Batching sets the clock
Transactions settle in a batch, usually closed automatically at a set time each day. Sales made after your batch cutoff belong to the next day's batch instead, which pushes their deposit back a day compared to a sale made just before the cutoff.
Business days, not calendar days
Weekends and bank holidays don't process deposits. A Friday evening sale commonly lands on Monday or Tuesday instead. This surprises people every long holiday weekend, so it's worth planning around, especially for payroll timing.
What causes holds
Reviews are usually triggered by patterns in the data, not by you doing anything wrong.
- A sudden spike far above your normal monthly volume
- An unusually large single transaction
- A jump in keyed or card-not-present sales
- A rise in chargebacks or refunds relative to volume
How to avoid surprises
If you know a big event, large single sale, or seasonal spike is coming, tell your provider in advance. A quick heads-up prevents most holds and is far easier than trying to get funds released after the fact.
Same-day and instant deposit options
Some platforms offer same-day or instant transfer to a debit card or bank account for an additional fee. This can be useful for managing short-term cash flow, but it's worth comparing the fee against simply waiting the standard one to two days.
How new accounts differ
Brand-new merchant accounts sometimes see slightly longer initial deposit timelines or smaller reserve holds while a payment history is established. This typically settles into the standard schedule within the first several weeks of steady processing.
Reconciling deposits with your books
Deposits usually arrive net of fees, or with fees billed separately depending on the arrangement. Knowing which model you're on makes reconciling your bank statement against your POS sales reports much easier at month end.