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Supporting Vendors with Shopify Bill Pay

Understanding how to support your vendors when using Shopify Bill Pay is crucial. Since Shopify Bill Pay doesn't provide direct assistance to vendors, you're the first point of contact for any vendor questions related to payments. This page helps you troubleshoot common vendor queries, understand payment timelines, and resolve issues before needing to contact Shopify Support.

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Answering common vendor questions

When your vendors have questions about payments, you can use the following information to help them.

When will I receive my payment?

Payment delivery times depend on the delivery method you selected. Share the following timelines with your vendor:

  • Automated clearing house (ACH) bank transfer: 3-4 business days for domestic United States payments
  • Fast bank transfer (ACH): Same business day (if eligible)
  • Paper check: 5-7 business days
  • International wire transfer: 3-4 business days
  • Instant payment (push to debit): Within minutes if the vendor opted in

Payments are processed only once per day before 9:00 pm ET for standard delivery methods such as ACH bank transfer and paper check. Some delivery methods, such as same-day ACH, have earlier cutoff times. If you schedule a payment after the cutoff time for the selected delivery method, then it begins processing the next business day. For a complete breakdown of delivery times and fees, refer to vendor delivery methods.

Why was my payment amount different than expected?

If your vendor receives a different amount than expected, then review the following factors:

  • Instant payment fee: If your vendor opted for instant payment (push to debit), then a 1% fee is deducted from the payment amount. This fee is paid by the vendor, not you.
  • International exchange rates: For international payments, exchange rate fluctuations between when you scheduled the payment and when it was processed can affect the final amount.
  • Partial payments: If you paid only part of a bill, then confirm with your vendor the amount that was actually scheduled.

You can verify the exact amount sent by checking the payment details in your Shopify admin under Finance > Bill Pay.

My vendor says the payment failed—what now?

If a payment fails to reach your vendor, then the issue is typically with the delivery details. Complete the following steps:

  1. Check the payment status in your Shopify admin under Finance > Bill Pay.
  2. If the status displays as Payment failed, then review the error code. For specific error codes and solutions, refer to understanding payment failures.
  3. Contact your vendor to verify their bank account or routing number is correct.
  4. Add the bill again and reschedule the payment with the corrected delivery details.

Common delivery failure reasons include closed vendor accounts, incorrect account numbers, and invalid routing numbers. Your payment is refunded automatically if delivery fails.

My vendor can't find the payment on their bank statement

Help your vendor locate the payment by sharing how it displays on their statement:

  • Bank transfers: Payments display as "[Your business name] melio CCD". Your business name might not always be included, but "melio" is always listed.
  • Paper checks: Checks display your business name and address. The bank account number on the check is Melio's, not yours—your banking information is never shared with vendors.

If the expected delivery date has passed and your vendor still can't find the payment, then check the payment status in your admin. If the status displays as Paid but your vendor hasn't received it, then contact Shopify Support for assistance.

Payment timing concerns

When your vendor inquires about delayed payments, it's helpful to understand the processing times and what might cause delays.

Understanding payment delays

The time for a payment to reach a vendor's account depends on the delivery method, but there can be additional considerations:

  • Processing schedule: Payments are processed only once per day before 9:00 pm ET for standard delivery methods such as ACH bank transfer and paper check. Some delivery methods, such as same-day ACH, have earlier cutoff times. Payments initiated after the cutoff time begin processing the following business day. For example, if you make a standard ACH payment at 10:30 pm ET on Monday, then it isn't processed until Tuesday morning, making the earliest delivery Wednesday.
  • Federal holidays: Federal holidays can impact when payments are processed and received.
  • Initial payments: The first time that you pay a vendor might experience additional delays while the payment is reviewed.
  • High-value transactions: Larger payments (over $100,000 USD) might require an additional business day to process.
  • Compliance review: Melio's compliance team might request additional documents from you, which can delay payment processing until you respond.

For a full list of payment delivery times, refer to vendor delivery methods.

Occasionally, a vendor might report issues with the link to choose their preferred payment delivery method.

Troubleshoot expired payment links

The link sent to vendors to choose their payment delivery method is valid for only 7 days. If the vendor doesn't use the link within this timeframe, then the payment is automatically canceled, and the associated bill reverts to Unpaid status in your Shopify Bill Pay account.

To resend a delivery method selection link to your vendor:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Finance > Bill Pay.
  2. Click the bill that was canceled.
  3. Click Pay bill to begin the payment process again.
  4. In the Vendor's delivery method section, select Ask vendor to choose (US vendors only).
  5. Complete the payment setup to generate a new link.

The vendor receives a new email with a fresh 7-day link.

Troubleshoot payment link not working

If your vendor reports that the payment link isn't working, then have them try the following steps:

  1. Check if the link has expired (links are valid for 7 days only).
  2. Try opening the link in a different browser or in an incognito/private window.
  3. Ensure they're clicking the link from the original email, not a forwarded copy.
  4. Check if their email security software is blocking the link.

If the link still doesn't work, then cancel the current payment and create a new one to generate a fresh link.

Troubleshooting vendor payment issues

Before contacting Shopify Support, complete the following verification steps to resolve common vendor payment issues.

Verify payment details
  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Finance > Bill Pay.
  2. Click the bill in question.
  3. Verify the following details are correct:
    • Vendor's business name
    • Bank account number and routing number (for bank transfers)
    • Mailing address (for paper checks)
    • Payment amount
  4. Check the payment status. If it displays as In progress, then the payment is still being processed.
Check transaction history

Review your payment history to confirm a payment was sent:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Finance > Bill Pay.
  2. Click More actions > Manage Bill Pay.
  3. In the Reports section, click Create report under Payments.
  4. Select the date range that includes when you scheduled the payment.
  5. Click Export payments to download a CSV file with payment details.
Review vendor delivery details

If payments to a specific vendor consistently fail, then the vendor's delivery details might be incorrect. Learn how to edit a vendor's profile to update their bank account or address information.

Vendor communication and support channels

Ensure that you're the first point of contact for any vendor questions related to payments. Vendors shouldn't contact Shopify or Melio directly. Consider the following communication channels:

  • Direct communication: Encourage your vendors to reach out to you directly with any questions or issues regarding their payments.
  • Vendor resources: You can share the Shopify Bill Pay for vendors help docs with your vendors to help them understand how to accept payments.
  • Shopify Support: If you encounter issues that you can't resolve using the troubleshooting steps, then contact Shopify Support for assistance.

Before you contact Shopify Support

Before reaching out to Shopify Support, gather the following information to help resolve your issue faster:

  • The payment ID (found on the bill details page in your Shopify admin)
  • The vendor's name and delivery method
  • The date the payment was scheduled and the expected delivery date
  • The payment status displayed in your admin
  • Screenshots of any error messages
  • Confirmation that you've verified the vendor's delivery details are correct
  • Steps you've already tried from the troubleshooting sections

Having this information ready helps Shopify Support assist you more efficiently.