Payment Problems

Dealing with payment problems can be stressful, especially when you're waiting for earnings from completed work or trying to fund a contract for a freelancer. Opengates uses Paystack as its primary payment processor, and while the system is designed to be reliable and secure, issues can sometimes arise.

This guide covers the most common payment problems on Opengates and provides step-by-step solutions to help you resolve them.

Payment Failed

If your payment attempt failed — whether you're funding a contract, paying for a subscription, or making any other transaction — here's how to troubleshoot:

Check Your Payment Method

1. Verify card details: Make sure the card number, expiration date, and CVV you entered are correct. Even a single wrong digit will cause the payment to fail.
2. Ensure sufficient funds: Check that your card or bank account has enough funds to cover the payment amount.
3. Check card validity: Make sure your card hasn't expired. If it has, update your payment method with a new card.
4. Try a different card: If you have another card on file, try using it instead. This can help determine whether the issue is with a specific card or with the payment system in general.

Check for Bank Restrictions

Sometimes your bank may block the transaction for security reasons:

• International transactions: If your bank is in a different country than where Opengates processes payments, the transaction may be flagged as suspicious. Contact your bank to authorize international transactions.
• Online transaction limits: Some banks have daily or per-transaction limits for online purchases. Check if your payment exceeds these limits.
• Card block: Your bank may have temporarily blocked your card due to suspicious activity. Call your bank to confirm and unblock it.

Network Issues

• Unstable internet: If your internet connection dropped during the payment process, the transaction may not have been completed. Check your transaction history to see if the payment went through.
• Don't retry immediately: If a payment fails due to a network issue, wait a few minutes before trying again. Multiple rapid attempts may trigger fraud detection systems.

Contact Information

If the payment continues to fail after checking the above:

1. Note down the exact error message you're seeing.
2. Take a screenshot of the error.
3. Check your email for any notifications from Opengates or Paystack about the failed transaction.
4. Contact our support team with these details.

Paystack Errors

As Opengates uses Paystack for payment processing, you may occasionally encounter Paystack-specific errors. Here are the most common ones and what they mean:

"Transaction Declined"

This means Paystack received a decline response from your bank or card issuer.

Possible causes:

• Insufficient funds.
• Card restrictions (daily limits, international transaction blocks).
• The card issuer flagged the transaction as suspicious.

Solution: Contact your bank to ask why the transaction was declined, and request them to authorize it. Then try the payment again.

"Authentication Failed"

This usually relates to 3D Secure (3DS) authentication — the extra verification step where your bank sends you an OTP (one-time password) or asks you to verify the transaction in your banking app.

Possible causes:

• You didn't complete the authentication step (didn't enter the OTP or didn't approve in your banking app).
• The OTP expired before you entered it.
• Your phone number on file with your bank is outdated, so you didn't receive the OTP.

Solution: Try the payment again and complete the authentication step promptly. If you're not receiving the OTP, contact your bank to update your phone number.

"Transaction Timeout"

The payment process took too long and timed out.

Possible causes:

• Slow internet connection.
• The authentication step took too long.
• Server-side delays.

Solution: Ensure you have a stable internet connection and try the payment again. Complete any authentication steps as quickly as possible.

"Invalid Card"

The card details you entered don't match a valid card.

Possible causes:

• Typo in the card number, expiration date, or CVV.
• The card has been cancelled or is no longer active.
• The card type is not supported.

Solution: Double-check all card details. If the card is valid, try entering the details again carefully. If the issue persists, try a different card.

Payout Not Received

Payments on Opengates are instant — once a client releases the payment, funds are sent immediately to your payout method. If you haven't received your payout:

Check Your Payout Method

1. Go to Settings > Payment Settings > Payout Method.
2. Confirm your M-Pesa number or bank account details are correct and up to date.
3. If details are wrong, update them and contact support to resend the payout.

Verify the Payment Was Released

1. Go to your Earnings or Contract page.
2. Check whether the client has actually approved and released the payment. If the status still shows "Awaiting Approval," the client has not released the payment yet.
3. If the client is unresponsive, the escrow will be automatically released after 14 days.

Common Reasons for Missing Payouts

• Incorrect payout details: If your M-Pesa number or bank account details are wrong, the payout may fail. Update your details in Payment Settings.
• M-Pesa account issue: Your M-Pesa account may be inactive or at its balance limit.
• Bank account closed or dormant: Your linked bank account may have been closed or marked dormant.
• Verification required: If you have not completed identity verification, payouts may be held.

What to Do If Your Payout Failed

1. Check the error details in your Payout History.
2. Update your payout details if they were incorrect.
3. If the issue persists, contact our support team with:
   • Your payout reference/transaction ID.
   • The amount and date.
   • Your M-Pesa number or bank name and the last four digits of your account number.

Escrow Not Releasing

Opengates uses an escrow system to protect both clients and freelancers. Funds are held in escrow until the work is completed and approved. If escrow funds aren't being released, here's what might be happening:

Client Hasn't Approved the Work

The most common reason escrow isn't released is that the client hasn't yet approved the delivered work.

For freelancers:

• Make sure you've submitted your deliverables through the proper channels on the platform.
• Send the client a polite message asking them to review your work and release the payment.
• If the client is unresponsive for an extended period, you can open a dispute through the platform.

For clients:

• If you've received the work and are satisfied, go to the contract page and click Approve or Release Payment to release the funds from escrow.
• If you're not satisfied with the work, communicate with the freelancer about the issues. If you can't reach a resolution, you can open a dispute.

Active Dispute

If a dispute has been opened on the contract, escrow funds are frozen until the dispute is resolved. Neither party can access the funds during an active dispute.

What to do: Participate actively in the dispute resolution process. Provide evidence, respond to questions, and work toward a fair resolution. Opengates' dispute resolution team will mediate and make a decision.

Escrow Release Timeline

After the client approves the work, the payment is released instantly:

1. Client approves: Funds are released from escrow.
2. Instant payout: The platform fee is deducted and the remaining amount is instantly sent to the freelancer's payout method of choice.

Automatic Escrow Release

In some cases, if the client doesn't respond to a delivery submission within a specified period (as outlined in the contract terms), the escrow may be automatically released to the freelancer. Check your contract terms for details.

Currency Conversion Issues

Opengates operates as a global marketplace, which means transactions may involve currency conversion.

Understanding Currency Conversion

When a payment involves different currencies (e.g., a client pays in USD but the freelancer receives KES), the conversion is handled automatically at the time of payout. However, currency conversion can introduce some complexity:

• Exchange rates fluctuate: The exchange rate at the time of payout is the rate applied.
• Conversion fees: A small fee may be applied for currency conversion. This is typically a percentage of the transaction amount.
• Rate display: The conversion rate and any fees are usually displayed before you confirm a transaction, so you can see exactly what you'll receive.

Common Currency Conversion Issues

• Amount received is different from expected: This is usually due to exchange rate fluctuations. The rate applied is the rate at the time the payout was sent.
• Double conversion: In some cases, funds may be converted twice (e.g., from the client's currency to a platform currency, then to the freelancer's currency). Check the transaction details for specifics.
• Unsupported currency: If your bank account currency is not directly supported, additional conversion may be applied by your bank.

Tips for Managing Currency Conversion

• Check the exchange rate before transacting: Be aware of the current exchange rate so you know what to expect.
• Consider pricing in a stable currency: If you're a freelancer, pricing your services in a widely used, stable currency (like USD) can help reduce conversion unpredictability.

Card Declined

If your card is being declined when trying to make a payment:

Common Reasons for Declined Cards

1. Insufficient funds: Your account doesn't have enough money to cover the payment.
2. Card expired: The expiration date on your card has passed.
3. Incorrect card details: You entered the wrong card number, CVV, or expiration date.
4. Daily transaction limit reached: Your bank may impose daily spending limits on your card.
5. International transaction block: Your bank may block transactions processed in certain countries.
6. Fraud prevention: Your bank's fraud detection system may have flagged the transaction as suspicious.
7. Card type not supported: Some card types (prepaid, virtual, certain regional cards) may not be supported.

How to Fix a Declined Card

1. Verify your card details: Re-enter your card information carefully.
2. Check your balance: Ensure you have sufficient funds.
3. Contact your bank: Call the number on the back of your card and ask why the transaction was declined. Request them to authorize the transaction.
4. Try a different card: If you have another card available, try using it.
5. Use a different payment method: If available, try an alternative payment method such as bank transfer or mobile money.
6. Clear your browser cache: Sometimes cached payment information can cause issues. Clear your browser cache and try again.

After Your Bank Authorizes the Transaction

If your bank blocked the transaction and you've called them to authorize it, wait a few minutes before trying the payment again. The authorization update may take a moment to propagate through the banking system.

Preventing Future Payment Issues

• Keep your payment information up to date: Regularly check that your card details, bank account information, and contact information are current.
• Enable transaction notifications from your bank: This helps you stay aware of any issues in real time.
• Complete identity verification: Verified users may have access to higher transaction limits and faster processing.
• Save multiple payment methods: Having a backup payment method ensures you can always complete transactions even if one method has issues.

Still need help? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to assist you.