Yesterday we found a couch we wanted and agreed on a price: $1,650.
The seller was happy to take PayID. Great—no cash to organise, no counting notes in someone’s driveway, no awkward trip to an ATM. My wife made the transfer while we were there.
Then it came up as pending.
The seller wanted a cashless transaction, which is completely fair. But we were suddenly in an odd little modern-payment limbo: the money had left our available balance, the seller could not yet see it in their account, and the Beenleigh CommBank branch was closed.
This is worth understanding because it can happen with private sales, even when nobody has done anything wrong.
A pending PayID payment does not automatically mean something is wrong
Most PayID and Osko payments arrive in under a minute. That is why people have come to treat a transfer receipt as almost the same thing as cash.
But CommBank says first payments to a new PayID may be held for up to 24 hours as a security measure. The same can apply to unusual payments. It is meant to reduce scams and mistaken transfers, even though it is very inconvenient when you are standing in front of a couch you have just agreed to buy.
From the buyer’s side, it can feel like: “The payment is made; here is the confirmation.”
From the seller’s side, the sensible position is: “I will release the item when the funds are actually in my account.”
Both are reasonable.
In our case, the seller was kind enough to let us take it
We showed the seller the payment receipt and explained that the PayID transfer was pending. They were kind enough to let us take the couch home anyway.
We really appreciated that. Private sales can be a bit nerve-racking for everyone, and it was a good example of how far clear communication and goodwill can go.
That said, a seller should never feel pressured to hand over an item before cleared funds arrive. A receipt is helpful evidence that the buyer has initiated a transfer, but it is not the same as money appearing in the seller’s account.
The important rule: do not pay twice in the panic
When a payment is pending, the temptation is to find another method immediately: transfer again, send it to another account, use someone else’s phone, or promise to sort it out later.
That is how a $1,650 couch becomes a $3,300 couch.
Before making any replacement payment, establish what will happen to the original transfer. Once a bank transfer is pending, it may not be possible to simply cancel it. Keep the payment reference, screenshot, date, time, recipient PayID and amount.
If the seller agrees to another method, get a short written message confirming that any duplicate payment will be refunded as soon as it arrives.
The safer “$1 test” method
A $1 test payment can be useful—but only after you have inspected the item, agreed to buy it, and are standing with the seller.
Do not send a test payment to an unknown person before you have seen the couch. A seller’s address, photos and Facebook profile are not proof that the item is genuine or that the sale is safe.
Instead, after you have inspected the couch and are happy to proceed:
- Add the seller as a PayID payee while you are together.
- Send $1 with a clear description such as “Couch test payment – Jon and Candice.”
- Wait for the seller to confirm it has arrived.
- If it clears promptly, send the remaining $1,649.
- If the $1 itself is held, do not keep sending payments. Agree whether the seller will reserve the couch or whether you will return once it clears.
CommBank says payments to existing payees are usually near real time. So if the $1 clears, the main payment may be less likely to hit the same first-payee delay. It is not a guarantee, but it is a sensible way to test the route without putting the full amount at risk.
Is splitting the amount a good workaround?
Not usually.
If a $1,650 payment is already pending, splitting it into two transfers—for example $800 and $850—may simply create two pending payments. It could also look more unusual to the bank’s security systems, rather than less.
A small test payment is different: it is not intended to trick the system or bypass a security hold. It simply lets both people see whether a new PayID payment is arriving normally before the larger amount is sent.
Can you call CommBank beforehand and have the payment prepared?
You can call CommBank on 13 2221 or use Ceba in the CommBank app to ask about a payment or make sure your contact details are current.
But it is not wise to rely on the bank being able to “pre-clear” a future PayID payment. These holds are automated security checks designed to protect customers from scams. CommBank’s public guidance does not offer a way to bypass them in advance.
The practical plan is to inspect first, only then make the small test payment, and have a backup plan if it is held.
So how do you keep it cashless?
There are a few sensible options.
Let the seller keep the item until the PayID clears
This is usually the cleanest solution. After you have inspected the item and agreed on the sale, send the payment confirmation and agree in writing that it is reserved and will be collected once the funds appear in the seller’s account.
It protects them from handing over an item before they have money, and protects you from paying again unnecessarily.
Pay by card, if the seller can take card
If they have a card reader, a business account, or can send a legitimate payment link, card can be a useful fallback. It is still cashless and gives both sides a clearer payment record.
The catch is that you should first know what will happen to the original pending PayID payment. Get a written agreement that any duplicate payment will be refunded immediately once it clears.
Meet at a bank branch the next business day
If everyone wants the transaction finished quickly, meeting at a branch can be the most reassuring option. The buyer can speak to their bank, the seller can verify receipt, and the item can change hands once the funds are confirmed.
It is not glamorous, but for a private sale worth more than a thousand dollars, it is often less stressful than trying to improvise.
A screenshot is helpful—but it is not proof of cleared funds
A genuine screenshot can show the buyer has done the right thing. But sellers should still check their own bank account before releasing an item.
Scammers know how to create convincing-looking payment screenshots and fake “payment pending” emails. The only confirmation that really matters is the seller seeing cleared funds in their own banking app.
That does not mean every pending payment is suspicious. It just means both parties should follow a simple rule: inspect first, communicate clearly, and wait for confirmation where possible.
What we will do next time
For a larger Marketplace-style purchase, we will ask one quick question before heading over:
“Can you take card, or is PayID the only cashless payment method?”
But we will not send any money until we have inspected the item and are satisfied it is genuine.
If PayID is the only option, we will make a $1 test payment while standing with the seller. If it lands, we can complete the sale. If it is held, we can decide together whether the seller reserves the item or we return when the transfer clears.
Cashless payments are brilliant when they work instantly. But “instant” is not the same thing as guaranteed instant—and a clear plan avoids a lot of awkwardness in a seller’s driveway.
For this time, though, we were grateful to deal with a good person who saw the receipt, trusted us, and let us take the couch home.
For current information on PayID payment timing and security holds, see CommBank’s PayID guidance and security information.