A return screen showing a total refund does not explain which payment instrument receives it. Merchants commissioning returns work should approve the allocation and the evidence for each leg before asking a supplier to automate the screen.
Source-bound fact
Shopify documents gift-card-first partial refunds and an alternative new card for a deactivated original. Official reference · Checked 17 October 2026.
Filled synthetic acceptance example
Synthetic teaching example, not a client case or a real-store assessment. On narrow screens, scroll to read the complete table.
| Input | Check basis | Expected |
|---|---|---|
| Paid gift80 + bank120; approved refund110 | original refundable card portion80 | card80; bank30 |
| Card already deactivated | do not reload original | replacement decision required |
| Refund screen says110; bank receipt missing | amount is not settlement evidence | bank leg remains unverified |
Supplier acceptance procedure
- Record the original tender amounts, refundable amounts, card status and gateway in a redacted order record.
- Compare the refund proposal with the approved allocation; test an amount smaller and larger than the gift-card portion.
- Match each completed leg to the provider record and updated balance; leave pending legs explicitly pending.
Interpret the output
In this synthetic110 refund,80+30 reconciles the proposal. It does not prove either leg was processed. A notification, a replacement instrument and a bank settlement are different outputs. Give the supplier a per-instrument acceptance column rather than a single green refund badge.
Explicit limits
No expiry-law advice, live payment, gift-card balance mutation or guarantee of gateway reload support. Confirm the actual gateway and refund limits before implementation.
Replay the finite teaching model
Save both files in one folder. With Node22 or newer, run the command below. JSON contains explicit inputs and expected results. The script processes synthetic data only, with no network, credentials, payment or API calls. Passing proves the finite model only, not a live integration.
Filled inputs and expectations · Inspectable teaching script
node check.mjs gift-refund-allocation-acceptance.json