"Processing" payments: Understanding ACH/PAD Payments
ACH Payments or PAD Payments are secure electronic fund transfer methods that function via direct bank transfers.
Why is this payment still "processing"?
It's important to note that ACH and PAD payments can take between 5-10 business days to finalize. This processing time includes the period between the initiation of the transaction and its successful completion. Delays may occur due to various factors, including the banking systems involved.
When the transaction is initiated, your donor will receive a confirmation email that their transaction is in progress.
The transaction will appear as "processing" in your dashboard.
⚠️ Even if the funds have already been debited from your donor's bank account, the funds can still take a few days to reach us.
It is normal that their payment still states "processing" even if they have already been debited.
Why hasn't my donor's payment even started processing yet? (Micro-deposit verification)
If your donor entered their bank account and routing number manually at checkout — rather than logging in to their online banking through Stripe — their payment cannot begin processing until they complete a one-time micro-deposit verification.
Here's how it works:
After entering their account details, Zeffy sends a small test deposit (a few cents) to their bank account.
That deposit appears on their bank statement with a description starting with "SM", followed by a 6-digit verification code.
Your donor receives an email from Stripe prompting them to enter that 6-digit code to confirm they own the account.
Once verified, the payment begins processing and will clear within the usual 5–10 business days.
This verification must be completed within 10 days of the payment being initiated. If your donor doesn't complete it in time, the payment will not go through and they'll need to restart. Remind them to check their bank statement for the small deposit starting with "SM" to find their code. The test deposit can take 1–2 business days to appear.
Donors who log in to their bank through Stripe at checkout skip this step entirely — their account is verified instantly and the payment starts processing right away.
For a full walkthrough of what your donors experience, see Paying by bank transfer (ACH/PAD) - how it works.
When will I know if the payment went through?
As soon as the payment has succeeded, the status will update to "succeeded". Your donor will also be notified via email that their payment went through.
The official confirmation email (containing e-tickets and/or tax receipts) is sent only when the transaction is entirely finalized.
For ticket purchases specifically, the tickets are still "reserved" while the transaction is in progress, and are calculated in your amount of tickets sold to avoid overselling.
What if the payment fails?
If the bank transfer fails, you and your donor will be notified thereof via email. The payment having failed will also be reflected in your dashboard under the payment status.
The most common reasons for an ACH / PAD payment failing are as follows:
The payment was declined by the donor's bank: We recommend that your donor reach out to their banking institution to find out why the payment was declined. They can then reattempt a new payment or use a different payment method altogether.
The bank account had insufficient funds: Invite your donor to make sure the bank account they are using has enough funds to cover their payment before they reattempt another payment.