Do not force a binary answer
An unknown result means the verification did not establish a definitive outcome under its current definition. It is not equivalent to invalid, and it is not a safe-to-send classification. Keep the observation and its date rather than silently assigning the majority result from neighbouring rows.
Review the actual process
Check whether the vendor completed the batch, whether the output is final and what its documentation says about unresolved results. Avoid repeated paid processing without a reason. A new attempt should address a specific changed condition or documented recommendation, not discomfort with an incomplete answer.
Queue discipline
Give unresolved records an owner, review condition and explicit hold status. A fictional batch with 40 unknowns remains a reconciled batch if all 40 are accounted for. The uncertainty belongs in the decision record; it should not disappear merely to make a percentage look cleaner.
Put it into practice
Suppose a fictional batch has 1,000 expected records and 40 unknown outcomes. If all 1,000 are accounted for, the batch can be arithmetically reconciled while still containing 40 unresolved technical decisions. Calling the entire batch a failure hides useful information; calling it entirely cleared hides uncertainty. Use separate completion fields for processing, reconciliation and action review. Check whether the vendor marks the job final before interpreting the output; a pending operation is not necessarily the same thing as a completed unknown result. Preserve the actual terminology of the selected service. The reviewer should record the condition under which a new check would be justified, such as a documented temporary issue being resolved. Until then, hold the relevant action. Do not claim that a later rerun has happened or improved the answer unless an actual authorised observation establishes it.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- Bouncer result FAQ — Merchant documentation · usebouncer.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-27