Your bank returned a payment on an Ascen invoice — what happens next

Last updated: September 23, 2026

Applies to: clients and partners who pay an Ascen invoice by ACH debit — either a payment you submitted from the invoice page, or an automatic debit you authorized. Workers are never asked to pay an invoice; if you are a contractor or employee looking for your pay, see your paystub instead.

Summary: If your bank sends a payment back, the invoice returns to open and the payment we recorded is removed, so the balance shows as unpaid again. Nothing about what you owe changes. Find out from your bank why it came back, fix the bank account saved on your account, and pay the invoice again.

What happens on our side

  • The invoice goes back to open. It is not voided, and the amount due is unchanged.

  • The payment that was recorded against it is removed, so the invoice shows the full balance outstanding again.

  • Payment reminders for that invoice start again, because it is open.

  • Our accounts receivable team is alerted. There is no automatic email to you, so if you saw the return at your bank first, it is worth telling us.

Why a bank payment comes back

  • Insufficient funds on the day the debit was presented.

  • Wrong or closed account. The most common cause is saving the account printed on the invoice — that is the account the money goes to, not the one it should come from.

  • A debit block or filter on your account. Many business accounts only allow ACH debits from companies you have pre-authorized with your bank. If that is your setup, ask your bank to authorize Ascen before the next due date.

  • You asked your bank to return it — for example if the payment was not authorized by someone in your organization.

What to do

  1. Ask your bank for the return reason. They will have a specific code or explanation; it tells you whether this is a funding issue or a setup issue.

  2. Check the bank account saved under Payment Methods in your dashboard, and replace it if the details were wrong. Only owners and administrators on your organization can add or change a payment method.

  3. Pay the invoice again — by bank from the invoice payment page, or by card, wire, or check. See How do I pay invoices? for all of the options and Paying an invoice online with a bank account for the online steps.

  4. If the amount itself is what you are questioning, do not leave it unpaid — raise it instead. See How to dispute or question an invoice.

If debits keep being returned

If you have authorized automatic debits and the same invoice is returned several times, we stop trying to debit that invoice automatically and it has to be paid manually. Other invoices are not affected, so the thing to fix is the saved bank account — otherwise the next invoice will be returned too.

Who to contact

  • A returned payment, a specific invoice, or an invoice that still shows a payment in progress → accountsreceivable@ascen.com (or support@ascen.com).

  • What is on the invoice → How to dispute or question an invoice.

  • Timesheet entry or assignment scheduling → your staffing Partner.

Never send full bank account or routing numbers by email. The last four digits and the invoice number are enough for us to find the payment.