Lead Return

Lead Return sends a lead back to you, unbilled, when Tera cannot take it forward after Pre-Underwriting. The submission’s status becomes returned. A return is final. Lead Return applies only when your supplier agreement includes the Lead Return term. Without it, Tera never returns a lead and returned never appears on your submissions.

When a lead is returned

After an accepted submission becomes an Application, Tera runs Pre-Underwriting on it.

Pre-Underwriting result	With Lead Return
Automated check finds a severe adverse result	Returned immediately
Automated check finds an adverse result, or the lead needs review	Held for broker review. Stays `accepted`, not billed, not returned
Broker review finds the lead clean	Continues. Becomes billable
Broker review finds an adverse or severe adverse result	Returned

A lead held for review is never returned because of the review alone. That includes a review caused by a Tera system fault or evidence Tera could not verify.
Affordability outcomes never return a lead.
A returned lead is final. Tera does no further matching, lender submission, or broker work on it. Under your agreement you may place the lead elsewhere.

What the customer sees

The customer sees Tera’s standard, neutral Pre-Underwriting decline screen wherever they are in the Tera application journey. Tera does not send a decline email, does not give the customer a reason, and does not mention you.

Returned status object

A returned submission keeps its application_reference and application_created_at, and carries a return object. return is present only when status is returned.

{
  "environment": "production",
  "submission_id": "22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222",
  "external_reference": "harbourview-enq-2001",
  "level": "application",
  "status": "returned",
  "received_at": "2026-08-29T10:15:02.000Z",
  "decided_at": "2026-08-29T14:40:00.000Z",
  "application_reference": "TBF-7K2M9QXA",
  "application_created_at": "2026-08-29T10:15:09.000Z",
  "billing": {
    "billing_status": "not_billable",
    "billable_at": null,
    "billing_model": "pre_underwriting_cleared",
    "not_billable_reason": "returned"
  },
  "return": {
    "reason_category": "outstanding_ccjs",
    "reason_category_version": "v1",
    "returned_at": "2026-08-29T14:40:00.000Z"
  }
}

Field	Meaning
`return.reason_category`	One Return Reason Category. See below.
`return.reason_category_version`	Version of the category list. Currently `v1`.
`return.returned_at`	When Tera returned the lead. `decided_at` is set to the same time.

handoff never appears on a returned submission. returned is not rejected. rejected means the submission failed at intake and no Application was created. A returned lead had an Application.

Return Reason Categories

Each return carries exactly one curated category. When several apply, the most specific one wins, in the order below. Tera does not share scores, counts, amounts, thresholds, ruleset versions, or raw Pre-Underwriting reason codes.

`reason_category`	Meaning
`company_dissolved_or_insolvent`	The company is dissolved, or in liquidation, administration, winding-up, or another insolvency process.
`outstanding_ccjs`	The business has outstanding County Court Judgments.
`adverse_credit_profile`	Satisfied or historic County Court Judgments, or an adverse credit score or band.
`weak_financial_position`	Negative net assets or material charges over the business.
`overdue_filings`	Statutory accounts are overdue.
`pre_underwriting_criteria_not_met`	The lead does not meet Tera’s Pre-Underwriting criteria and no more specific category applies.

Tera bumps reason_category_version when it adds, removes, or re-maps a category. Treat an unrecognised reason_category as pre_underwriting_criteria_not_met.

Billing

Agreements with Lead Return use the pre_underwriting_cleared billing model.

Point in the journey	`billing_status`	`not_billable_reason`
`received`	`pending`	`null`
Application created	`pending`	`null`
Pre-Underwriting clears the lead (automated clean result or broker clean)	`billable`	`null`
Lead returned	`not_billable`	`returned`

A lead is never billable and then returned: billing stays pending until the lead clears. In sandbox, billing is always not_billable with reason sandbox, including for a returned lead. The API records billing for reconciliation only. It does not invoice. If you pay in advance, returned leads are reconciled as credit or replacement under your agreement.

Learn about a return

Tera sends a submission.status_changed webhook when a lead is returned. Use a status read to recover a missed event.

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Submit enquiries

After you submit

Errors and limits

When a lead is returned

What the customer sees

Returned status object

Return Reason Categories

Billing

Learn about a return

​When a lead is returned

​What the customer sees

​Returned status object

​Return Reason Categories

​Billing

​Learn about a return

When a lead is returned

What the customer sees

Returned status object

Return Reason Categories

Billing

Learn about a return