CAC Fixes Part 2: Debited on Remita, but CAC Status Shows "Unpaid" or "Pending"?

By Alexander Odidi, Esq. A

        Image Credit: A Screenshot of CAC Certificate

During business, company, or any other kind of registration on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) online portal, few things can go wrong. However, none are quite as frustrating as having funds deducted from your bank account while the portal continues to display "Unpaid," "Pending," or "Payment Failed."

This issue is one of the most common technical glitches faced by applicants in Nigeria, and most users think the best way to solve the issue is making another payment. How wrong!

Before you panic and make another payment, here is why this error occurs and the step-by-step process to get your transaction verified and moving forward.

Why Payment Mismatches Happen

When you initiate a payment on the CAC portal, three separate systems interact: your bank, the payment gateway (Remita), and the CAC portal database.

A status mismatch usually happens due to:

  • Network Timeouts: This is a typical occurrence where your bank successfully sends the funds to Remita, but the automatic notification signal back to the CAC database drops or times out.

  • Session Token Expiry: When the payment tab has been left open for too long before completing the authentication process, this causes the server session to expire right as debit occurs.

  • Interbank Settlement Delays: Some instant transfer or card channels experience delays sending final confirmation to Remita. As a result, the payment remains in a temporary holding state.

An unwritten rule to help you: Do NOT pay twice. Sure, your account has already been debited. I understand how frustrating this can be. However, initiating another payment means you're at risk of a double-debit without solving the underlying communication breakdown between Remita and CAC.

Steps to Resolve Payment Issues 

Step 1

  • Always have your Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) number with you. This code will help you uncover solutions to payment problems. 

  • Log in to the CAC portal and head to Pending Applications or History tab. 

  • You can also check your text or email for references of the transaction. 

Step 2 

  • Confirm the payment status on the Remita website or resend receipt. 

  • Enter the 12-digit RRR code and submit. 

  • If it's successful, Remita will display the transaction receipt and you can download a PDF copy for record purposes. 

  • If failed or there's ‘no record found’ the money is stuck at the bank level. In that case, most banks take 24 to 48 hours to initiate a fund reversal. 

Step 3 

  • When the transaction status is confirmed as successful on Remita, force the CAC portal to sync by clicking the "Re-query Payment" or "Check Payment Status" button.

  • The portal then pings Remita's database, recognizes the payment, and automatically updates your status to "Paid" or "Submitted."

What to Do if Re-Querying Fails

If re-querying does not automatically change the status within a few minutes, try the same process again after 30 minutes. Still not done? Escalate the issue through official reconciliation channels:

  • Lodge a Ticket on the CAC portal through the CAC Customer Relationship Management portal (crm.cac.gov.ng). Create a ticket under Payment Issues/Remita Reconciliation, and upload your RRR and Remita PDF receipt. Tickets are typically manually reconciled within 24 - 48 hours. 

  • Contact Remita Support via an email to support@remita.net with your RRR and transaction reference to request a manual status push to CAC.

  • When it's established that the problem is not from Remita, issue a complaint to the Help Desk on the CAC portal. 

Final Words 

With these steps, you can validate your reference code and sync your application status when you account gets debited 



This tutorial demonstrates the exact steps to validate your reference code and sync your application status when experiencing portal errors.

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