If you have received an email or letter from Aeropay saying that a bank payment you made was returned and that you now owe the full amount plus fees, you are not alone, and you should not pay the balance or ignore the demand until you understand what the claim actually is. The Law Offices of Albert Goodwin represents Florida residents who are being pursued by Aeropay and similar pay-by-bank processors over returned ACH deposits to prediction markets, sweepstakes casinos, daily fantasy platforms, and other online gaming sites.
What Aeropay Is and Why It Is Contacting You
Aeropay is a payment processor. It is not the site you deposited money with. Aeropay provides "pay by bank" deposits for online platforms, including prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi and a large number of sweepstakes and gaming operators. When you link your bank account and make a deposit, the platform typically credits your account instantly so you can start trading or playing right away, before your bank has actually settled the transfer.
Aeropay sells these platforms a guarantee. If your bank later returns the ACH transfer, whether for insufficient funds, a closed account, or a dispute, Aeropay reimburses the platform and then comes after you for the money. That is why the demand comes from Aeropay rather than from the site where the money was lost. By the time you hear from Aeropay, the platform has usually been paid and your account there has been frozen or closed.
Why the Return Reason Matters More Than Anything Else
Every returned ACH transfer carries a return code from your bank. The code determines what kind of case you have.
- Insufficient funds or closed account (R01, R02, R03). You authorized the deposit, the platform credited it, and the transfer bounced. This is an ordinary contract dispute. It can be defended and it can be settled, and these are the claims we resolve most often.
- Unauthorized transaction (R10, R11). You told your bank you did not authorize the transfer. If that was true, you may owe nothing. If you did authorize the deposit and disputed it anyway, you have a much more serious problem, and you should speak with a lawyer before you say anything to Aeropay or to your bank.
Before you respond to Aeropay, pull your bank statements, identify each returned transfer, and find out the return code. We do this as the first step in every matter.
Do You Actually Owe the Money Under Florida Law?
Aeropay's claim rests on the user agreement you accepted when you linked your bank account. But Florida has a statute that Aeropay would prefer you not read. Section 849.26, Florida Statutes, provides that contracts "for the repayment of money lent or advanced at the time of a gambling transaction for the purpose of being laid, betted, staked, or wagered" are void and unenforceable. A guaranteed deposit advanced to an online betting or prediction platform fits that description well.
Aeropay will respond that the statute does not apply to gambling "expressly authorized by law" and that prediction markets are regulated by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Whether that federal regulation counts as authorization under Florida law is an open question. Florida has never licensed prediction markets, the Seminole Tribe holds exclusive rights to sports wagering in Florida under its compact with the State, and Florida officials have publicly questioned whether these platforms comply with Florida law. If the deposit went to a sweepstakes casino or an offshore site, the argument is stronger still.
We do not promise that a court would find the contract void. We do know that an unresolved question about whether the debt exists at all changes the conversation with Aeropay's recovery department, and it is one of the reasons these claims settle for far less than the demanded balance.
Your Rights Under the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act
Florida's consumer collection statute, section 559.72, is broader than the federal law. It applies to anyone collecting a consumer debt, including a company collecting money it says is owed to itself. Among other things, it prohibits a collector from:
- Contacting you directly once it knows you are represented by an attorney.
- Claiming a legal right it knows it does not have.
- Threatening a lawsuit or other action it does not intend to take.
- Communicating with your employer about the debt before obtaining a judgment.
- Contacting you between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. without your consent.
- Using profane, harassing, or abusive language.
A collector that violates the statute can be liable for statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation, actual damages, and your attorney's fees. If Aeropay has placed your account with a third-party collection agency, the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act applies as well, and you have the right to demand written validation of the debt. We describe those claims on our pages about collection calls and the FDCPA and FDCPA damages claims. These protections are not just a shield. A collector with exposure under the statute has a reason to resolve your matter on reasonable terms.
Threats You May See in an Aeropay Demand
Some returned-payment demands reference Florida's worthless check statutes and threaten treble damages or criminal prosecution. Section 68.065 and section 832.05 apply to checks, drafts, and similar written instruments. An ACH debit authorization is not a check, and a transfer returned for insufficient funds is not a worthless check crime. Section 68.065 also requires a specific written demand and a thirty-day cure period before any treble damages claim can proceed. If you see these threats in a demand, do not panic, and do not treat them as accurate statements of your exposure.
What Aeropay Can and Cannot Do to You in Florida
Aeropay can report the returned payment to bank screening services such as ChexSystems or Early Warning, which can make it harder to open a new bank account. It can block you across the platforms that use its network. It can send the account to a collection agency, and in theory it can sue you in county court in the county where you live, or compel arbitration if its user agreement requires it.
What Aeropay cannot do, even with a judgment, is reach assets that Florida law protects. Your homestead is exempt from forced sale without regard to its value, subject to acreage limits. Property you own with your spouse as tenants by the entireties is protected from a judgment against you alone. If you provide more than half the support for a child or other dependent, your wages are exempt from garnishment as a head of family unless you have agreed in writing to the garnishment. Understanding what is actually at risk is the starting point for deciding how much, if anything, a claim is worth paying.
Is Bankruptcy the Answer?
Usually not. A single claim of this size rarely justifies a bankruptcy filing, and a Chapter 7 trustee can sell any property you own that is not exempt to pay creditors. A claim based on a returned payment is also exactly the kind of debt a creditor may challenge as nondischargeable if it believes the deposit was made without the ability or intent to cover it. In most cases, a direct negotiated resolution costs less, ends faster, and leaves your credit and your property untouched. We will tell you plainly if your situation is the exception, and our pages on debt settlement and alternatives to bankruptcy describe the other options.
How We Handle Aeropay Matters
Our approach is the same in nearly every case.
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Verify the Demand
Returned-payment emails are a common phishing template. We confirm that the demand is genuine, that Aeropay actually holds the claim, and that the amount is right.
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Get the Records
We obtain your bank records, the return codes, your account history on the platform, and the user agreements Aeropay relies on.
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Take Over Communications
We notify Aeropay in writing that you are represented. From that point, the calls and emails stop coming to you.
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Assert Your Defenses
We put Aeropay on notice of the enforceability problem under section 849.26 and of its obligations under the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act.
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Negotiate a Resolution
Most of these matters resolve with a discounted lump-sum payment and a written release. We do not settle without your approval, and you decide the number you are willing to pay.
We handle most Aeropay matters for a flat fee that we quote before any work begins, so you know the total cost up front. If Aeropay files a lawsuit or arbitration, which is uncommon for claims of this size, we will discuss a separate engagement to defend it.
What Not to Do
- Do not ignore the demand. Silence does not make the claim go away, and it weakens your position when you do negotiate.
- Do not pay the full amount because the email says you must. The demanded balance is an opening position.
- Do not file a dispute with your bank claiming a transfer was unauthorized if you authorized it. That can convert a civil debt into something far worse.
- Do not explain, apologize, or make promises to Aeropay's collectors. Everything you say can be used to defeat your defenses.
- Do not make new deposits on any platform that uses Aeropay while the claim is open.
What to Have Ready When You Call
You do not need all of this to call us. It is what we will need to tell you what the claim is worth instead of giving you a general answer.
- The Aeropay email or letter, including the full sender address and any reference number
- Bank statements showing each deposit and each returned transfer
- The return code for each returned transfer, if your bank has given it to you
- Screenshots or emails from the platform where the deposit was made
- Any messages from a collection agency about the same account
- Whether you disputed any of the transfers with your bank, and what you told them
Frequently Asked Questions
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I never heard of Aeropay. Is this a scam?
Aeropay is an operating company that does send these notices, but scammers imitate returned-payment emails. Do not click links in the email. We verify every demand through Aeropay's published contact channels before responding.
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Polymarket says I owe nothing. Why is Aeropay demanding money?
Because Aeropay guaranteed your deposit and paid Polymarket when the transfer was returned. The claim now belongs to Aeropay under its own user agreement, not to Polymarket.
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Can Aeropay garnish my wages in Florida?
Only after obtaining a judgment, and not at all if you qualify as a head of family and have not agreed to garnishment in writing. Aeropay would first have to sue you or compel arbitration and win.
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Will this show up on my credit report?
Aeropay is not a traditional lender and does not typically report to the credit bureaus directly. A collection agency that receives the account may report it. Bank screening services such as ChexSystems are the more common consequence.
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How long does Aeropay have to sue me?
Florida's statute of limitations on a written contract is five years. Aeropay is in no hurry, which is another reason to resolve the claim rather than wait it out.
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How much will I end up paying?
Every matter is different and we cannot promise a result. In our experience, claims of this kind are frequently resolved for a fraction of the demanded balance when the debtor is represented, the defenses are asserted, and a lump sum is available. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Aeropay, Polymarket, and Kalshi are trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with this firm.
