Why Does an “Authorized” Transaction Not Complete?

Last updated: June 12, 2026

When a transaction is marked as “Authorized”, it means the customer has confirmed the payment in their banking app - but the funds have not yet been received.

This status can persist for two main reasons, depending on the payment scheme used.



🔁 1. SEPA Credit Transfer (Standard)

If the customer used a SEPA Credit transfer (the non-instant scheme), this behavior is normal.

  • These payments can take 1 to 3 business days to settle.

  • Delays are expected depending on weekends, public holidays, and interbank processing times.

🕒 If the transaction is still in "Authorized" after 3 business days, you can follow the same troubleshooting steps outlined below for instant transfers.



⚡ 2. SEPA Instant Transfers

If the customer used SEPA Instant, funds are usually expected within seconds. If the transaction is stuck in "Authorized" beyond that, the issue lies with the sending bank.

✅ From Ivy’s side, everything has been completed:

  • The user initiated the payment.

  • The payment was confirmed in the banking app.

  • The sending bank acknowledged the authorization and passed us the confirmation payload.

At this point, the transaction enters execution - and that’s entirely controlled by the sending bank.

Note: If authorization confirmation isn’t received from the sending bank within 15 seconds, Ivy will display a "payment hold" screen to the customer. This screen is hosted by Ivy but indicates that we’re waiting for the bank's response.

Once funds are received from the sending bank, the transaction may move to "Finalizing" status. This means the funds have settled, but Ivy is running final checks before approval and release. This is a normal part of the payment flow and typically completes quickly. If a transaction is in finalising status please check your compliance email inbox for a request from our team



🛡 Why Might a Bank Delay Execution?

Even with SEPA Instant, some banks may:

  • Perform additional compliance or fraud screening before releasing funds.

  • Hold the payment temporarily due to internal risk checks.

  • Experience technical delays or overnight batch processing (even for instant-capable accounts).

These behaviors are not visible to Ivy and are outside our ability to influence.



✅ What You Can Do

If a transaction remains in “Authorized” status for longer than expected, first check the following:

  1. Check for RFI (Request for Information) — Verify whether you've received an RFI from Augustus in your compliance email inbox.

  2. Check the deposits tab — Look for the payment in your deposits tab to confirm whether funds have been received.

If you have NOT received an RFI and the payment is NOT in the deposits tab, this indicates the sending bank has the payment on hold for their own checks.

In this case, advise your customer to:

  1. End user to contact their bank's customer support directly.

  2. Ask specifically for a payment execution confirmation (not just a screen in their online banking app).

  3. Share the order reference or payment details when contacting the bank.