What should we do if a payment is not showing in our HSBC account (payAgent non-forwarded funds)?
If a client claims to have made a payment that is not showing in your HSBC account, it may be sitting in the payAgent account due to an unrecognised reference. These funds must be manually forwarded by Dylan — contact him directly to resolve this.
Note: This article is intended for internal staff use only and is not intended for clients.
Why payments may not reach the HSBC account
Our bank details appear at the bottom of invoices, allowing clients to make payments directly to our HSBC account. However, if a payment link is sent instead, payments route through the payAgent account first and then auto-forward into the HSBC account.
Auto-forwarding works by matching the payment description against the open payment link reference. If a client who has previously paid via a payment link makes a subsequent manual payment to the same payAgent bank details but uses a different reference, the system cannot identify where to forward the funds. Those funds will remain in the payAgent account indefinitely.
Finding the payment in payAgent
To locate a payment that has not forwarded, search within the payAgent account Overview using the amount, the reference the client used, or the client's name.
Resolving the issue
Only Dylan can forward these funds. Contact Dylan directly once you have identified the payment. Do not attempt to forward funds yourself.
Impress upon the client that payments should always be made either directly via the payment link or directly to the agent's account — manual payments to payAgent bank details with unrecognised references cannot be auto-forwarded.
Client scenario
This same situation can occur with our clients' tenants. If a tenant who does not have a Modulr account has previously paid via a payment link or STO request, and then makes a manual payment to the same payAgent bank details with a different reference, that payment will also sit in the payAgent account without forwarding.
Again, contact Dylan directly. Advise the client that their tenant should always pay via the payment link or directly to the agent's account.
Unknown funds
If a direct payment has been made to the payAgent account and no client can be identified — i.e. no client is contacting us and no descriptor can be used to identify the payer — contact both Glyn and Dylan. They will confirm next steps, which may include returning the funds to sender or searching system-wide for payee names.