Payout Does Not Match Bank Deposit

When you receive a deposit from Stripe, PayPal, Givebutter, or Donorbox, the amount in your bank often doesn't match what donors gave. This is normal: your donation platform groups multiple donations into a single payout and subtracts processing fees before sending the money. NP Ledger tracks this for you.

Suggested prompts:

• "My bank deposit doesn't match my donation totals. Walk me through settlement."
• "How do processing fees affect my payouts?"

1. Go to your Dashboard and find the Donations in Transit widget.
2. Review the pending payouts. The widget shows each platform's waiting donations and the total still in transit — money tracked between when a donor gives and when the payout lands in your bank. Donations sit here until they're matched to a bank deposit.
3. Compare the in-transit total to the deposit amount on your bank statement. If they don't match, one of the causes below likely applies.

1. Processing fees were deducted

What happened: Your donation platform subtracted its processing fees (the percentage each platform charges to process a donation, typically 2-3%) before sending the payout. For example, if a donor gave $100 and the platform charges 2.9% + $0.30, the payout is $96.80, not $100.

How to fix it:

The simplest path is to import your bank statement — NP Ledger spots the payout deposit ("Payout Deposits Detected"), calculates the fees, and walks you through settling it. You can also settle manually:

1. On your Dashboard, find the Donations in Transit widget and click Settle next to the platform.
2. Enter the Net payout amount deposited (the exact amount the platform put in your bank, after its fees), then choose the bank account it was deposited to.
3. Click Preview Settlement. NP Ledger works out the processing fees automatically by comparing the donation total to the amount deposited.
4. Review the Confirm Settlement screen, then click Confirm & Post.

NP Ledger moves the net amount into your bank account and records the processing fees as an expense. This is called settlement: matching a bank deposit to the donations it represents and recording the fees.

2. Multiple donations were grouped into one payout

What happened: Donation platforms typically batch donations together and send one combined payout. A single $1,247.50 bank deposit might represent 15 separate donations. This is normal.

How to fix it:

This isn't a problem: it's how payment platforms work. Settle the payout (described above) to match the batch. NP Ledger matches the total automatically.

3. A refund was included in the payout

What happened: If you refunded a donation after it was included in a pending payout batch, the platform subtracts the refund from the next payout. The deposit is smaller than expected.

How to fix it:

1. Check your donation platform's payout details for any refunds in the batch.
2. Verify the refund was recorded in NP Ledger. Go to Transactions and look for a void or negative entry near the refund date. Refunds from connected platforms are usually recorded automatically.
3. Settle the payout using the actual bank deposit amount. NP Ledger adjusts for the refund.

4. A payout hasn't arrived yet

What happened: Donation platforms typically send payouts 2-7 business days after donations are received. If you see pending payouts in NP Ledger but no matching bank deposit, the money may still be in transit.

How to fix it:

1. Check your donation platform dashboard for the payout status and expected arrival date.
2. Wait for the deposit to arrive, then settle normally.

Tip: NP Ledger can send you reminders when payouts are pending too long. Configure your preferred alert timing under Organization > Donation Connections > Payout Reminders (choose Relaxed, Standard, or Tight).

You can handle it yourself if:

• The difference is explained by processing fees (most common)
• Multiple donations were batched into one payout
• A refund reduced the payout amount
• The payout simply hasn't arrived yet

Consider asking for help if:

• The deposit amount doesn't match even after accounting for fees and refunds
• You see payouts on your platform dashboard that never arrived in your bank
• The same payout appears stuck in "pending" for more than 14 days
• You're not sure which donations belong to which bank deposit