Business payments
What to Do When a Customer Has Been Debited but You Haven’t Received Payment
If a customer has been debited but you cannot find their payment, check the intended receiving account and compare the original transaction details. Keep the order marked payment under review while you investigate. Avoid requesting another payment while the first attempt remains unresolved.
A debit on the customer’s side does not, by itself, establish that your business received the money.
Start by checking the right account
Confirm which account the customer intended to pay.
If you use GoTap for personal and business payments, make sure you are viewing the business account used for the sale.
Refresh your balance and transaction history. Look for the incoming payment using the amount and approximate time.
Check the transaction record rather than relying only on a balance change or notification. Another payment or account movement could affect the balance.
Compare the details from both sides
Ask the customer to open the original payment in their own app and check:
- Recipient name and destination.
- Amount.
- Date and time.
- Transaction status.
- Transaction reference.
Compare those details with your receiving account.
If the destination is wrong, the intended payment has not been established as received by your business. The customer should contact the service they used about the original transfer. A second payment would be a separate transaction.
A screenshot can help you read the details. It is still a record from the payer’s side.
Decide what the available evidence supports
| What you find | What to do next |
|---|---|
| A completed incoming payment in your account | Match it to the order and acknowledge receipt. |
| The customer was debited, but receipt is unclear | Keep the payment under review and investigate the original attempt. |
| The payment is shown as failed, but the debit remains unresolved | Contact the sending service; do not assume the money has returned. |
| The original attempt is confirmed unsuccessful and the funds have returned | Agree on a fresh payment method, then verify the new receipt. |
An error message or lost connection does not necessarily mean no money moved.
Likewise, a promised reversal is not the same as a completed return of funds.
Explain the next step clearly
Keep the conversation factual:
I’ve checked our receiving account and cannot confirm the ₦18,000 payment yet. Please open the original transaction and send its reference, time and status. We’ll use those details to investigate before arranging another payment.
Tell the customer what happens to the order while you check. For example, it may remain reserved or await dispatch under your agreed policy.
If you choose to release an order before confirming payment, record that as a business decision. Keep the payment status accurate.
Report the original transaction
For a GoTap payment, the payer can open Transactions, select the payment and use Report Issue if the result remains unclear.
If there is no transaction record, contact support with the amount, time, intended recipient and any error shown. Explain whether the balance changed.
The receiving business should also retain its account details and the information needed to compare the payment.
Follow GoTap’s missing customer payment checks.
Use official support channels. Never share a PIN, password or one-time code to “release” a transfer.
Close the issue when the outcome is established
Record the final result: received, returned, sent to the wrong destination or still unresolved.
If a replacement payment was later agreed, keep its reference alongside the original attempt. If both payments subsequently arrive, confirm both receipts and agree how to handle the extra amount through the appropriate payment service.
Before asking a customer to retry, check the original payment. That protects both your sale and the customer’s money.