What should I do if a C2C trading causes my third-party payment account/bank account to be frozen?

Reasons why your third-party payment account/bank card may be frozen

When the buyer has made the payment but the seller has not received the funds as expected, this may be due to one or more of the following reasons (including but not limited to):

Reason 1: the buyer included sensitive information in the payment note, causing the seller's payment account/bank card to trigger risk control.

Resolution: if the buyers includes sensitive words in the payment note, it may trigger risk control on the recipient's payment account/bank card and affecting the completion of the transaction:

• If the funds have been returned: We recommend that the buyer use another real-name payment account

  /bank card under their own name to make the payment again, and avoid including any sensitive information.

• If the funds have not been returned: Please contact the corresponding receiving platform to verify a refund is possible.

Reason 2: Alipay delayed settlement

Resolution: in some cases, Alipay may delay the arrival of funds due to risk control measures, but this will not result in any loss of funds:

• Order in progress: We recommended that the seller able to contact the buyer to negotiate a refund and cancel the order.

• Order completed: We recommended to patiently waiting for the funds to be settled automatically.

Reason 3: funds are frozen after the seller received payment

Resolution: when funds are frozen by a third-party payment channel (such as Alipay), the following situations may occur:

• Page shows Delayed settlement: Please be patient while the system automatically settles the fund. Once settled, the funds will be unfrozen and available for use.

• Account functions are frozen: We recommended contacting Alipay customer service as soon as possible to understand the reason for the freeze and the unfreezing process, and actively cooperate to resolve the issue.

Reason 4: payment account/bank card frozen by judicial order (police/court freeze)

This typically occurs when risk funds are involved — authorities trace the transfer path of the flagged funds and freeze all bank accounts along that chain. For example, if a victim's funds were sent to Account A, which then transferred them to Account B, then to C, and further to D, E, and F, all accounts in that chain may be frozen, even though B, C, D, E, and F may have had no knowledge of the origin of those funds.

Judicial freezes fall into two categories:

1. Temporary police freeze (36–72 hours)

Resolution: in most cases, you simply need to demonstrate that your account was not the direct recipient of the flagged funds. Wait patiently — the freeze will be lifted automatically when it expires.

1. Court-ordered freeze (6 months to 1 year, extendable until the case is closed or dropped)

Resolution: contact the relevant judicial authorities to enquire about the unfreezing process. If supporting documents are required, ask them to provide their police officer credentials, the case filing decision, and the evidence collection notice (photos or scans are accepted). Submit these to evidence@okx.com. A dedicated team member will follow up on your case and cooperate fully with the authorities.

My third-party payment account has been frozen and I need the counterparty's assistance to unfreeze it. What should I do?

If your payment account has been frozen and you require the counterparty's cooperation to resolve the issue, we recommend the following steps:

1. First, contact your bank's customer service to understand the reason for the freeze and the steps required to unfreeze your account.

2. Please note that Alipay, WeChat Pay, and bank payment platforms each operate their own independent risk control systems. When the system detects a potential risk, it will trigger a risk prompt — and the results may vary from person to person. If the freeze was caused by the counterparty's payment account, it may also be related to your own receiving account. If you've confirmed that your account has no issues, please proceed with normal operations.

3. If the issue cannot be resolved directly, please file a dispute so that a platform specialist can follow up on your case.

What should I do if my order is canceled due to a frozen payment account/bank card?

Please refer to this article to learn how to raise a dispute: How do I raise a dispute when using P2P trading?

Can OKX help if my payment account is frozen/bank card?

OKX doesn't have the authority to unfreeze your payment account or bank card, as these are managed by your bank, Alipay, or judicial authorities. However, OKX can assist with any C2C order disputes related to the freeze. For the freeze itself, please contact your bank, Alipay customer service, or the relevant authorities directly.

How can I prevent my payment account/bank card from being frozen?

• Don't add any notes or remarks when making transfers.

• Avoid using your everyday bank card or salary card — a freeze could disrupt your daily finances.

• Try to avoid large transfers late at night, frequent transactions with multiple parties, and leaving your bank card balance at zero for extended periods.

• Since funds don't pass through the platform, we recommend setting stricter counterparty requirements when posting ads to reduce the risk of your funds coming into contact with illicit money. Additionally, always require the other party to use a real-name verified account when making payments.