There are a few possible reasons why you may have received money from Adyen:
You received a refund from a merchant that uses Adyen
If you made a purchase from an online store or other merchant that uses Adyen to process payments, and then returned or cancelled the order, the merchant may have issued you a refund through Adyen. This refund would show up as an inbound transfer from Adyen in your bank account.
Example of receiving a refund from an Adyen merchant
- You ordered a product online from Store XYZ. Store XYZ uses Adyen to process payments.
- You paid for the order with your debit/credit card that’s linked to your bank account.
- You later decided to return the product. Store XYZ issued a refund back to your card through Adyen.
- The refund amount gets deposited into your bank account by Adyen, showing as an inbound transfer.
You received payment for selling goods/services to an Adyen merchant
If you use payment services like PayPal to invoice or accept payment from businesses, the business may have paid you using their Adyen merchant account. This payment would show up in your account as a transfer from Adyen.
Example of receiving payment as a freelancer/contractor
- You completed some freelance work for Company ABC.
- You sent Company ABC an invoice for your services through PayPal.
- Company ABC processes their PayPal payments through their Adyen merchant account.
- Company ABC paid your invoice, with the money getting transferred from their Adyen account to your PayPal/bank account.
You received money from an individual who used Adyen
If someone paid you personally using Adyen’s payment processing (e.g. by sending you money on a mobile app), the payment would show up as coming from Adyen before getting deposited into your account.
Example of receiving payment from an individual
- Your friend Mike owed you $20 for concert tickets.
- Mike used an app like Venmo to send you the $20, linking his debit card.
- The app uses Adyen to process debit card payments in the background.
- You received $20 in your Venmo account from “Adyen”, then transferred it your bank.
You received an unexpected transfer
In some cases, you may see transfers from Adyen that you don’t recognize or expect. There are a few possible explanations:
- Wrong recipient: The sender may have accidentally sent the money to your account instead of the intended recipient.
- Suspicious transfer: It’s possible the transfer is from an unknown third party, which could be suspicious.
- Bank error: The transfer could have been credited to you incorrectly by mistake.
If you receive an unexplainable transfer from Adyen, it’s best to contact your bank to have them investigate where it came from and the intended recipient.
How to determine the reason for an Adyen payment
If you receive a payment from Adyen and you’re unsure why, there are a few things you can do to determine the reason:
- Check bank statements for any recent purchases, returns, or payments related to Adyen merchants
- Search emails/apps for any refunds, invoices, or payment transfers referencing Adyen
- Look for communications from the merchant or sender explaining the payment
- Contact the merchant/sender and ask them to verify the reason for the payment
- Call Adyen customer support if the merchant/sender is unknown or unresponsive
- Ask your bank to trace the origin of the transfer through Adyen’s records
Having the transaction ID or other payment details from your bank will help Adyen or the merchant determine where the funds came from. Being proactive will help identify expected vs. unexpected payments.
Next steps if you received an unexpected Adyen transfer
If you determine the Adyen payment was unexpected or a mistake, here’s what to do next:
- Inform your bank it was an unexpected or wrong recipient transfer.
- Have your bank reverse or return the erroneous payment.
- Contact Adyen to report the issue if needed.
- Notify the merchant/sender so they can redirect the payment properly.
- Monitor your accounts to ensure the funds are returned and no other anomalies occur.
Dealing with the issue promptly can help get the situation corrected faster. Make sure to document your efforts to research the payment and reject wrongful transfers.
How Adyen transfers work
Adyen is a global payment processor that allows merchants and businesses to accept payments online and in-store. Here’s a quick overview of how Adyen transfers work:
- A shopper purchases goods/services with a credit card or bank account linked to Adyen.
- Adyen processes the payment, collecting the funds from the shopper’s account.
- The funds get deposited into the merchant’s Adyen account balance.
- Adyen facilitates transfers from this balance to the merchant’s bank account.
- When refunds occur, funds get transferred from the merchant’s Adyen balance back to the shopper’s account.
So in summary, any Adyen payment you receive would originate from a merchant’s Adyen account before getting credited to your account. Adyen processes millions of merchant transactions, so payments can happen for various reasons.
Key facts about Adyen
- Global payment processor headquartered in Amsterdam.
- Processes over $300+ billion in payments annually.
- Used by Uber, Spotify, Starbucks, Facebook and thousands of other merchants.
- Accepts debit/credit cards, bank transfers, mobile wallets like Apple Pay.
- Seamlessly transfers funds between merchant accounts and shopper accounts.
Conclusion
Receiving an unexpected payment from Adyen can seem puzzling initially. But in most cases, it’s caused by a routine refund, payment, or transfer that got processed through an Adyen merchant account. Doing some quick research on your purchases and transfers can usually identify where the money originated. For truly unexplained payments, proactively contacting your bank and Adyen for clarification can help resolve the mystery.
