E-Check payments may occasionally be returned or voided by a customer’s bank. When this happens, SmartMoving automatically detects the chargeback and updates the related job or account to reflect the change.
What Is an E-Check Chargeback?
An E-Check chargeback occurs when a bank reverses an E-Check payment after it has been submitted. This can happen for several reasons, including:
Insufficient funds
Invalid account information
A payment being voided by the bank
Because E-Check payments are processed through ACH networks, chargebacks may occur several days after the original payment is made.
How SmartMoving Handles E-Check Chargebacks
When an E-Check chargeback or voided payment is detected, SmartMoving automatically:
Marks the payment with the status the bank reported, such as Returned or Chargedback. Hovering the information icon beside the status shows the reason the bank gave.
Updates the job or storage account balance
Removes the payment from any invoices it was applied to
Notifies the appropriate user by email
These updates help reduce the need for manual tracking and reconciliation.
Recovering a Returned E-Check
When the customer saved a backup credit card with their E-Check payment, you can charge that card for the returned amount instead of collecting it from the customer separately.
Open the returned payment's actions menu in the Transactions tab of the opportunity's Payments card and select Charge backup card. The customer pays exactly the returned amount, with no credit card surcharge added.
Charge backup card appears when the opportunity has a usable saved card and the returned payment has not already been recovered. Each returned E-Check can be recovered once. The confirmation names the card before anything is charged, so check it matches the card you expect.
For how to require a backup card, what the customer is asked for at checkout, which card gets charged, and the full recovery steps, see How to Use a Backup Card for E-Check Payments.
Timelines to Be Aware Of
E-Check payments do not settle instantly.
Initial payment submission may appear successful
Chargebacks can occur days later once the bank completes processing
SmartMoving updates the payment status as soon as a reversal is detected
Because of this delay, it’s important to monitor payment status rather than assuming all E-Check payments have fully cleared immediately.
Notifications and Alerts
When a chargeback or voided payment occurs:
An email notification is sent to the user or job owner
The notification includes a link to the affected job or opportunity
Payment status is updated directly in SmartMoving
This ensures users are aware of reversals as soon as they happen.
How Balances Are Updated
When a chargeback occurs:
The original payment is no longer counted toward the balance
The remaining amount due is recalculated automatically
Any related invoices are updated to reflect the outstanding balance
If you recover the payment by charging a backup card, the card charge is recorded as a payment on the opportunity for the same amount, so the balance comes back down. It appears in the Transactions tab as a card payment alongside the returned E-Check, which stays on the record with its status.
These updates apply to both Moving and Storage transactions.
Should I charge the backup card or record a payment adjustment?
Charge the backup card when you want to collect the money. It charges the customer's saved card and records a real payment on the opportunity.
Record a payment adjustment when the money is not being collected in SmartMoving, for example when you are writing the amount off or handling it outside the system. An adjustment is a bookkeeping entry and does not charge anything. See How to Record a Payment Adjustment.
What This Means for Your Team
With E-Check chargeback handling built into SmartMoving:
Movers no longer need to check external systems for bounced payments
Accounting teams have clearer visibility into reversals
Payment records remain accurate and up to date
A returned E-Check backed by a saved card can be recovered from the opportunity, without contacting the customer for another payment