Refund Dispute Handling and Resolution Procedure – Collexo

Objective

The objective of the Refund Dispute Handling and Resolution Procedure is to establish a clear, efficient, and standardized approach to resolving refund-related issues, ensuring accuracy, accountability, and timely resolutions. This procedure aims to address and resolve duplicate payment issues, refund requests, and disputes by thoroughly identifying, investigating, and addressing the root causes of these issues. By maintaining accurate records, minimizing delays, and adhering to a transparent process, the goal is to provide prompt and effective resolutions that enhance customer satisfaction. Through clear communication and a well-defined process, the company ensures that refund-related concerns are managed consistently and professionally, fostering trust and satisfaction among customers.

Payment Ecosystem Overview

Key Stakeholders Involved:
- NPF (Nopaperforms- Meritto and Collexo): Manages application and fee processing platforms.
- Payment Gateway (PG): Processes payments and settles funds to NPF/client accounts.
- Banks: Facilitates student transactions and refunds.
Types of Payment Scenarios:
- Case 1: Fair Payment Case
  A single payment is successfully processed across all parties—student’s bank, Payment Gateway, and NPF.
- Case 2: Duplicate Payment Case (Partially Captured)
  Cause: The student makes multiple payments for the same service due to network issues or glitches.
  Result: Payment Gateway records multiple transactions, but NPF records only one and the excess amount needs to be refunded (if any) else the payment status to be updated.
- Case 3: Duplicate Payment Case (Fully Captured)
  Cause: Multiple payments are made for the same service and successfully recorded by both the Payment Gateway and NPF.
  Result: The excess amount needs to be refunded.
- Case 4: Auto Refund Case
  Cause: The student makes multiple payments, but the Payment Gateway and NPF records only one.
  Result: The bank automatically refunds the unprocessed transaction back to the student bank account within 7-10 business working days.

Resolution Process

General Guidelines for All Cases
- Validate the payment discrepancy using the Payment Gateway Dashboard Reports and NPF transaction reports.
- Maintain transparency with clients regarding the process and timelines.
- Ensure detailed documentation of each case for future audits.
Specific Resolution Processes

Case 1: Duplicate Payment Case (Partially Captured)

- Occurrence: Primarily on the Meritto platform (rarely on Collexo → 0.05% cases).
- Steps to Resolve:
  1. For Collexo Platform
    - Download daily detailed transaction reports from all Payment Gateways (Cashfree and Razorpay).
    - Identify duplicate transactions using Collexo Order ID in the Payment Gateway transactions data through a script provided by the Data and Analytics Team.
    - Along with that, download the daily approved transactions data from Collexo Admin Dashboard>> Payment Records.
    - Cross-reference with the Collexo Admin Dashboard transactions data to find discrepancies where the payment status is not approved.
  2. For Meritto Platform
    - Download daily detailed transaction reports from all Payment Gateways (Cashfree, Razorpay, and CCAvenue).
    - Use scripts from the Data and Analytics team to identify duplicate payments based on NPF Order IDs, user IDs, form IDs, college_id, and fee IDs.
    - Application Fee format configured on Meritto- form_id/fd_id/payment_id
      Token Fee format configured on Meritto- fee_id/college_id/form_id/payment_id

Case 2: Duplicate Payment Case (Fully Captured)

Occurrence: Exclusively on the Collexo platform.
Steps to Resolve:
- Analyze discrepancies between the Total Fee Amount and the Paid Amount.
  Example: If the fee is Rs.10,000 but Rs.20,000 was paid, flag the excess Rs.10,000 for a refund.
- Use automated alerts from the Data and Analytics team to flag transactions with discrepancies.
- Automation alerts will be created on the user_id, fee_id, and latest total amount for the fee, a sum of all paid amounts of the fee.
- Share flagged cases with the client/CS team for final approval.
- Issue refunds via NPF or Payment Gateway as appropriate and inform all relevant stakeholders.

Case 3: Auto Refund Case

Occurrence: This happens rarely and the bank automatically processes refunds.
Steps to Resolve:
- Confirm with the Payment Gateway that only one transaction was recorded.
- Advise the student to check with their bank for the refunded amount.
- Provide bank or Payment Gateway reference IDs for tracking, if required.

Preventive Measures and Automation

Automation Tools:
Leverage scripts and automated workflows to identify duplicate transactions efficiently.
Real-Time Alerts:
Set up alerts to detect unusual payment patterns or overpayments promptly.
Client Communication:
Regularly update clients on resolution progress and provide clear timelines for refunds.
Periodic Reconciliation:
Perform monthly reconciliations of transactions between NPF, Payment Gateway, and client accounts to catch discrepancies early.

Reporting & Communication

Internal Teams:
- Provide weekly reports on identified duplicate payment cases and their resolution status.
- Schedule regular reviews to identify gaps in the process.
Client Updates:
- Share detailed reports of discrepancies, resolutions, and refunds initiated.

Escalation Matrix

Primary Contact: Operations Team
Secondary Contact: Data and Analytics team (Technical Support)
Final Escalation: Collexo Ops Manager

Goals of the Process

Enhance operational efficiency by minimizing manual intervention.
Reduce refund delays and ensure accurate handling of payments.
Build trust with clients through transparency and timely communication.

Document Control

Version: 1.0
Effective Date: 12-December-2024
Last Review Date: 12-December-2024
Owner: Collexo

By following this SOP, we aim to create a seamless and robust refund management system, ensuring client satisfaction and operational excellence.