Handling a bank transfer payment that fails – Soapbox Support Center

With the Auctions app, a bank transfer payment counts as paid as soon as the bidder makes it, before their bank has moved the money. Occasionally the bank turns the payment down afterwards, for example because the account has insufficient funds. When that happens, you void the payment so the bidder's balance reopens and they can pay another way.

How you find out

Soapbox checks bank transfer payments with Stripe whenever you open the auction's Checkouts tab or a bidder's checkout, and whenever the bidder opens their own checkout. No email is sent when the failure is found. You choose whether to email the bidder when you void the payment.

When the bank has turned a payment down:

On the Checkouts tab, the bidder's row shows "Bank payment failed" under their status.
On the bidder's checkout, under Payments and Adjustments, the payment shows "Failed at the bank:" followed by the bank's reason.

Important: A failed payment still counts as paid until you void it. The bidder's balance does not go back up by itself.

Voiding a failed payment

Open the Auctions Manager.
Click the title of the auction you want to manage.
Click the Checkouts tab.
Click the bidder's name, or click Open on their row.
Under Payments and Adjustments, find the payment marked "Failed at the bank" and click Void.
Enter a Reason (required).
Leave Email the guest that this payment did not go through selected to tell the bidder by email, or clear it to contact them yourself.
Click Void payment.

The Void bank payment dialog shows the bank's reason and what the bidder's balance will become. No money is returned, because none arrived.

The email tells the bidder the amount, that their bank did not complete the payment and no money was taken, and their balance now due. It includes a new checkout link so they can pay another way. It does not show the bank's reason. Its subject is "Your bank payment did not go through - [auction name]".

Note: For a bidder with no email address, the checkbox can't be selected and reads "(no email address on file)". Contact the bidder another way.

After you void

The bidder's balance goes up by the amount of the payment. Any processing fee that was added to it is removed.
The payment stays under Payments and Adjustments with the status Voided and your reason.
"Bank payment failed" no longer shows on the bidder's row.
When the email was sent, the Checkout link section reads "The bank payment was voided. The guest was emailed that it did not go through, with a checkout link to pay another way." The email is also listed under Communications & activity.
When you cleared the checkbox, or the bidder has no email address, it reads "The bank payment was voided. Send the bidder their checkout link so they can pay another way." See Sending a bidder a checkout link.
When the email could not be sent, it says so and gives the reason. The payment is still voided. Send the bidder their checkout link yourself.

In their Payment history, the bidder sees "Your bank didn't complete this payment" on that payment.

Things to know

Void appears only on a bank transfer payment that failed at the bank. To give money back from any other payment, use Refund. See Refunding a payment or reversing a write-off.
Voiding does not undo what happened when the bidder paid. A receipt that was sent stays sent, and a paddle raise pledge that was marked paid stays marked paid. If the bidder has already collected an item, follow up with them directly.
A payment that reads "not yet cleared by the bank" has not failed. It can't be voided or refunded yet. Check again later.

Messages you might see

Message	What to do
"Enter a reason for voiding this payment."	Enter a Reason (required), then click Void payment again.
"Only a bank payment the bank turned down can be voided. This one hasn't failed."	The payment has not failed. If it has cleared and you need to give money back, refund it instead.
"This bank payment hasn't cleared yet. You can refund it once it has, usually within four business days."	Wait until the payment reads "cleared", then refund it.
"This bank payment failed at the bank, so there is nothing to refund. Void it instead."	Click Void on the payment.

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