Settlement

Also called settlement period, funding

The point at which money from approved payments lands in the seller's account balance, days after the sale with a PSP and often weeks with a merchant of record.

Authorization says the player can pay. Settlement is when the money moves. The gap between the two is a cash-flow cost that headline rates leave out.

As of September 2026, Stripe settles on T+2 in the US and T+3 in the UK and EU, with the first payout typically 7–14 days after signup. Lemon Squeezy holds net sales for 13 days before they become available (Lemon Squeezy). FastSpring applies a 14-day settlement delay to every transaction and a 45-day hold on new accounts (FastSpring). Aghanim pays within 30 days of the end of each month.

For the finance team, the gap creates a receivable at month-end. Sales are earned but not yet in the bank. Book them against the provider, clear the balance when the payout lands, and record currency movements between sale and payout separately from fees. See MoR accounting.