---
id: help.disputes.negative
title: "Why is my balance negative?"
canonical: https://docs.secureprocessing.app/help/disputes/why-is-my-balance-negative
description: "A figure below zero is money you owe, usually because a chargeback or a refund took more than your Available balance held. Your new payments cover it first, and no payout is sent until it is back above zero."
last_verified: 2026-11-02
---

# Why is my balance negative?

A figure below zero is money you owe, usually because a chargeback or a refund took more than your Available balance held. Your new payments cover it first, and no payout is sent until it is back above zero.

Who can: Owner, Administrator, Developer, Analyst, Viewer can see this in [Balance](https://dashboard.secureprocessing.app/balance).

## How it happens

A chargeback usually arrives weeks after the payment, when the money has already been paid out to you. A refund can also take more than you have available. Either way the amount comes out of your Available balance, and if there is not enough, it goes below zero.

That figure is the amount you owe. It is not a mistake, and nothing needs correcting.

## What happens next

- Your new payments go towards it first.
- No payout is sent while your balance is zero or below.
- Once it is back above zero, payouts carry on as normal on your schedule.

**Balance transactions**, under **Balance**, shows what took it below zero.

## If it does not recover

If you are not taking payments to cover it, write to us and we will talk it through.

For developers: [Balance and payouts](https://docs.secureprocessing.app/balance-and-payouts.md)

## Related

- [What happens to my money during a dispute](https://docs.secureprocessing.app/help/disputes/what-happens-to-my-money.md)
- [Your balance in plain words](https://docs.secureprocessing.app/help/payouts/your-balance.md)
- [Where is my payout?](https://docs.secureprocessing.app/help/payouts/where-is-my-payout.md)

Still stuck? Write to [admin@secureprocessing.app](mailto:admin@secureprocessing.app) with your business’s name and the date it went negative.