> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vortexiq.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Pending Payouts, Square > Pending Payouts for Square stores. Tracked live in Vortex IQ Nerve Centre. How to read it, why it matters, and how to act on it. **Metrics type:** [Supporting Metrics](/nerve-centre/overview#metrics-types-explained) • **Category:** [Payment Gateway](/nerve-centre/connectors#connectors-by-type) ## At a glance > Total amount Square has captured from customers but not yet deposited to your linked bank account. Square's standard schedule is T+1 next-business-day; same-day Instant Deposit available for a 1.75% fee. New merchants and seasonal businesses may have a rolling reserve held by Square. | | | | ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **What it counts** | Sum of payment captures with `status = COMPLETED` that have not yet rolled into a settled payout. | | **API endpoint** | [`GET /v2/payouts`](https://developer.squareup.com/reference/square/payouts-api/list-payouts) for the payout records; `/v2/payments` for in-flight. | | **Currency** | Per-currency. | | **Reserves** | Square may hold 1, 30% of new-merchant volume in a reserve account. Reserves count as pending here. | | **Instant Deposit usage** | Reduces this number; instant-deposited transactions exit pending in minutes. | | **Time window** | Snapshot (current value, not trended). | | **Alert trigger** | `>3 days of avg daily volume` (suggests payout schedule slipping or reserve hold increasing). | | **Roles** | owner, finance, operations | ## Calculation Calculated automatically from your Square data. See the At a glance summary above for what the metric tracks and the worked example below for a typical reading. ## Worked example The Austin bookshop, snapshot at 02 May 26 16:00 CT: ```text theme={null} Last successful payout = 02 May 26 02:00 CT, USD 4,310 (1 May volume) Today's volume so far = USD 4,820 Pending in Square balance = USD 4,820 (will deposit 03 May 26 02:00 CT) Reserve hold = USD 0 (established merchant, no reserve) Instant deposits today = USD 1,200 (owner pulled cash for inventory mid-day) Net pending now = USD 4,820 - USD 1,200 = USD 3,620 ``` Reads: 1. **USD 3,620 in flight is normal.** Avg daily volume is USD 4,300; one day's worth is in flight, exactly what T+1 schedule predicts. 2. **Instant Deposit usage of USD 1,200 cost USD 21 in fees (1.75%).** Owner used it to buy inventory mid-day from a wholesale supplier; cheaper than a credit-card-funded business loan. 3. **No reserve.** Established merchants typically have no reserve. New merchants in higher-risk verticals may see 1, 5% rolling reserve for 90, 180 days. ## Sibling cards merchants should reference together | Card | Why pair | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | [`squ_payout_age_days`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/square/oldest-pending-payout) | Days since last successful payout. | | [`squ_avg_settlement_days`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/square/avg-settlement-time) | Avg time from sale to bank credit. | | [`squ_total_volume`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/square/total-volume) | Volume context for "what's in flight". | | Stripe [`stripe_pending_payouts`](/nerve-centre/stripe/stripe_pending_payouts) | Cross-PSP. | ## Reconciling against the vendor's own dashboard **Where to look in the Square Dashboard:** > **Balance → Square balance** + **Balance → Pending deposits**. **Why ours may differ:** | Reason | Direction | | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Snapshot timing | Ours updates on sync; Square is real-time | | Instant Deposits in-flight | Brief window where Instant Deposit is "transferred but not yet at the bank" | **Cross-connector reconciliation:** pending payouts are PSP-specific; sum across rails for total in-flight cash if the merchant runs multi-PSP. ## Known limitations / merchant FAQs **"Why is my balance higher than I expect?"** Three causes: weekend / holiday closure pushed payouts (US bank holidays close ACH for 1-2 days), Instant Deposit not used today, or a reserve is being built up. **"Why does Square hold a reserve?"** Risk management. Industries with high chargeback potential (digital-only, ticketing, services-future-delivery) often see a 1, 5% rolling reserve for 90, 180 days. **"Instant Deposit fee, worth it?"** 1.75% per Instant Deposit. Worth it for cash-flow emergencies (inventory restock during peak day) but not for routine payouts. Most merchants use it 1-2x / month at most. **"My payout schedule changed, why?"** Square may slow your schedule (T+1 to T+3 or T+5) if dispute-rate spikes or volume profile changes suspiciously. Dashboard's Risk Manager shows the reason. **"Multi-location, separate balances?"** No; one Square balance per merchant account, even with multiple locations. **"Multi-currency, separate balances?"** Yes; each currency has its own balance and payout schedule. **"What about my Square Card / Square Banking?"** Funds in Square Card / Square Checking are NOT in this card. Square Card is a separate debit card you can spend the balance from directly. This card counts only what's destined for an external linked bank. **"Why did pending suddenly spike?"** Either schedule paused, holiday backlog, or a reserve hold was placed. Check Dashboard Risk Manager. *** ### Tracked live in Vortex IQ Nerve Centre *Pending Payouts* is one of hundreds of KPI pulses Vortex IQ tracks across Square and 70+ other ecommerce connectors. Nerve Centre runs the detection layer; Vortex Mind investigates the cause when something moves; Ask Viq lets you interrogate any number in plain English. [Start for free](https://app.vortexiq.ai/login) or [book a demo](https://www.vortexiq.ai/contact-us) to see this metric running on your own data.