxes](https://docs.stripe.com/testing-use-cases).
### Additional Information
* Understanding fees for refunded payments
* Canceling a refund