A Payout That Belongs to Two Months
Stripe pays out days after the sale, and one payout can cover transactions from several days. At month-end that means June's bank deposits and June's sales are different sets of money. Recognizing the pattern is what separates a timing difference from a real error.
Why the bank lags the sale
On a US account, Stripe's standard settlement timing is T+2: card funds become available two business days after the payment. With daily automatic payouts, Stripe pays out the transactions that were captured two business days earlier. Weekends and holidays stretch that. A payout scheduled for a non-business day arrives on the next business day, and some banks make received funds available a few days later.
So sales on the last two business days of a month are usually paid out in the next month. With a weekly or monthly payout schedule, a single deposit can cover a longer stretch.
The same money, three different dates
Say a client has $4,000 in card sales on the last two business days of June, with $120 in processing fees.
- Stripe's June activity includes $4,000 gross and $120 in fees.
- The books, if sales are recorded when they happen, show $4,000 of June revenue and $120 of June fees.
- The June bank deposits do not include the $3,880 net. It arrives in early July.
The June difference between Stripe's net activity and the bank is $3,880, and it reverses in July when the payout lands. Nothing is wrong.
Where the difference sits on the books
A common way to hold it is a clearing account, often called "Stripe clearing" or undeposited funds. Sales and fees are recorded when they occur, and the net moves from the clearing account to the bank when the payout arrives. At month-end, the clearing balance should equal what Stripe still holds for the client. Your firm's method may differ. The point is that the money has a home on the books between the sale and the deposit.
The proof in Stripe's own report
Stripe's balance summary defines the ending balance as the starting balance plus activity minus payouts. Rearranged for a close:
Payouts in the month = net activity in the month − the change in the Stripe balance
If the payouts on the bank statement equal that figure, the bank side is fully explained, and any remaining difference sits between the books and Stripe. If they do not, look at bank posting delays, a payout that failed or was returned, or a reserve or hold. The reserves and holds post covers the last one.
What the tool shows
The monthly close compares net processor activity (gross minus fees and refunds) with the deposits you enter. Disputes and other adjustments are not part of that net figure, so a dispute in the month shows up as a difference, and the tool flags those transactions for review.
A gap that reappears with the opposite sign next month is timing. A gap that keeps growing is not timing.