Thanks for joining this thread, W-PL.

I'm happy to provide some info so you're able to issue a refund in your QuickBooks Desktop account. 

Issuing a refund to your customer instead of a credit memo can be done in just a few quick steps. Here's how:

1. Select the Customers menu and then Credit Memos/Refunds.
2. In the Customer:Job dropdown, choose the customer you need to refund.
3. Enter the products and services you need to refund.
4. Click Save & Close when you're finished. This opens an Available Credit window.
5. Select Give a refund and then OK. 
6. In the Issue a Refund window, select how you want to refund the transaction from the Issue this refund via field. If you select Cash or Check, select the account you're paying for the refund from.

The following article provides additional details about these steps: Void or refund customer payments in QuickBooks Desktop

Please feel free to reach back out if you have any other questions. I'll be here to lend a hand.

If the overpayment is already listed, you wouldn't create an entire new credit memo. That would be duplicating the credit.  Wouldn't you just open the payment and change the Overpayment box on the bottom from Leave the Credit to be used later to Refund the amount to the customer, and follow the steps?

You're right, @DBETHEA.

You can certainly go back to the overpayment and change it to Refund the Amount to the customer. Once you've updated the overpayment to that option, a follow-up screen will show refund payment options (Check, credit card, etc.). All you'll need to do is choose which payment option you'd like to send the refund from, then hit OK to save the changes. You can reference my screenshot below as an example. 

Thank you for sharing this idea with others on the thread. It's users like you that make having the QuickBooks Community so great. Sharing solutions is what helps us become a stronger team. Take care! 

The overpayment was made over 7 months ago and now the customer would like a refund by check. When you go back to the Receive Payment screen for the original payment from 7 months ago, there is no option to edit it back to refund the customer. It just simply sits there as an overpayment. I know not to create a credit memo, but how would you remove the overpayment and issue a refund? That is my question. 

I always create an invoice for a non-inventory item "over payment" before I post the check. I use the check number for the PO. After posting the full payment (including the over payment invoice) I create a credit memo that I can share as an actual credit memo with an actual balance that I can send to the customer to either keep on account or request a refund.  All of my customers require an actual numbered credit memos. Stupid, I know, QB versions ago used to ask if you wanted to create a credit memo for the over payment,but they dropped that simple option for some unknown reason and refuse to put it back

Thanks for the additional information, @W-PL.

I know a way to zero out an overpayment to your customer. 

Since this is a paid invoice, we can issue a check refund to this customer for the overpayment amount. Let me show you how:

1. Go to your menu Banking and Write Checks.
2. Choose the appropriate bank account.
3. Pick the correct check number and date.
4. Select this same customer in the “Pay To The Order Of” field.
5. Fill in the amount of the overpayment (credit balance) you wish to refund.
6. Very Important: Choose the account “Accounts Receivable” in the Expenses tab towards the bottom of the screen.
7. Click Save & Close.

That should do the trick, @W-PL. As your reference, for you to track customer transactions in terms of expenses and accounts payable, QBDT provides a wide range of approaches. Please read the following articles to learn more about them: 

• Accounts Receivable workflows in QuickBooks Desktop
• Accounts Payable workflows in QuickBooks Desktop

Tag my name or reply to this thread if you have other concerns about handling customer overpayments or QuickBooks in general. We're here to be of help always. Take care!

Is this for desktop because I don't have these screens.

Yes, @suzannek1. The steps provided below are for QuickBooks Desktop. If the steps aren't appearing on your end, I encourage you to update your QuickBooks Account to the latest release. Let me show you how to do it.

Running a QuickBooks Desktop release will help keep the account up-to-date. It will download and install the latest update available in QuickBooks Desktop.

Here's how to do it manually:

1. Go to Help and select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Select Update Now, then choose Get Updates.
3. When finished, close and reopen QuickBooks. 
4. When asked to install, select Yes.
5. When the installation finishes, follow the on-screen instructions.

Furthermore, to check if you have installed the latest update, check out this article for additional steps: Update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release.

If the steps aren't showing, we can perform the verifying tool and rebuild the data. The verifying tool will help locate the issue, and the rebuild tool will fix it. Please ensure to secure a copy of your company file. 

I'm always here to support you. Please add to this loop if you still have other concerns. Keep safe.

I am in this same predicament. You mentioned you figured out a way around it. How did you do so? I need help.

Thanks for joining this thread, @erinhstar.

For me to come up with the best resolution for you, can you please provide additional information about your specific concern?

Also, what QuickBooks product are you using? 

I'd appreciate any additional details you can provide. I'll keep an eye open for your response. Have a great day.

I don't feel like this is resolved as it says. QB just keeps offering the same answers and that they will pass this on to the engineers but not only has nothing been done in the past few years but they took away the option to print the credit memo in the first place. I did create the credit memo and voided it after sending. Since I sent it via QB, hopefully they don't panic if they are notified the credit memo was voided. The only other option I can come up with is to create a mockup in Adobe of your credit memo and send it outside of QB. That's probably how I will proceed going forward since it doesn't seem like something QB will change. 

How many times do you think this issue has to be turned in to QB before they will fix it?  It has been YEARS.  I am assuming QB has IT people and computer engineers.  The program is costly.  We need this fixed.