When a rand deposit is missing, check the bank debit, recipient reference and payment method before sending more money. An EFT can be delayed in bank clearing or arrive at the exchange without enough information to allocate it to your account. Those need different fixes.
Do not repeat the deposit simply to see whether the second one works. Preserve the first payment's evidence and trace its stage. If you suspect fraud or the beneficiary details were changed, contact your bank and the exchange immediately through verified channels.
First separate rand from crypto
This workflow is for a bank-funded ZAR deposit. A blockchain transfer needs an asset, network, address and transaction hash instead. A bank EFT reference cannot trace a blockchain transaction, and a blockchain explorer cannot show whether your bank paid an exchange.
Open the exchange yourself and compare the deposit instructions with the payment you actually made. Check the beneficiary account, amount, sender's account name and recipient reference. Do not use banking details copied from an old chat or search advertisement.
Find the break in the chain
| Evidence | Likely stage to investigate | Next useful action |
|---|---|---|
| No bank debit and payment marked failed | Bank initiation | Read the failure reason before retrying |
| Debit exists, recipient details differ | Possible misdirected payment | Contact bank promptly; recovery is not guaranteed |
| Debit exists, reference omitted or wrong | Exchange allocation | Send provider-required proof with correct account reference |
| Correct details, within published window | Clearing/processing | Monitor the existing instruction |
| Correct details, window exceeded | Trace required | Raise one complete support case |
This table does not diagnose the cause with certainty. It identifies which evidence will distinguish the possibilities.
Luno's missing-deposit help asks for proof after two business days and highlights references beginning BX or LN. VALR's guidance uses the customer's VR reference and describes up to 48 business hours for other-bank deposits. Use the provider's current guidance for your payment method; an instant gateway payment may have a different support path from ordinary EFT.
Get the right document
Luno asks for bank-issued proof showing your name, amount, date and recipient reference. Its help rejects SMS messages, bank statements and payment notifications as substitutes. VALR specifies a PDF proof of payment and rejects banking-app screenshots and statements for this process.
Download the bank's actual proof-of-payment document from payment history. If mobile banking does not offer it after the event, use the bank's documented web-banking route or ask the bank. Do not edit the reference on the document to make it look correct. Tell support what went wrong and preserve the original evidence.
Proof that you instructed a payment is not always proof that the recipient has received cleared money. Keep bank status and exchange status separate in your notes.
A ticket that can be investigated
Use this template, replacing brackets with your own information:
I am tracing a ZAR deposit of [amount] submitted on [date/time/timezone] from my own [bank] account. The bank status is [status]. The beneficiary reference used was [reference]. My exchange deposit reference is [reference from account]. The exchange has not credited it as of [time]. I attach the bank-issued proof required by your process. Please confirm whether the funds have arrived and what is needed for allocation. Existing ticket: [number, if any].
Send it through the exchange's official support channel. Do not publish the document on social media. Do not include passwords, one-time codes, card PINs or recovery phrases. Keep follow-up messages on the same case unless instructed otherwise.
Check mismatched names and duplicate attempts
Both providers' guidance requires deposits from the user's own bank account. If someone else paid, explain that truthfully and ask for the supported resolution. Do not create another identity or claim the payment came from you.
If you made several attempts, list each one separately with its amount, timestamp and bank reference. The sum of bank debits should reconcile to credited amounts, pending items and confirmed reversals. For example, two R500 debits and one R500 exchange credit leave R500 unresolved; they do not prove that the exchange owes a new R1,000 deposit.
Prevent the next allocation problem
Copy the current recipient reference directly from the deposit flow, use the supported method and save the confirmation. Recheck beneficiary details when the provider announces a banking change. The local buying guide and exchange hub explain the surrounding account choices. Resolve the missing deposit before starting another purchase route.
Sources and verification
Primary sources checked on 20 September 2026. Prices, availability and processing arrangements can change.