Processing Wire Payments and Client Refunds

This article describes the process for scheduling, validating, and sending bank wire payments for client refunds and creditor settlements within the FORTH system. It was developed for CRM users, account managers, and settlement specialists with payment scheduling permissions who configure, schedule, and process wire payments for client refunds and creditor settlements. The article is organized into the following sections:

• Overview

• Prerequisites

• How to Access

• How it Works

  • Part 1: Process and Send Client Refund via Bank Wire

  • Part 2: Process and Send Settlement Payment via Wire

• Troubleshooting / FAQ

• Assistance

Overview

Processing client refunds and creditor settlements via bank wire requires accurate routing verification and complete recipient instructions to prevent payment delays. This workflow standardizes wire scheduling in the FORTH CRM, ensuring that valid American Bankers Association (ABA) routing numbers and required settlement instructions are captured before execution. By verifying banking details upfront and submitting structured support tickets, you eliminate transaction rejections and manual rework. This process accelerates fund delivery to clients and creditors while maintaining an auditable tracking history through Federal Reference numbers.

Prerequisites

• Standard user access to the FORTH CRM with permissions to view contacts, manage enrollments, and schedule payments.

• Access to the Settlements tab for creditor settlement records.

• Verified client banking details and a confirmed wire ABA routing number.

• Official creditor wire instructions or settlement letters containing complete recipient bank information.

How to Access

1. Log in to the FORTH CRM.

2. For wiring client refunds, navigate to Contacts > select the target contact record > Enrollment.

3. For wiring settlement, navigate to Contacts > select the target contact record > Settlements.

How it Works

Part 1: Process and Send Client Refund via Bank Wire

There are three (3) steps to successfully process and and send a client refund via Wire

Step 1: Verify Routing Number

1. Review the banking information provided by the client. Client-provided ACH routing numbers often do not match the ABA routing number required for wire transfers.

2. Check that the provided number is a valid ABA wire routing number using the free official ABA lookup tool (https://routingnumber.aba.com/default1.aspx).

Step 2: Schedule Refund Payment

1. Log in to the FORTH CRM.
2. Click the Contacts tab and select the contact.
3. Select Enrollment from the navigation bar.
4. Click Add Payment.
5. Complete the transaction detail fields on the Add / Edit Payment popup as detailed in the list below:

1. Gateway: Select FORTH Custodial.

2. Type: Select Client Refund.

3. Subtype: Select Bank Wire (Required).

4. Account Number: Enter the verified client bank account number (Required).

5. Routing Number: Enter the verified 9-digit ABA routing number (Required).

6. Account Type: Select Checking.

7. Process Date: Select today's date.

8. Occurs: Enter how often this transaction will occur.

9. Amount: Enter the refund amount (Required). The field displays the available balance before transaction entry.

10. Memo: Enter Client Refund.

11. Action: Select Schedule Transaction (Required).

6. Click Save when you have finished this transaction.

Step 3: Submit Ticket to Complete Scheduling

1. Open a support ticket directed to the FORTH Consumer Support team.

2. Include the following required details in the ticket:

   • Client Name and Client ID

   • Client Address

   • Account Number and ABA Routing Number (if different from the record on file)

3. The FORTH Consumer Support team updates the transaction status to Shipped and coordinates directly with the bank to establish the wire transfer.

4. Confirm completion when the transaction status updates to Cleared with the generated Federal Confirmation number.

Part 2: Process and Send Settlement Payment via Wire

There are three steps involved in processing and sending a wire for a settlement payment.

Step 1: Validate Wire Payment Request

1. Verify that the consumer file contains explicit wire instructions. Do not proceed if wire instructions are missing or if the consumer banking record contains an outbound-only ABA number.

2. Confirm you have collected the required recipient details:

   • Creditor Name or Client Name

   • Creditor Address or Client Address

   • Account Number

   • Memo: Format the memo as Settlement - Client Name Reference #

Step 2: Gather and Transfer Wire Instructions

1. Retrieve wire instructions from the creditor Settlement Letter document, or upload a separate document that contains official wire instructions from the creditor.

2. Verify that the instructions contain all required bank details:

   • Routing ABA

   • Bank Address

   • Account Number

   • Name

   • Recipient Address

   • Reference Number

3. Transfer data within the CRM. Wire special instructions entered in the CREDITOR DETAILS section of the Settlements tab do not transfer automatically to the payment interface. 
   
   You must manually copy or enter this information into the NOTES section.
   

4. If wire details do not appear in the settlement record or in attached documentation, contact the Debt Relief Service Provider (DRSP) before scheduling payment.

Step 3: Schedule Payment via Client Dashboard

1. Select the Bank Wire subtype for the scheduled settlement payment.

2. Set the payment status to Open.

3. Verify account funding. When the scheduled process date arrives, the system updates the status to Pending, provided the account holds sufficient cleared funds.

4. The FORTH Support Team coordinates with the banking institution to establish the wire payment.

5. Review the final status. Once the bank completes the wire and issues a Federal Reference number, the system updates the transaction status to Cleared.

Troubleshooting / FAQ

Why did my wire payment fail or stay in Pending status? 

Transactions remain in Pending status when the client custodial account does not contain sufficient cleared funds on the scheduled process date. Verify that the account balance covers the full wire payment amount before the process date.

Why are my creditor wire instructions missing from the payment screen? 

Wire instructions entered in the CREDITOR DETAILS section under the Settlements tab do not automatically populate the payment interface. You must manually copy and paste these details into the NOTES section of the payment record.

What should I do if the routing number is rejected by the system? 

Clients frequently provide ACH routing numbers that do not accept incoming wire transfers. Validate the 9-digit number using the official ABA lookup tool. If the institution uses an outbound-only ABA number, request the incoming wire ABA routing number directly from the financial institution.

Why does the client refund not send immediately after clicking Save? 

Clicking Save schedules the transaction within the FORTH CRM database but does not initiate bank transmission. You must submit a ticket to FORTHPay Consumer Support with the client name, client ID, address, and account details to complete bank transmission.

What should I do if the settlement documentation lacks wire instructions? 

Do not attempt to schedule a bank wire without written instructions. Contact the Debt Relief Service Provider (DRSP) to obtain an updated settlement agreement or formal wire instruction sheet before entering the transaction.

Assistance

For further assistance, reach out to support@setforth.com.