If the pending payment on your publisher account doesn't match what you expected, you're not alone. This is a common question, and it can usually be resolved quickly once the right details are checked. This article explains why a mismatch can happen, how to check your numbers, and what to share with our team if a correction is needed.
🔎 What This Issue Looks Like
A publisher notices that the pending amount for their site is lower or higher than expected. For example:
- A site is listed at $60 per article.
- One article was published earlier and paid at $50.
- Two more articles were published recently.
- The pending amount shows $90, but the publisher expected a different total.
In a case like this, the numbers may be correct, or something may need to be reviewed. The steps below help you tell which.
🧩 Common Reasons the Amount May Differ
A pending payment total is not always the current listed price multiplied by the number of articles. These are the most common reasons for a difference:
- Price at time of publication: An article may be paid at the rate that applied when it was ordered or published, not the rate shown today. If your listed price changed, older articles may have been paid at the earlier rate.
- Already-paid articles: Articles that were paid in a previous cycle should not appear in the pending total. If you expected them to be included, they may already be settled.
- Article status: Only articles that have been published and confirmed may count toward the pending amount. Articles still awaiting review or confirmation may not be included yet.
- Different rates per order: Individual orders can have different agreed amounts, so two articles on the same site may not carry the same payout.
- Timing of updates: A recently published article may take some time to appear in your pending total.
- Data mismatch: In some cases, an article is missing, counted twice, or linked to the wrong rate. These cases need a manual review.
🧮 How to Check Your Numbers
Before contacting us, take a few minutes to compare your records with what the platform shows:
- Open your publisher dashboard and find the site in question.
- Note the listed price for the site.
- List every article you have published on that site, including the publication date and URL.
- Write down the amount you were paid for each earlier article.
- Write down the amount currently shown as pending.
- Work out what you expected: the agreed amount for each unpaid article, added together.
- Compare your expected total with the pending amount shown.
In the example above, if the two new articles were each expected at $60, the expected pending total would be $120, but the dashboard shows $90. That gap is worth reviewing, because it could be a rate difference, an article that hasn't been confirmed yet, or a data error.
📝 What to Include When You Request a Correction
The more detail you provide, the faster our team can review your account. Please have the following ready:
- The domain of your site, for example yoursite.com.
- The listed price you see for the site.
- The number of articles published and the URL of each.
- The publication date of each article.
- The amount previously paid, if any, and for which article.
- The current pending amount shown in your account.
- The amount you expected and how you calculated it.
A short, clear summary works best. For example: "My site is listed at $60. I was paid $50 for one earlier article. I published two more articles, and the pending amount shows $90. I expected $120. Please review my data."
🚀 What Happens After You Report It
Once our team has your details, they will typically:
- Confirm which articles are linked to your site.
- Check the rate applied to each article.
- Verify which articles have already been paid and which are still pending.
- Confirm the status of each article.
- Correct the pending total if an error is found, or explain how the current amount was calculated.
If the amount is correct, you will receive an explanation of how it was reached. If an adjustment is needed, the updated total will be reflected in your account.
💡 Tips to Avoid Future Discrepancies
- Keep a simple record of each article, its publication date, and the agreed amount.
- Check your pending amount shortly after each article goes live, so you can catch issues early.
- If you change your site's listed price, remember that the new rate may only apply to future articles.
- Report concerns promptly, while the details are still fresh and easy to verify.
🙋 Need Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.