Batches overview
A batch is a group of transactions processed and funded together. Every batch carries two separate status tracks: a batch status and a transfer status. The batch status reflects where the batch itself is in its lifecycle, and the transfer status reflects the movement of funds to your bank account. Use both together to tell whether a batch is progressing or needs your attention.
This page covers batch and transfer status only. For how these relate to the individual transaction and settlement statuses tracked on each payment, see Pay in transaction lifecycle.
Batch statuses
Batches, also called payment groups, are collections of transactions gathered together to be processed at one time. Transactions can be captured or canceled in a batch while the status is Open. When the status moves to Closed, the batch begins processing, and transactions can’t be canceled or added to the batch.
Batch status is returned as BatchStatus when you query a batch. For example, the value "BatchStatus": 3 means that the batch has been funded.
A batch starts Open and collects transactions until it closes automatically at your paypoint’s daily cutoff, either 5:00 PM ET by default or a custom time. See Custom batch times to set a different cutoff for your paypoint. Once Closed, transactions can no longer be added or canceled.
Held is the status worth understanding in more depth: Payabli places a batch on hold when its risk systems flag it for potential fraud or unusual activity, pending review.
Transfer statuses
Transfer status is the status of a payment to the merchant. Successful transactions are batched, and when those funds have been collected, Payabli transfers that amount to the merchant’s bank account.
This status is returned as TransferStatus when you query a batch. For example, the value "TransferStatus":1 means the transfer is in transit.
Three transfer statuses indicate an exception rather than normal progress:
- Exception — the transfer failed, most often because of an invalid bank account on file, an amount that exceeds the merchant’s limit, or insufficient funds.
- Pending by Balance — your paypoint balance doesn’t have enough funds to cover the transfer. It resolves once the balance is sufficient, typically as new transactions build your available balance.
- ACH Return (Merchant Deposit) — the deposit into your bank account was returned, commonly because of a closed account or an incorrect account or routing number.
In rare cases a transfer can show as Suspended, a related state that isn’t part of the standard status list above. Treat it the same as the other exceptions here.
Depending on the type of return, you may be able to resolve the problem automatically. If you need additional help, contact your support team to investigate further.
How a batch moves through statuses
Most batches move through the same sequence:
Diagram: Batch status progression
A batch moves through five states in order, from open to funded:
- Open
- Closed
- In Transit
- Transferred
- Funded
Timing can vary for the progression. A transfer that initiates over a weekend or bank holiday won’t show as Funded until the next business day, so a batch that’s still In Transit isn’t necessarily delayed.
Batch tagging by payment method
Each batch shows a tag indicating which payment method its transactions belong to: Card, ACH, Cloud, or Multiple. This tag reflects your paypoint’s batch configuration, not an error state.
- Card / ACH / Cloud — the paypoint batches transactions separately by payment method.
- Multiple — the paypoint combines all payment methods into a single batch.
If you expect one behavior and see the other, your paypoint’s batch configuration may not match your expectation. Contact your account team to review the setting.
Related resources
See these related resources to help you get the most out of Payabli.
Next steps
- Manage Pay In batches and funding (Portal) - Report on and manage your batches in the Payabli Portal