Payment Statuses
Every card or ACH payment taken through Sync Pay moves through a series of statuses, from the moment a customer hits Pay now to the day the money lands in your bank account. This article explains what each status means so you know whether a payment is done, still in flight, or needs your attention.
You see these statuses in two places:
- On the invoice, next to each payment in the Payments section.
- In the Sync Pay reports on your Settings -> Sync Pay page (the payments and deposits panels).
The payment journey
A healthy card payment moves through these stages in order:
| Status | What it means | Your money? |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | The customer submitted a payment and we are confirming it with their bank. Usually clears in seconds. | Not yet |
| Paid | The bank approved the charge and the funds are captured. The invoice is marked paid. | Captured, not deposited |
| Deposited | The captured funds (minus processing fees) have settled into your bank account. | Yes, in your bank |
| Refunded | You sent some or all of the money back to the customer. | Returned |
| Declined | The bank refused the charge. No money moved. | No |
| Disputed | The customer asked their bank to reverse the charge (a chargeback). | Held pending review |
Pending is normal and brief for cards. ACH (bank-to-bank) payments stay Pending longer (typically 1 to 4 business days) because the banking network confirms them in batches, not in real time.
Paid vs. Deposited
This is the distinction that trips people up most, so it is worth calling out.
- Paid means the charge went through. The customer has been billed and the invoice is settled from their side.
- Deposited means that money has actually arrived in your bank account.
There is always a gap between the two while the payment settles. A payment can be Paid today and Deposited a day or two later. See Deposits and Payouts for the timing.
A Paid invoice does not mean the cash is in your account yet. Use the Deposited status (or the deposits report) to reconcile against your bank statement, not the invoice list.
When a payment is declined
A Declined payment means no money moved and the invoice stays open. The reason is shown as a refusal code on the payment row. Some declines can be retried and some cannot.
See Declined Payments for what each refusal code means and what to do next.
When a payment is disputed
A Disputed payment is a chargeback: the customer contacted their bank to reverse a charge. The funds are held while the dispute is reviewed, and you have a limited window to submit evidence.
See Handling Chargebacks for the response process.