HoneyBook keeps you updated on your payments in real time so you always know where your money is and when it will arrive. Payment timelines vary depending on how your client pays, and each payment status reflects a different stage in that process.
Payment statuses and what they mean
Payment statuses help you understand exactly where a payment is in the process. The following list details all of the possible statuses that can appear for the payments you receive from your clients.
Below are the different payment statuses you may see, and what they mean.
Pre-Payment
These statuses appear before a client has submitted payment. Here's what each one means.
Status | What it means |
Upcoming | Payment is due at a later date and the client hasn’t paid yet. |
Due | Payment is due today and the client hasn’t paid yet. |
Overdue | The client hasn't made the payment and the due date has passed. Consider sending them a payment reminder. |
Payment in progress
When a client submits a payment, it moves through a few statuses before it's deposited to your account. Here's what each one means.
Status | What it means |
Charged | Client has initiated payment. Here, you can also see the date that the client was charged. |
Pending confirmation | The client has initiated payment and the funds are in the process of clearing their bank to be transferred to yours. Payments in “Pending confirmation” cannot be refunded yet. |
Processing | The payment is on its way to your bank account. This status means your client paid via bank transfer, which generally takes 7–8 days to process. If you haven't linked your bank account yet, funds will be securely held until you do. |
Payment Attempted
These statuses reflect what happened after a payment was submitted. Here's what each one means.
Status | What it means |
Deposited | The payment deposited to your bank account. Here, you can also see the date that you received the funds. |
Payment failed | The client's payment failed due to a declined card or insufficient funds. They will receive an email notification and will need to try again. |
Payout failed | The payout to your bank account failed due to an issue with your linked bank. Hover over the payment status for more details on the error and steps to resolve. For further assistance, reach out to our Support team. |
Canceled (Recurring invoices only) | The payment was canceled and no charge attempt will be made. |
Refund statuses
When you issue a refund, the status will update to reflect where it is in the process. Here's what each status means.
Status | What it means |
Refund initiated | You initiated a refund (full or partial) of the client payment. Here, you can also see the date that the refund was started. |
Refund in progress | The refunded amount is in the process of being returned to your client’s original payment method. |
Fully refunded | The client received a full refund of the payment and the funds have been returned to their original payment method. Here, you’ll see the date. |
Partially refunded | A partial refund was successfully returned to your client's original payment method. You can issue another refund for the remaining amount if needed. You'll also see the date and amount refunded. |
Refund error | There was an error processing the refund. For further assistance, reach out to our Support team. |
Disputes (if applicable)
These statuses appear when a cardholder initiates a dispute on a payment. You'll receive email updates for any dispute activity, and HoneyBook's Disputes Team is available to help throughout the process.
Status | What it means |
Pending dispute response | A dispute was initiated by the cardholder for the payment. |
Under review | The dispute case for the payment is currently under review with the issuing bank. Disputes usually take about 90 days at most to reach a decision. |
Held for dispute | The payment was applied to the balance of an open dispute. This status is not visible to your clients. It's only visible to you for payment tracking purposes, and it does not indicate that the payment itself is being disputed. |
Processed for dispute | The payment was applied to a closed dispute where the issuing bank ruled in the cardholder's favor. This status is not visible to your clients. It's only visible to you for payment tracking purposes, and it does not indicate that the payment itself was disputed. |
Dispute won | The issuing bank ruled in your favor for a dispute the cardholder initiated. If this payment amount was withdrawn or held, you should receive the full amount back. |
Dispute partially won | The issuing bank ruled partially in your favor for a dispute the cardholder initiated. If the won amount was withdrawn or held, you should receive this partial amount back. |
Dispute lost | The issuing bank ruled in the cardholder's favor for the dispute. You won’t receive any amount of this payment back, including the $10 dispute fee that was already included in the total due. |
Payment processing times
Clients can pay you through smart files or lead forms. Processing times differ depending on the payment method used.
Payment type | Collection method | Estimated processing time |
“Card payments” (cardholder entered) or “Card-on-file payments” | Smart file | 2–3 business days* |
ACH (U.S. Only) | Smart file | 7–8 days |
Pre-authorized debit (Canada only) | Smart file | 2-5 business days |
All payment types | Lead form | 5–7 business days |
*Payments submitted before 4:00 pm Pacific Time (PT) usually deposit after 2 business days. Payments submitted after 4:00 pm PT typically deposit after 3 business days.
📚 Tip
You can track the status of any payment by selecting Finance > Payments from the navigation menu. Learn more about tracking payments in HoneyBook.
Processing schedule examples
Payments made before 4:00 pm PT
Day paid | Transfer begins | Expected deposit day |
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
Thursday | Friday | Monday |
Friday | Monday | Tuesday |
Saturday or Sunday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
Payments made after 4:00 pm PT
Day paid | Transfer begins | Expected deposit day |
Monday | Wednesday | Thursday |
Tuesday | Thursday | Friday |
Wednesday | Friday | Monday |
Thursday | Monday | Tuesday |
Friday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
Saturday or Sunday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
📣 Note
Once a payment begins processing, it can’t be stopped or expedited. If your client made an error, you can issue a refund once the payment finishes processing.
How bank holidays affect payment processing
If a client submits a payment on or near a U.S. bank holiday, the deposit may take up to one additional business day to arrive. This applies to both credit card and bank transfer payments, since most banks don’t process transactions on holidays.
📚 Tip
Common examples include federal holidays like New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.
Instant deposits and bank holidays
Instant deposits aren’t affected by bank holidays. When available, they typically appear in your bank account within 24 hours, and often much sooner.
Track your estimated deposit date
You can always review in HoneyBook when a payment is expected to deposit, either by:
Selecting Finance > Payments from the navigation menu, or
In the client progress view of a sent invoice or smart file
These views show the most up-to-date processing and deposit information.
What to do if you don’t see a payment in your bank account
If a payment shows in HoneyBook but hasn’t reached your bank, check the following:
Bank details: Make sure your bank account is connected and verified
Processing time: Confirm the payment is within the expected timeframe or check the estimated deposit date
Re-verification: If needed, re-verify your bank details (you’ll be notified if action is required)
Bank holidays: Deposits may be delayed by up to 1 business day
Account status: Certain restricted businesses are not eligible to process payments
Bank transfer payment: Payments made via bank transfer take a bit longer to process. Ensure the payment has finished processing.
If everything looks correct and the deposit date has passed, contact Support via the question mark icon in your account.
📣 Notes
If a client pays before your bank account is connected, funds will be held securely until setup is complete.
Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message by clicking the Question Mark icon on any HoneyBook page. Our team is always happy to help!