If your payment doesn't go through

Symptom: you tried to pay and either it was declined, the page errored, or your card was charged but the balance still shows as owed.

If money left your account, paying a second time usually creates a duplicate that has to be refunded — which takes considerably longer to sort out than waiting.

Check your project page first. Payments usually post quickly, but how quickly depends on the payment method and on your bank. Card payments are normally the fastest; ACH and eCheck take longer.

The payment was interrupted before it finished. Closing the window, pressing back, or losing connection during processing can leave a payment in limbo — taken by the bank, not yet recorded against your project.

What to do: give it a while, then check the project page again. If the balance is still showing and your bank shows a charge, contact the office handling your application with the date, amount, and last four digits of the card. Don't retry in the meantime.

It happens, and it's fixable. Use the contact details on your portal to get in touch with:

• Your project or permit number
• Both charge dates and amounts
• The last four digits of the card or account

Refund timing depends on your bank as much as on the office — ask what to expect when you report it.

Contact the office handling your application. The phone number, email address and opening hours are shown on your portal. Have your project number, the amount, the date and time you tried, and the exact error message if you saw one. Those five things usually resolve it on the first call.

If a deadline is involved, say so when you make contact. A payment failure that's outside your control is generally understood, but it helps to raise it early rather than after the date has passed.