Disable access for refunded, partially refunded or cancelled orders
Filemonk automatically disables access for refunded orders to enhance your digital content's security by preventing customers from downloading files from orders that are no longer valid. When enabled, this feature automatically blocks access to downloads for fully refunded or cancelled orders, and restricts access to specific products for partially refunded orders, protecting your digital products effectively.
How to Automatically Disable Access for Refunded Orders
Before customers lose access to refunded content, you need to enable the refund protection feature in your Filemonk settings and ensure orders are properly marked as refunded in Shopify.
Enabling Refund Protection in Filemonk
- Navigate to Settings from your Filemonk dashboard main menu
- Click on the Orders tab in the settings interface
- Locate the Disable access for refunded orders section
- Click Turn On to activate the refund protection feature
- Click Save to apply your changes
Marking Orders as Refunded in Shopify
- Log into your Shopify Admin dashboard
- Navigate to Orders from the main menu
- Find and click on the specific order you want to refund
- Click Refund button in the order details
- Select the items and amounts to refund:
- Full refund: Select all items and full amounts
- Partial refund: Select only specific items or partial amounts
- Click Refund to process the refund in Shopify
Understanding How Refund Protection Works
When refund protection is enabled, Filemonk automatically monitors order status changes and applies appropriate access restrictions based on the type of refund processed.
Full Refund Handling
- Complete access revocation: All download access is immediately disabled for the entire order
- Order status: Order shows "Access Disabled" in your Filemonk Orders tab
- Customer impact: Customers can no longer access any digital products from that order
- Email notifications: Customers are not automatically notified of access changes
Partial Refund Handling
- Selective access revocation: Only refunded products lose download access
- Remaining access: Non-refunded products in the same order remain accessible
- Order status: Order shows "Partial Access" in your Filemonk Orders tab
- Granular control: Each line item's access is managed independently
Monitoring Access Status in Orders
You can easily track which orders have had their access modified due to refunds directly from your Filemonk dashboard.
Viewing Order Access Status
- Navigate to Orders from your Filemonk dashboard main menu
- Review the Notes column for each order to see access status:
- "Access Disabled": Fully refunded orders with no download access
- "Partial Access": Partially refunded orders with limited access
- No indicator: Orders with full access to all purchased content
- Click on any order to view detailed access information for individual products
Understanding Status Indicators
- Access Disabled: Complete order refund - no downloads available
- Partial Access: Some items refunded - remaining items still downloadable
When Refund Protection Activates
The automatic access disabling feature triggers in specific scenarios based on Shopify order status changes.
Triggering Conditions
- Order marked as "refunded": Complete access revocation for entire order
- Order marked as "cancelled": Complete access revocation for entire order
- Partial refund processed: Access revocation only for refunded line items
- Order status updates: Feature monitors Shopify webhook notifications for changes
Business Benefits
- Content protection: Prevents unauthorized access to digital products after refunds
- Automated security: No manual intervention required to revoke access
- Customer clarity: Clear status indicators help manage customer expectations
- Fraud prevention: Reduces potential for customers to abuse refund policies
Advanced Configuration Options
Refund protection works alongside other Filemonk security features to provide comprehensive order management.
Integration with Other Features
- Fraud protection: Works together with high-risk order blocking
- Order status checking: Combines with payment status requirements
- Download limits: Refund protection overrides download count restrictions
- Email notifications: Access changes don't trigger automatic customer emails
Troubleshooting
Common issues when using automatic refund protection and their solutions.
Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Access not disabled after refund | Feature not enabled in settings | Enable "Disable access for refunded orders" in Settings > Orders |
Partial refunds affecting entire order | Shopify refund not processed correctly | Verify refund was processed as partial, not full refund in Shopify |
Customer still has access after full refund | Refund not reflected in Shopify order status | Check that order status shows "refunded" in Shopify Admin |
Feature toggle not available | Insufficient plan level | Upgrade to a paid Filemonk plan to access refund protection |
FAQs
Q: Do customers get notified when their access is disabled due to refunds?
A: No, Filemonk does not automatically send email notifications when access is revoked due to refunds. You may want to communicate refund policies and access changes directly with customers.
Q: Can I manually restore access for a refunded order?
A: Currently, access restoration for refunded orders requires manual intervention. Contact Filemonk support if you need to restore access for specific cases.
Q: Does this feature work with all types of digital products?
A: Yes, refund protection applies to all digital products managed by Filemonk, including files, license keys, and external links.
Q: What happens if I disable the refund protection feature after it's been active?
A: Disabling the feature stops future automatic access revocation, but previously revoked access remains disabled. You would need to manually restore access for affected orders.
Q: Does refund protection work with subscription products?
A: Yes, the feature works with subscription-based digital products. Access is revoked based on the refund status of individual subscription payments.
Q: How quickly does access get disabled after processing a refund in Shopify?
A: Access is typically disabled within minutes of processing the refund in Shopify, as Filemonk receives real-time webhook notifications of order changes.
Updated on: 19/08/2025
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