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The Refunds and Credit Notes module on watt.ma handles situations where a customer paid or was invoiced for an amount they did not owe. This page clarifies the fundamental distinction between these two concepts and exposes the workflows, common reasons, and associated permissions so every correction is traceable and compliant.

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Overview: refund and credit note

watt.ma strictly distinguishes between two types of financial corrections:
  • Refund: money physically returned to the customer after a successful payment. A refund involves an outgoing cash movement on the operator’s bank account or payment provider account. The customer receives the money in their account.
  • Credit note: an accounting correction that reduces a previously invoiced amount without transferring money. A credit note reduces the customer’s receivable but does not necessarily generate a wire transfer. It is offset against an existing or future invoice.
Never confuse a credit note with an invoice cancellation. A credit note preserves the history of the original transaction and creates a separate accounting document. Cancellation would break the audit trail.

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Common reasons

Refunds and credit notes can be initiated for several operational and commercial reasons:
The reason is mandatory in watt.ma. It appears on the credit note document or in the refund note and feeds correction analysis reports.

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Refund workflow

The refund process follows a linear path from the original payment to the update of the customer account:
1

Identify the original payment

In Reports > Collections or in the affected session details, locate the payment to refund. Note its ID and the payment method used.
2

Create the refund request

Click Request a refund. Choose the amount (full or partial) and select the reason from the list. Add an explanatory note if needed.
3

Submit for validation

The Admin receives a request notification. The Operator can fill the form but cannot validate. Status changes to Requested.
4

Validate and hand to the provider

The Admin approves the request. watt.ma initiates the refund via the payment provider’s API (CMI or Stripe). Status changes to In progress.
5

Confirm the refund

Once the provider confirms, status changes to Refunded. The customer account is updated and an accounting note is generated.

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Golden rule: never delete a historical record

watt.ma does not allow deletion of a payment, invoice, or charge. Every correction is made by adding an accounting adjustment:
  • A credit note creates a negative line in the customer account ledger.
  • A refund creates an outgoing cash line linked to the original payment.
  • An explanatory note is attached to every operation.
This rule guarantees that the accounting history remains complete and auditable for the tax authorities and your accountant.
Never attempt to cancel an invoice and recreate it. Always use a credit note or a refund to correct the amount. Cancellation would break the continuity of fiscal numbering.

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Credit note example

Here is a concrete example of a credit note applied after a charger malfunction:
The original invoice of 300 MAD remains unchanged in the system. Credit note A-2026-08-0012 is issued in reference to session WAT-000205 on charger CP-003, which suffered an interruption. The customer must pay 250 MAD instead of 300 MAD. Adjusted VAT is automatically recalculated.

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Refund example

Here is an example of a full CMI payment refund:
The customer paid 87.50 MAD by CMI QR for a session that was ultimately cancelled due to a system failure. The full refund of 87.50 MAD is processed via CMI with status Refunded. No credit note is necessary because the payment had already been collected and must be physically returned.

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Refund statuses

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Permissions

The Operator can initiate the process but cannot complete it. This separation of responsibilities reduces the risk of error and protects cash flow.

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See also

Payment Failures

Handle card refusals and retry with customers before considering a refund.

Bank Reconciliation

Register wire transfers and track the match between collections and bank account.

Invoicing

Understand the full invoice lifecycle to which credit notes apply.

Customer Balances

Check the impact of credit notes and refunds on each account’s balance.