Why do I see a deficit disbursement or negative balance on my account?

^{This article explains why an ActBlue conduit account can show a negative balance: donor refunds are debited from pending (undisbursed) funds and can push the balance below zero. It then clarifies that no extra fees apply, but all new donations go toward paying off the negative balance, and that if you don’t raise more than the negative amount in a week, your reporting shows a deficit disbursement instead of a check or wire. It closes with a contact link for account-specific questions.}

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Because refunds for conduit accounts are debited from an account's pending (or undisbursed) funds, it's possible that a donor-requested refund may bring your pending account balance into the negative.

While no extra fees accompany an account going into the negative, all donations received will go towards recovering the negative balance until it's fully paid off. If your campaign or organization does not fundraise more than the negative balance over the course of a week, you will see a deficit disbursement reflected in your reporting instead of a check or wire.

For account-specific questions about deficit disbursements and negative balances, please contact us here!