I paid my invoice. Why is it still overdue?

Overdue invoice reminders are sent weekly once the payment due date has passed until payment has been reconciled. Depending on the payment method used, there are a few reasons why it may be showing as past due.

Due to the volume of check payments Column receives and manually reconciles daily, the time between mailing and processing a check can take several weeks. 

Most of our customers pay via debit card, credit card, or ACH, and we strongly encourage you to link your bank account or pay with a card for future notices. You can find more information about paying for a notice online here.

If you have mailed a check and received an overdue invoice reminder, please contact us if the following is true:

1. The check was mailed to Column's lockbox at PO Box 208098, Dallas, TX 75320-8098. If it was sent to the newspaper, see below.

2. The check has been deposited, and three days have passed. If it hasn't been deposited, it may not have arrived by mail yet or have been lost in the mail. Please give checks at least two weeks before they arrive and are deposited. If the check hasn't been deposited a month after mailing, we recommend issuing a stop payment and sending another payment.

If the above information is not true, mainly if the check has not been deposited, it is likely still in transit. Our payment processor will automatically deposit checks upon receipt.

If the above information is accurate - the check was mailed to Column's PO Box, and it's been deposited, please provide the following information when e-mailing Column's Support team at help@column.us

1. The check amount and check number. 

2. All the invoice numbers the check payment is intended for.

3. If you have a copy of the front and back of the check image, please attach it.

Our payment processor deposits all checks upon receipt. If you are still receiving overdue invoice notifications after three (3) business days since the check has been cashed, please contact help@column.us using the abovementioned details. This likely means our payment processor could not match the check to an invoice, and we're missing information on reconciling the payment. See the paragraph below to see if the check was mailed to the newspaper rather than our PO Box.

If your check was sent directly to the newspaper office, the publisher is responsible for marking the notice as paid. If it shows unpaid, please contact them to verify the check's receipt and mark the invoice as "Paid."

If your check was sent to the correct address but has not been deposited for more than two weeks, it was likely lost in the mail and will need to be reissued.

We receive hundreds of checks weekly through our payment processor, Stripe. If Stripe can not determine which invoice(s) the check should be applied to, our team manually reviews the information provided to see if we can match it. If we cannot reconcile the check against an invoice, we will refund the check to the address provided. To prevent this, it is best to include the whole invoice number or a copy of the invoice(s) with your check payment.

Column accepts payment via ACH. You can link your bank account to your Column account (pull) or wire funds from your bank to Column (push).

If your invoice is still showing as past due after sending us payment via your bank, and the transfer has cleared your account, please contact Column Support help@column.us and include the payment remittance details:

• Payment date

• Total amount of the transfer

• All invoices included in the transfer

Delays in ACH reconciliation are typically due to our team not receiving the payment remittance details. When transferring funds, please e-mail remittance details to payments@column.us

We recommend reviewing the invoice receipt linked to the Notice Details page and your bank statement. Notices that have completed publication are archived once the affidavit is uploaded and payment is received. Please navigate to the Invoices page (https://www.column.us/payments - must be logged in to view) to access receipts and compare them with your bank statement. Some notices are named similarly and invoiced at the same amount - it's best to check your Invoices table to keep track of what's paid and unpaid. Please see this Help Center article for an overview of the Invoices page: https://help.column.us/en/articles/1327296

If you need assistance, please e-mail Column Support at help@column.us and include the invoice number and how the invoice was paid.