If you try to issue a refund and see an “insufficient funds” message, it usually means your Stripe available balance doesn’t currently cover the refund amount. Here’s why that happens and how to fix it fast.
How Refunds Flow Through Stripe
When buyers pay through Thryft Ship Payments, funds first land in your Stripe account balance, then Stripe pays them out to your bank on your payout schedule. If you later issue a refund, Stripe uses your available balance (not your bank) to fund that refund immediately.
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Key point: If your balance is $0 (or too low), Stripe can’t complete the refund until new funds arrive.
What the Error Means
You might see an in-app message like:
You don’t have a sufficient balance to issue this refund.
This does not mean anything is wrong with your account—only that your Stripe balance doesn’t currently cover the refund.
Quick Fixes
Wait for new sales to settle. Once new charges clear, your available balance increases and you can refund normally.
Refund via another method. If timing is critical, you can refund the customer via Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, or another method you use.
