Business payments
Payment Screenshots vs Confirmed Payments: How to Know You’ve Been Paid
“I’ve sent it. See the receipt.”
Your customer shows you a successful payment screen. The amount looks right. Your business name appears on it. But you haven’t found the money in your account.
A payment screenshot can help you investigate a transfer. To confirm that your business received the money, check the completed incoming payment in your own account.
That applies whether the customer pays by bank transfer or through GoTap.
What does a screenshot actually show?
A screenshot shows a payment screen at the moment someone captured it.
It may contain the recipient’s name, amount, transaction time, status and reference. Those details can help you find the payment or explain a problem to support.
But the image alone cannot establish that your account received the money. It could show an earlier payment, a different destination or a transaction that still needs checking. Images can also be altered.
A genuine screenshot can still leave a payment unresolved. Treat it as information to compare with your own records.
What should you check instead?
Open the account your business was supposed to receive into and find the specific incoming payment.
Check:
- The receiving account: Is this the business account used for the sale?
- The amount: Does the received amount cover the purchase?
- The transaction: Does its time and reference match the customer’s payment?
- The status: Does your receiving service show a completed credit?
A balance change alone may be difficult to match to a particular customer, especially when several people pay similar amounts. Open the transaction details where available.
Screenshots and receiving records at a glance
Scroll sideways to compare both options.
| What you’re checking | Customer’s screenshot | Your receiving account |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Shows the amount on the captured screen | Shows the amount credited to you |
| Destination | Shows the recipient details on that screen | Lets you check the account that received the payment |
| Current status | May reflect an earlier moment | Lets you check the latest available transaction status |
| Troubleshooting | Can provide a reference, time and other details | Helps establish whether the incoming payment is present |
| Completing the sale | Needs verification against your records | Use the matching completed credit to confirm receipt |
What if the customer was debited?
A debit on the customer’s side needs investigation when you cannot find the corresponding credit.
Start with a calm explanation:
“I can see the receipt. Let me check the payment in our account before we complete the sale.”
Then compare the recipient, amount, time and transaction reference. Make sure you are checking the correct account and refresh the transaction history.
If you still cannot find the payment, contact your payment provider with the details. The customer may also need to raise the issue with their provider.
Do not assume the customer is dishonest because the payment is missing. Equally, do not mark the sale as paid while receipt remains unconfirmed.
Should you ask them to pay again?
Check the original transaction first.
If the customer was debited and the result is unclear, another payment could mean paying twice. An error message or lost connection does not establish that the first attempt moved no money.
Keep the order and its payment details together while you investigate. If you have staff, make sure the next person handling the sale knows that the original payment remains unresolved.
GoTap’s guide to an unconfirmed payment explains what to check before retrying.
How to check a GoTap business payment
When a customer pays through GoTap:
- Make sure you are viewing the merchant account used for the sale.
- Refresh your balance and transaction history.
- Find the incoming payment and check its amount and status.
- Compare the transaction details with the customer’s record if anything is unclear.
- Contact support if the payment still cannot be found.
A completed GoTap payment reaches your GoTap wallet. Moving that money to your bank is a separate step, subject to the terms shown in your account.
See what to do when a customer paid but you cannot see the money.
Make confirmation part of every sale
Use the same check whether the customer is new, a regular or someone your staff knows.
Before handing over goods or marking an order as paid, find the matching completed payment in your own receiving account. Keep the transaction reference with the sale when you need to investigate an issue.
The customer’s receipt helps you trace the payment. Your receiving record tells you whether you’ve been paid.