Help Center

When do I get paid? The 5-day review window

Why payments are captured after a review window and what can delay capture.

Timeline of a sale

• Day 0. The buyer's card is authorized on your Stripe account. The buyer can download immediately. The sale appears as "Authorized, under review".

• Day 5. If nothing blocks it, the payment is captured automatically. The money reaches your Stripe balance, minus commission and Stripe fees.

• Payout. Stripe pays your available balance to your bank according to your payout schedule (new Stripe accounts usually have a longer first payout delay).

What pauses capture

• The buyer opens a ticket in Refunds & Cancellations or Fraud & Suspicious Activity.

• A dispute is opened with the buyer's bank.

• The amount authorized does not match the order, or Stripe's fraud screening reports the highest risk level.

In these cases our team reviews the order and either captures it or cancels the authorization. If an authorization reaches its expiry (about 7 days) without a decision, Stripe cancels it and the buyer is not charged.

Why a review window?

Digital files can be downloaded instantly. The review window protects buyers and honest creators against fraud and stolen cards, which would otherwise end in chargebacks on your account.