What Should I Do After Accidentally Overcharging Customers at Work?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

I accidentally overcharged customers at work without realizing the discount policy. I informed my manager, but I’m unsure if refunds will be issued. Am I religiously obligated to track down and repay those affected, even if I don’t know who they are?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

As an employee, you are essentially an agent acting on behalf of your employer. You are therefore required to act according to the guidelines and description of your job. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

If you accidentally overcharged a client, you would be required to inform your manager, which you did. And it would then be their responsibility to make sure the funds reached their rightful owner. If you know the customer or can reach out to them, then to the extent that you have that means, you are obliged to do so.

Being that it was an accident, you are not obliged or accountable for any more than the above, in addition to seeking Allah’s forgiveness.

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.