Understanding the incentive status across the project lifecycle, from planning to payment, is essential for effectively managing payments in Ayda. In this article, we'll explore the different statuses to provide clarity and guidance when paying participants.  

Planned: 

This is the first status and occurs when participants have been added to a project with an incentive amount, but no further actions have been taken regarding their incentives. 

Allocated: 

Once incentives are planned, the next status is allocated. Allocated incentives indicate that funds have been earmarked for specific participants but are not yet ready to be claimed. This status ensures that funds are committed to a participant in a project, making the allocated funds unavailable to use elsewhere.  

Released: 

As the project progresses, users may choose to release the allocated incentives to participants. This status signifies that the incentive is now available for participants to claim. When an incentive is released, participants receive a notification containing instructions on how to claim their reward.  

Paid: 

The final phase of the incentive journey occurs when a participant successfully claims their reward. When a participant claims the incentive, the funds are disbursed to them in real time, completing the payment process. This phase signifies the successful completion of the participant payment cycle. 

Other incentives terminologies that you might see in your dashboard: 

Committed Incentives: 

Committed incentives encompass all incentives where funds have been committed, including those in the allocated, released, and paid phases. Researchers can track committed incentives through the project overview, providing a comprehensive view of the project's financial commitments. 

Available Balance: 

The available balance displays the funds that are available to allocate to participants in that project or to be returned to the account balance when a project is marked as completed. This can include cancelled incentives or the difference when editing an allocated incentive to a lower amount. 

Total Incentives: 

The sum of all incentives in the project includes planned, allocated, released, and paid.  

Planned Incentives Fees: 

The total fees (including VAT) will be applied to your currently planned incentives.  

Shortfall/Excess: 

In the project grid and overview, you'll notice if you have too little or too much money. This shows the financial status of your project. If you see a negative number in red (shortfall), it means you're short on funds. This is how much more money you need to cover all the costs. But if you see a positive number in black, it means you have extra money (excess). You've got enough to cover everything, and you've even got some left over.