---
title: Prepare for ACH funding transfer
slug: prepare-for-ach-funding-transfer
description: Before each automated payment batch, Roster automatically transfers funds from your connected bank account to your Roster payment wallet via ACH.
createdAt: 2025-12-09T18:03:20.108Z
---

Before each automated payment batch, Roster automatically transfers funds from your connected bank account to your Roster payment wallet via ACH. This article explains how the transfer works, how to monitor it, and what to do if something goes wrong.

## How ACH Funding Works

Your brand has a **payment wallet** maintained by Roster's payment platform (Dots). Before each payment batch, Roster calculates how much is needed and automatically pulls that amount from your connected bank account.

**You don't initiate ACH transfers** — they happen automatically as part of the payment cycle.

### Transfer Amount Calculation

The ACH transfer amount is calculated as:

**Required wallet balance** (total payments + fees) **minus** current wallet balance **= ACH transfer amount**

If your wallet already has sufficient funds (e.g., from a previous batch that had fewer payments than expected), the ACH transfer is **skipped** and no funds are pulled from your bank account.

## ACH Transfer Timeline

| Event                                | Timing                             |
| ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- |
| ACH notification email + PDF invoice | 17 business days before payment    |
| ACH transfer initiated               | 10 business days before payment    |
| ACH transfer typically completes     | 3-5 business days after initiation |
| Payment batch runs                   | First Tuesday of the month         |

## ACH Transfer Statuses

You can view the ACH transfer status in the **Automated Payment Schedule drawer** (Payments > Unsent Payments > Automated tab > More Details).

| Status         | Meaning                                                  |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Scheduled**  | Transfer is planned but hasn't been initiated yet        |
| **Processing** | Transfer has been initiated and is in progress           |
| **Completed**  | Funds have arrived in your payment wallet                |
| **Failed**     | Transfer failed (see troubleshooting below)              |
| **Skipped**    | No transfer needed — wallet already has sufficient funds |

## What You Receive Before Each Transfer

### ACH Transfer Notification Email

**Sent to:** All team admins + any additional recipients you've configured in Payment Settings

**Includes:**

- Projected payment amount for the upcoming batch
- ACH transfer date and amount
- Number of ambassadors who will be paid
- PDF invoice attached with full payment details

If you've configured a minimum payment amount, the email notes how many ambassadors are excluded and the amount held back.

### How to Add Additional Email Recipients

If someone outside your Roster team admins (e.g., your finance team) needs to receive ACH notifications:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Payment Settings**
2. Find the **ACH transfer notification emails** field
3. Enter email addresses — each valid address converts to a pill/tag
4. Click **Save**

## Monitoring Your Transfer

### In the Brand Portal

1. Go to **Payments** > **Unsent Payments**
2. Click the **Automated** tab
3. Click **More Details** to open the Automated Payment Schedule drawer
4. Check the **ACH transfer** section for current status

The drawer shows:

- ACH transfer status
- Transfer amount
- Pre-transfer wallet balance
- Current wallet balance
- Required wallet balance

### In Your Bank Account

Set up banking alerts for ACH debits so you're notified when the transfer occurs. Look for a debit from Dots or Roster in your transaction history.

## Ensuring Sufficient Funds

**Before each payment cycle:**

1. Review the ACH notification email (18 business days before payment)
2. Note the projected ACH transfer amount
3. Ensure your bank account will have sufficient funds on the transfer date (10 business days before payment)
4. Keep a buffer for any other pending transactions

**Tip:** The ACH transfer amount may differ slightly from the projected amount in the notification email if commissions are approved or rejected between the notification and transfer dates.

## What Your Wallet Balance Covers

The wallet balance funds:

- **Commission payments** to all eligible ambassadors
- **Domestic processing fees** ($1.89 flat fee per U.S. payment)
- **International processing fees** (3% for international ambassadors, if brand-pays is configured)

## Failed ACH Transfers

### Common Causes

- **Insufficient funds** in your bank account
- **Bank rejected the ACH debit** (e.g., ACH debits not authorized)
- **Account closed or frozen**
- **Bank processing delays**

### What Happens When a Transfer Fails

1. The transfer status changes to **Failed**
2. Roster automatically retries the transfer
3. If the retry fails, contact [support@getroster.com](mailto\:support@getroster.com)
4. The payment batch will not process until the wallet is funded

### How to Resolve

1. **Check your bank account** — ensure sufficient funds and no restrictions on ACH debits
2. **Contact your bank** if they rejected the debit — you may need to authorize Roster/Dots for ACH transfers
3. **Contact Roster support** at [support@getroster.com](mailto\:support@getroster.com) if the issue persists
4. You can also update your bank account in Payment Settings if the account details have changed

## Skipped Transfers

A transfer is skipped when your wallet already has enough funds to cover the upcoming batch. This can happen when:

- A previous batch paid fewer ambassadors than projected (e.g., some didn't have wallets set up)
- You have leftover funds from prior cycles
- The upcoming batch is smaller than usual

Skipped transfers are normal and mean your wallet is already funded. No action is needed.

## Replacing Your Bank Account

If you need to change the bank account used for ACH transfers:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Payment Settings**
2. Scroll to the **Bank Account for ACH Funding** section
3. Click **Replace bank account**
4. Enter the new bank account details (routing number, account number, account type)
5. Click **Save**

The change takes effect for the next ACH transfer. If a transfer is already in progress, it completes using the original account.

## Related Articles

- [Getting started with automated payments](docId\:kxkTbRhvkt85lgCgCosWF)
- [Understand automated payment timelines](docId\:izPkfe4evL_UafHApLlDM)
- [View upcoming automated payments batch](docId\:rJTesg7Nf9Gd9lxy-FlHl)
- Troubleshooting Automated Payments