Foundation · 2 min
What you need to know
What is ecommerce payment reconciliation?
Payment reconciliation matches orders, provider transactions and bank deposits so each difference is explained. Work at transaction and payout-batch level. Do not expect the bank deposit for a day to equal all orders placed that day.
Why doesn’t my gateway payout match my order total?
A payout can include transactions from another period and deductions or credits for fees, refunds, disputes, reserves or currency conversion. Match the provider’s payout report to its included transactions rather than subtracting a guessed fee from today’s sales.
How do fees affect payout reconciliation?
Fees reduce the net amount received or may appear on a separate invoice or debit. Record the actual fee entries and their timing. Keep gross sales and processing costs separate so a bank deposit is not mistaken for sales revenue.
How do refunds affect reconciliation?
A refund may be deducted from a later balance than the payout that contained the sale. Link it to the original payment and retain the separate refund record. This lets a merchant explain a lower deposit without deleting the original sale record.
How do chargebacks affect reconciliation?
A dispute may create a debit, fee and later reversal if funds are returned. Record each movement and its final outcome. Avoid counting the same disputed amount again as an ordinary refund unless the provider records both movements.
How should merchants reconcile orders, payments and payouts?
Match each order to its provider payment references, then match the provider’s net movements to payout batches and the bank statement. Investigate unmatched items with an owner and a due date. Keep the original records when making corrections.
Foundation · 2 min
Frequently asked questions
Why does payment reconciliation become harder with multiple gateways?
Each gateway can use different references, cutoffs, currencies and reporting formats. Separate their balances and then combine a consistent summary. A common order ID helps, but it does not replace each provider’s transaction and payout references.
What payment data should be retained for reconciliation?
Retain order and provider IDs, amount and currency, dates, statuses, refund and dispute references, fees and payout links as needed for accounting and applicable retention rules. Use masked details where sufficient; reconciliation does not require storing card verification codes or full card numbers.