DebiCheck Troubleshooting: Common Problems and Fixes

Most DebiCheck problems fall into a handful of recurring patterns, and each has a known fix. The key is to work out which half of DebiCheck is failing — the mandate (permission) or the collection (payment) — and then read the reason code before retrying anything.

This page lists the most common issues we see, with practical steps to resolve each.

The customer never received the authentication request

This is the single most common DebiCheck problem, and the cause is almost always the same: the authentication request is sent to the cellphone number the bank has on record, not the number you captured at sign-up.

Fixes:

• Ask the customer to confirm and, if necessary, update their cellphone number with their bank.
• Check that the customer banks with a participating bank.
• Re-initiate the request once the number is confirmed — a TT2 request gives the customer until the end of the next business day to respond through any of their bank's channels.

The authentication request expired

A TT1 (real-time) request must be actioned within about 120 seconds; a TT2 request by end of the next business day. An expiry is not a rejection — the customer simply did not respond in time.

Fixes:

• For TT1 expiries, re-attempt while the customer is on the phone and ready, or fall back to TT2.
• Tell the customer exactly what to expect: who the request comes from, which channel it arrives on, and the details it will show.
• See transaction types TT1, TT2 and TT3 for the windows per type.

The customer rejected the mandate

A rejection is a deliberate customer action, so do not simply re-initiate. Contact the customer first — common causes include not recognising the collecting party's name, being surprised by the amount, or accidental rejection. Resolve the concern, then send a new request. Making sure your abbreviated short name is recognisable on the authentication screen (and the bank statement) prevents many rejections — see minimum mandate requirements.

Collections keep getting rejected on a mandate mismatch

If collections bounce before even reaching the account, the collection does not match the mandate stored at the customer's bank. Check for:

• An amount above the authenticated instalment or maximum collection amount.
• A frequency or collection date outside the approved terms.
• A mandate that has been suspended or cancelled since the last cycle.

Fix the data or amend the mandate — retrying an unchanged mismatching collection will fail every time.

Collections fail for insufficient funds

Use the tools DebiCheck gives you:

• Submit with a tracking window of up to ten days so the debit lands as soon as funds arrive.
• Align the collection date with the customer's salary date (amending the mandate if needed).
• Remember DebiCheck already processes first in the early morning window — if collections still fail, the issue is usually the date, not the priority.

See collections, tracking and retries.

The mandate was suspended

You will be notified at the time of suspension. Contact the customer promptly: suspension usually signals a service or billing concern, and the customer can lift the suspension at their bank once it is resolved. Remind them that suspension does not cancel the contract itself.

An amendment was not accepted

Amendments that change authenticated terms may require the customer to re-authenticate. If an amendment fails or times out, the original mandate terms remain in force — keep collecting on the old terms until the amendment is confirmed, and re-engage the customer to approve the change.

Quick reference

Related topics

• DebiCheck hub
• Statuses and reason codes
• Mandate authentication
• Unpaids, returns and disputes