Why was this gift declined, and what should I do?
With any digital giving platform, you'll eventually have declined or failed gifts. This resource shows you where to find the information you need and what action you need to take with your givers.
How are declines reflected in reporting?
Your managers (with proper permissions) can view gift declines within the details of a batch deposit report.
You can identify declined gifts from the following values on the batch report:
-
Gross Amount column shows the amount that will be deducted from the next deposit. Because a gift's amount is deposited into your organization's account before a gift clears, a decline necessitates "settling up."
Givers see gift declines within their giver profiles. Your managers (with proper permissions) can also view gift declines within a giver's profile.
-
Payment Type shows payment method.
-
Status shows the gift's final destination (approved, declined, voided, refunded, chargeback).
*If there's a decline, there will be an additional line item showing funds credited back to the giver's account.
Why was the gift declined?
For ACH declines, your managers can view the ACH failure code, which explains why the gift failed.
Our system doesn't normally give any more specific information about the gift's unique decline reason on your Dashboard, but you can send our Support team a message to get more information.
In most cases, the decline is due to something on the bank's end, and the giver can contact them to resolve the issue.
Is the giver notified, or do I need to let them know?
When someone gives with her card online, she'll immediately see whether it was approved or declined. If a giver's recurring credit/debit card gift declines, she'll receive a system-generated notification email.
Since ACH gifts take longer to clear, the giver won't receive an immediate decline notification. If the ACH gift declines, the funds will be pulled from your organization's next deposit and be credited back to the giver. These are noted in your organization's reporting.
You're free to follow up with them to provide additional information, but no action is necessary on your part.
As always, if you have any other questions, feel free to send us a message. We're here to help! 😄
Updated