# Processing Refunds

There are several options for processing refunds, and there are several factors to consider when choosing how to process refunds, including:

- The fees that the merchant will incur
- The consumer’s available funds
- The card type used for the sale


Use the information below to determine which option for processing refunds best fits your current business model.

## Refunds for Debit and Gift Cards

Sales for debit and gift cards are processed in real time, so when a purchase is completed, the amount of the transaction is immediately deducted from the consumer’s account. Because of this, issuers do not always support issuing refunds to these card types. The best practice is to refund these transactions in cash, as a gift card, or store credit.