Deposits and batches
This guide explains how card sales turn into deposits in your business bank account and why a deposit can differ from your sales.
From sale to deposit
- Authorization. When a customer pays, their card issuer approves or declines the sale.
- Batch. At the end of the day, your approved sales are grouped into a batch and submitted. This is called closing out or batching.
- Processing. The batch is processed through the card system.
- Deposit. Your deposit is made to your bank account on a business day, after fees and any adjustments.
Deposits happen only on business days. Weekends and federal banking holidays can push a deposit to the next business day.
Your deposit schedule is set when your account is approved and confirmed in your agreement. We do not publish a single deposit time for every merchant. Ask support for your schedule and your daily close-out cut-off time.
Close out on time
- Close out (batch) every business day. A sale that has not been batched is not on its way to a deposit.
- If you use automatic close-out, set it a little before your cut-off time.
- A batch closed after the cut-off is usually treated as part of the next business day.
- If a batch will not close, see Troubleshooting.
Read a deposit
Open Deposits in the Merchant Dashboard and select a date to see what is in it. A deposit can include:
| Line item | What it means |
|---|---|
| Sales volume | Card sales in the batch, with a batch reference number |
| Processing fees | Fees taken out for processing |
| Monthly fees | Recurring account charges, when they apply |
| Disputes | Chargeback debits or reversal credits |
| Pending settlement | Sales held for a deposit delay set on your account |
| Pending settlement release | Earlier held sales now included in this deposit |
| Reserve | A portion held as a reserve, if your account has one |
| Reserve release | Reserve money returned to you |
| Risk review | A batch held because it went past a risk threshold |
| High-ticket review | A sale above your approved largest sale, held for review |
| Held deposits | A full hold placed on deposits for a serious risk concern |
Use the batch reference number to match a deposit to the batch report on your terminal or in Transactions.
Why a deposit is smaller than sales
Common reasons are processing fees, refunds, chargebacks, a reserve, a deposit delay, or a sale held for review. If you cannot match a deposit, contact support.
Approved processing limits
When your account is approved, underwriting sets processing limits based on your application, usually:
- Monthly volume: how much you expect to process each month
- Average sale: your typical sale amount
- Largest sale: the biggest single sale you expect
Going well beyond these limits can trigger a review. A sale or batch, and sometimes all deposits, can be held until the review is done. You may be asked for an invoice, receipt, or proof of what was sold. A review does not mean you did something wrong.
To avoid holds:
- Contact support before a big sale, a seasonal rush, a new product, or any change in how you sell.
- Keep invoices and proof of delivery for large sales.
- Ask support for your current approved limits if you are not sure.
The dashboard may show risk thresholds that differ from your approved limits. Your approved limits are the ones that apply. Some accounts can see flagged payments under risk reviews, and only users with permission can act on them.
Reserves and deposit delays
Underwriting may set a reserve or a deposit delay, often for newer businesses, higher-risk industries, or businesses that take payment well before delivering. A reserve holds back a portion of sales to cover possible chargebacks, refunds, or fees. A deposit delay adds business days before sales reach your bank.
Your terms are in your agreement. To ask about reviewing a reserve or delay after a period of steady processing, contact support.
Changing your deposit account
See Bank account in the Merchant Dashboard guide.
Need help?
Email info@thepoints.io or call (833) 374-1518.