Stripe FAQ

The following are frequently asked questions and recommendations regarding the Stripe gateway:

When should we check for payment reconciliation?

In test environments, payments will reconcile in 5–15 minutes. In live environments, direct debit payments take 1–7 business days to confirm the success or failure of a one-off payment or an initial recurring payment enrollment, and up to four business days for subsequent recurring payments. For exact processing times for each region, see Stripe: Getting Started Guide. As a rule of thumb, if payments are submitted every day, check for reconciliation daily.

Why is a direct debit payment not showing as "Completed" in iMIS?

Direct debit payments do not settle at checkout and can take several business days to reach a Completed or Failed status. The payment remains unreconciled, and the related invoice shows AwaitingReconciliation, until the Retrieve processed payments from Pay Central scheduled task runs and updates iMIS with the final payment status. Enable and schedule this task for both one-off and recurring Stripe direct debit payments. See Retrieve processed payments from Pay Central for full details.

Why is a direct debit payment showing "Pending payments" in iMIS?

Because direct debit payments do not settle automatically at checkout but first enter the AwaitingReconciliation state, the payment's invoice initially displays Pending payments in the value of the payment made using the Stripe gateway. Running the Retrieve processed payments from Pay Central task updates iMIS with the final payment status. See Using the 'Retrieve processed payments from Pay Central' scheduled task for full details.

Where is the BACS reference number in iMIS?

To match a payment in iMIS, use the Payment ID. This value will be prepended with pi_. Further details can be found by searching using this “payment intent” in the Stripe portal.

Is there an alert for payment failures?

There is no out-of-the-box payment failure alert, however, when retrieving processed payments, there is an Invoice Settlement Status column that indicates the status of the submitted payment. Be sure to review this column frequently.

Why can't I resubmit certain failed payments?

Some payments may not be available to resubmit for various reasons, such as the expiration date for the payment method having passed, or invalid security codes. However, if insufficient funds were the reason for failure, once the funds are available, the payment may be submitted again. In all cases, reach out to the affected user to troubleshoot. See Resubmitting failed automatic payments for more.

What invoice types does Stripe direct debits support?

Stripe direct debits supports accrual and persisted cash invoice types. See Cash membership invoices.

Why was the Paid thru data updated?

Users are enrolled in recurring membership immediately upon submitting the payment, regardless of the payment success or failure to establish enrollment. Failed payments result in an open invoice. See Paying open invoices to learn more.

Can multiple currencies be processed in the same Stripe gateway configuration?

No. The accepted currency and UI is determined by the Default currency code. Review the following:

• ACH – Only available for the United States (USD)
• BACS – Only available for the United Kingdom (GBP)
• SEPA – Only available for the Euro region (EUR)
• BECS – Only available for New Zealand and Australia (NZD OR AUD; not both at the same time)

For example, an organization based in the UK that has configured Stripe to accept GBP payments through BACS cannot accept SEPA payments; SEPA payments will fail.

Why am I seeing multiple "Canceled" payments in the Stripe Dashboard?

"Canceled" payments in Stripe are typically abandoned pre-authorizations created when a user enters payment details but then changes their cart, payment method, or AutoPay selection before completing checkout.

In these cases, no funds are captured, no void or refund occurs, and no payment record is created in iMIS; these pre-authorizations are automatically cancelled by Data Vault after 90 seconds. If a customer approaches you about issues taking a payment and the Stripe Dashboard has many cancellations related to their name, please contact our support team.

How can Stripe help me keep credit card data, such as expiration dates, current?

Stripe offers an all-inclusive Card Account Updater (CAU) (similar to Decline Minimizer offered by Global Payments). CAU is a Stripe feature that automatically updates stored card information when cards are reissued or replaced. This helps with the following:

• Prevent payment failures due to expired or replaced cards
• Maintain uninterrupted billing for subscriptions and recurring payments
• Reduce customer churn from outdated payment information

How do I sign up for Stripe's Card Account Updater?

No additional work is required. The CAU is already included with your Stripe account.