# Checking payments

> How to tell whether a customer paid, why a card declined, and what to do next: payment status badges, the Show unpaid filter, Charge Balance errors, refunds, and Stripe checks.

Source: https://ezdzskydive.com/docs/checking-payments · Last updated: 2026-11-03 · Audience: DZ admins and staff · Support: door@ezdz.xyz

"Did their payment go through?" and "My card declined" are the two most common questions. You can answer both without leaving EZDZ and your Stripe dashboard.

## Did they pay?

Open **Bookings** and find the booking (search by name or booking reference). Each booking shows a **payment status badge**:

| Badge | Color | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PAID | Green | Paid in full (including any coupon or gift certificate) |
| PENDING | Yellow | Unpaid or only a deposit has been paid. The balance is still owed |
| FAILED | Red | A card payment was attempted and declined |
| REFUNDED, PARTIALLY_REFUNDED | Red | Money was returned in full or in part |
| CANCELLED | Red | The booking was cancelled |

Open the booking to see the detail: **paid / total** with the amount **due** in red, any refund and its reason, and how it was paid (**Stripe**, **Cash**, **Other**, **Non-Rev**, or a **Gift Cert**).

> **Unpaid and failed bookings are hidden by default**
>
> The bookings list only shows bookings with money collected. To see abandoned, walk-in, and failed bookings, tick **Show unpaid**. If a customer says they booked and you can't find them, turn this on first.

> **Still not sure? Check Stripe**
>
> If the badge, the amount, or the customer's story doesn't add up, log in to your **Stripe Dashboard** and search for the customer's email or the amount. Stripe is the source of truth for whether money actually moved, and it shows the exact decline reason EZDZ doesn't. From EZDZ you can open it with **Open Stripe Dashboard** in **Settings → Booking System Config → Payment Settings**. See [Stripe & payments](https://ezdzskydive.com/docs/stripe-and-payments).

A booking with a deposit stays **PENDING** until the deposit and any discounts cover the total. That is normal. Use **Charge Balance** to collect the rest.

## A card declined

When Stripe declines a card payment, EZDZ marks the booking **FAILED**. EZDZ doesn't show the bank's reason, but Stripe does.

1. In EZDZ go to **Settings → Booking System Config → Payment Settings** and click **Open Stripe Dashboard**.
2. Open **Payments** and search for the customer's email or the amount.
3. Open the failed payment. Stripe shows the decline reason, such as insufficient funds, expired card, or a bank block.
4. Tell the customer what happened and choose an option below.

What you can do:

- **Customer retries.** They can try another card from the payment link in their booking email, or book again. Booking recovery links resume the same booking.
- **You collect it.** Open the booking and use **Charge Balance** with a different card or the card reader. If there's no saved card, EZDZ opens the card entry window.
- **They pay another way.** Record it with **Cash**, **Other**, or **Gift Cert** on the booking.

There is no admin "retry" button. Charging again is always a new charge.

## Taking money on the bookings desk

| Button | Use it for |
| --- | --- |
| Charge Balance | Collect exactly what's still owed. Charges the saved card, or opens card entry |
| Custom Charge | Extras after the balance is paid: gear rental, coaching, pro shop |
| Cash, Other, Gift Cert | Record a payment taken outside Stripe |
| Non-Rev | Mark a comped booking (pending bookings only) |
| Refund | Return money, in full or in part |

If **Charge Balance** fails, the message tells you why:

| Message | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Card declined | The saved card was declined. Try another card |
| Payment requires additional authentication | The bank wants the customer to approve it. Have them pay manually |
| No saved payment method found | The customer has no card on file. Use card entry or the reader |

> **Upgrading a package?**
>
> Click **Edit Package** first, then **Charge Balance**. The balance updates automatically and your records stay clean. See [Bookings desk](https://ezdzskydive.com/docs/bookings-desk).

## Refunds

Click **Refund** on a paid booking. You'll see what was charged and what's refundable. Enter the amount (full or partial), pick a reason, optionally notify the customer, and confirm.

Reasons: Customer Request, No Show, Weather Cancellation, Service Issue, Administrative, Other. Refunds go back to the original payment method. If you refund directly in the Stripe Dashboard instead, EZDZ records it as an **Administrative** refund on the booking.

## Payouts and verification

Money reaches your bank on Stripe's payout schedule. Check **Open Stripe Dashboard → Balances / Payouts** for timing. If payments or payouts show **Pending verification** in Payment Settings, finish **Resume Onboarding**. See [Stripe & payments](https://ezdzskydive.com/docs/stripe-and-payments).

## Your EZDZ subscription

If you're on Pro and the billing card fails, your plan shows **past_due** under **Subscription Plan**. Update the card with **Update Subscription Payment Method**. This only affects your Pro subscription, not customer payments.