International supplier payment delayed or returned?
Pause any replacement payment. Ask your bank to trace the original transfer, obtain its current status and explain any rejection or return. Verify corrections independently and reconcile the money actually credited back before resending. Cambridge China Bridge can help check supplier-side details through its staff in China.
Establish what happened before paying again
Save the payment confirmation, account debit, invoice, beneficiary details submitted and supplier correspondence. Ask your bank whether the instruction is awaiting release, under review, rejected before dispatch, with another bank, credited to the beneficiary or being returned. Request written confirmation of the status, the reason available and the next action.
A debit from your account does not establish that the supplier has received usable funds. Equally, a supplier saying payment has not arrived does not establish that it failed. Ask the supplier to have its bank search for the incoming payment, and agree in writing how production or shipment will be handled while tracing continues.
Ask for references that banks can trace
Give your bank the payment date, amount, currency, beneficiary and your transaction reference. For a transfer sent through Swift, ask for its unique end-to-end transaction reference, commonly labelled UETR, and a copy of the payment message or equivalent bank confirmation if available. Ask which reference the supplier should give its receiving bank.
Open a trace with the sending bank and keep its case reference separate from the payment reference. Ask which bank last confirmed handling the funds and whether the confirmation means receipt by a bank or credit to the supplier's account. If a return is reported, request the return reference and ask your bank to trace the return as well.
Correct the beneficiary without changing the deal
Request the bank's exact rejection wording before guessing at a correction. Compare the submitted beneficiary name, account number, bank identifier, branch details and currency with receiving instructions obtained by the supplier from its bank. If a name was shortened or a field was omitted, ask your bank how to enter it correctly rather than inventing an abbreviation.
Confirm revised details through a contact you already know. Check the beneficiary against the seller and business licence, and ask for an explanation of any different entity. Use our supplier verification guide and proforma invoice guide. Ask your bank whether the original instruction can be amended or needs to be returned. If you suspect payment diversion, contact your bank immediately.
Reconcile the return and any supplier shortfall
Match the original debit and the actual return credit using their references. Record the instructed amount and currency, sending fee, any intermediary or receiving-bank deductions, return charges and any currency conversion. Ask the bank to explain each difference and distinguish confirmed deductions from amounts still being investigated.
If the supplier received less than invoiced, obtain its bank credit advice before agreeing a top-up. Check the agreed fee allocation and the charge option used for the transfer. Our bank and payment-provider comparison helps with choosing a route. Keep bank costs separate from the invoice balance and document any agreed adjustment.
Clear the original payment before resending
Before authorising a replacement, obtain written confirmation that the original was not dispatched, or reconcile the returned funds and confirm the original is closed. A recall request or a pending return is not enough to treat the money as recovered. If the status remains uncertain, keep tracing rather than create a duplicate payment.
Use independently verified details, confirm the outstanding invoice amount and currency, and check there is no queued instruction or automatic retry. Repeat the relevant checks before paying the balance. Label the replacement clearly in your records, link it to the original and ask the supplier to confirm actual receipt. Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China can help clarify supplier documents; your payment provider should confirm the funds' status.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pay again if my supplier says the money is missing?
Pause the replacement and trace the original through your sending bank. Ask the supplier's bank to search using the bank tracing reference. A supplier's message alone does not establish that the transfer failed.
What reference should I ask my bank for?
Ask for the payment reference, a trace case reference and, for a Swift transfer, the UETR if available. Ask which reference the receiving bank needs. For a return, request its tracing reference too.
Can I correct a rejected beneficiary name?
Obtain the rejection reason and bank-confirmed receiving details first. Verify them independently, then ask your bank whether amendment is possible or whether the payment must return before you submit a replacement.
Why was less money returned than I sent?
Ask for a breakdown of sending, intermediary and return charges, plus any currency conversion. Reconcile the actual debit and credit. Do not assume the difference is a supplier debt or an unexplained loss.