How to handle refunds and chargebacks in accounting exports

Handle refunds and chargebacks consistently in your accounting export to avoid reconciliation issues — especially when the refund arrives in a different period than the original purchase.

You need Admin or Bookkeeper access to export expenses.
Refunds and chargebacks may appear after the original purchase was exported, depending on when the merchant (or card scheme) processes the reversal.
Decide your internal posting approach for (i) which period you post refunds/chargebacks in (original period vs current period) and (ii) whether you post them as separate transactions or net them against the original expense.

Understand the difference: reversal vs refund vs chargeback

Reversal (or voided payment): The merchant cancels a card payment after it’s authorised, but before it settles. If the reversal is processed, the transaction may disappear from Expenses (and exports) and won’t become a final expense to book.
Refund: A refund happens after a payment has settled and the merchant returns the money.
Chargeback: A dispute process (typically through Mastercard) used when a purchase needs to be reversed and the merchant doesn’t resolve it, or in certain incorrect/fraud cases. A chargeback can result in funds being returned to you as a chargeback/chargeback refund (the dispute process itself is handled with Support).

Once an expense is exported, it can’t be edited in Pleo. If you need to change how something was posted, you’ll typically need to adjust it in your accounting system.

How refunds and chargebacks affect your exports

Refunds/chargebacks can create reconciliation issues if:

The original purchase was exported last month, but the refund arrives this month.
You export refunds/chargebacks without a clear internal posting rule (different accountants handle them differently).
Your accounting system expects refunds to be posted in a specific way (for example, positive amounts, negative amounts, or a separate transaction type).

A good month-end practice is to explicitly review refunds and chargebacks before exporting, and confirm your posting approach is consistent.

Export refunds and chargebacks from Pleo

Export via integration

If you use an accounting integration, export from Pleo as usual:

Go to Export → Unexported
Check the transaction details are correct (category, tags, notes, tax codes)
Select the transactions you want to export
Click Add to Export Queue
Go to Export Queue
Select the transactions and click Export

If a refund/chargeback arrives after the original purchase was exported, you can export it in your next export run. Make sure your accounting team knows how to post it (current period vs prior period adjustment).

Export via CSV (custom export)

If you export via CSV (including custom formats), you’ll follow the same Export flow:

Go to Export → Unexported
Select the transactions that are ready to export
Click Add to Export Queue
Go to Export Queue
Click Export
Click Download file (if needed), then upload the file into your accounting system

Recommended accounting approach (best practice)

To avoid confusion and make reconciliation easier, many accounting teams prefer:

Post the original purchase as normal
Post the refund/chargeback as a separate transaction when it occurs
Reconcile both against your Pleo wallet/bank/clearing account

This makes it easier to:

Track when cash moved
Explain differences between periods
Audit the full history of the transaction

Common scenarios

Refund arrives in a different month than the original purchase

Decide on one approach and use it consistently:

Post it in the current month, or
Post it back to the original month (via an adjustment journal entry)

The key is consistency (and alignment with your accountant/auditor).

You still see a “pending” transaction that then disappears

This may be a reversal/void (authorised but never settled). If it’s reversed, it may not be a final expense to export.

Troubleshooting

I can’t find a refund/chargeback to export

Make sure you’re looking in Export → Unexported and using filters (date, amount, merchant)
Confirm the original transaction has settled (you can only export settled transactions)
If you think a refund/chargeback should have happened but you can’t see it yet, it may still be processing

I need to change something after export

Exported expenses can’t be reverted in Pleo. If something must be corrected, you’ll need to:

Correct it in your accounting system, or
Contact Support if you believe an export needs to be reverted