> ## 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. # Avg Settlement Time (days), Viva Payments > Avg Settlement Time (days) for Viva Payments 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 > The **average number of days between transaction date and settlement date** in the period: how long money waits in Viva's holding before reaching your bank. Viva-IBAN merchants see \~ 0 days (instant rail); non-Viva-IBAN merchants typically see T+1 to T+3 (SEPA cycle). High average settlement days means working-capital trapped in the rail. | | | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **What it counts** | `AVG(SettlementDate - TransactionDate)` over all settled transactions in the period, in calendar days. Weekends and EU bank holidays included. | | **API endpoint** | [`/api/transactions`](https://developer.vivawallet.com/apis-for-payments/payment-api/) plus settlements API; `InsDate` (transaction) and `SettlementDate` join. | | **Currency** | **Currency-neutral** (days). Multi-currency settlements may have different cycles per currency rail; we report the blended average. | | **Refunds / disputes** | Excluded from the calculation (refunds are debits not settlements; disputed funds held until resolution). | | **Failed / declined payments** | Not relevant. | | **Recurring rebills** | Counted. Rebills settle on the same cycle as one-time payments. | | **Channels** | Online + POS unified. POS card-present typically settles end-of-day on the day of capture for Viva-IBAN; online settles within minutes (instant) for Viva-IBAN. Non-Viva-IBAN settles via SEPA T+1 to T+3 for both. | | **Time window** | `30D` rolling. | | **Alert trigger** | `>5 days` warn (suggests reserve hold or non-IBAN bottleneck); `>10 days` critical. | | **Roles** | owner, finance, operations | ## Calculation Calculated automatically from your Viva Payments data. See the At a glance summary above for what the metric tracks and the worked example below for a typical reading. ## Worked example A Greek SMB ("Athens Apothecary") with a Viva-IBAN account. Window 03 Apr 26 to 02 May 26. | Channel | Transactions | Avg settlement (days) | Notes | | ---------------------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- | | Online checkout (Viva-IBAN settle) | 1,420 | **0.04** (about an hour) | Instant rail, settles to merchant balance within minutes | | Smart POS (Viva-IBAN settle) | 920 | **0.6** | End-of-day batch settlement | | Recurring rebills (Viva-IBAN) | 320 | **0.05** | Same as online | Compared to a hypothetical scenario where the same merchant used a third-party (non-Viva) IBAN: | Channel | Avg settlement (days) on non-Viva IBAN | Notes | | ----------------- | -------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | | Online checkout | **2.1 days** | SEPA T+1 to T+3, weekend bridges | | Smart POS | **1.8 days** | Same SEPA cycle | | Recurring rebills | **2.1 days** | Same | ```text theme={null} Athens Apothecary blended average (Viva-IBAN): Weighted = (1420 × 0.04 + 920 × 0.6 + 320 × 0.05) ÷ 2,660 = (56.8 + 552 + 16) ÷ 2,660 = 0.235 days (about 5.6 hours) Comparison non-Viva-IBAN scenario: Weighted = (1420 × 2.1 + 920 × 1.8 + 320 × 2.1) ÷ 2,660 = ~ 2.0 days Working-capital impact (1.8 day swing × EUR 460k 30-day volume / 30): ≈ EUR 27,600 trapped in float ``` What the merchant should notice: 1. **0.235-day blended average is the Viva-IBAN signature.** Compare to Stripe's standard EU schedule (T+7 default, with T+2 / T+1 available as merchant negotiates). Viva-IBAN is structurally faster than every major competing PSP for EU merchants. 2. **Non-Viva-IBAN merchants pay a 1.8-day working-capital premium.** For a EUR 460k/month merchant, that's roughly EUR 27,600 trapped in transit at any moment, working capital that could be financing inventory, marketing, or AP. 3. **POS is slightly slower than online.** End-of-day batch settlement for POS captures versus per-transaction instant settlement for online. Fully expected; not a problem. 4. **Holidays and weekends bridge differently.** Greek public holidays add 1 to 3 days for non-Viva-IBAN merchants because SEPA rails close. Viva-IBAN instant rail operates 24/7. Easter and August holidays in Greek retail are particularly impacted on non-Viva-IBAN setups. 5. **JP Morgan acquisition relevance: settlement infrastructure is unchanged.** The Viva-IBAN instant rail and SEPA fallback continue under existing Viva regulated entities; JP Morgan parent ownership does not change settlement timing. ## Sibling cards merchants should reference together | Card | Why pair it with Avg Settlement Days | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | [`viv_payouts_pending`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/viva-payments/pending-payouts) | What's currently in flight; high pending volume + high avg days = working capital problem. | | [`viv_payout_age_days`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/viva-payments/oldest-pending-payout) | The oldest pending payout, the tail-risk signal. | | [`viva_pending_payouts`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/viva-payments/pending-payouts) | Sibling pending-payouts view. | | [`viva_payout_age`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/viva-payments/oldest-pending-payout) | Sibling payout-age view. | | [`viv_total_volume`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/viva-payments/total-volume) | The volume base; settlement cost scales with it. | | [`viva_total_revenue`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/viva-payments/total-revenue) | Revenue framing; settlement timing affects when revenue becomes cash. | | Stripe payout schedule / PayPal payout cards | Cross-PSP working-capital comparison. | ## Reconciling against the vendor's own dashboard **Where to look in the Viva Payments Dashboard:** [viva.com/business/account/login](https://www.viva.com/en/business/account/login). Closest comparable views: > **Viva Business → Sales → Settlements** (per-batch settlement detail with timestamps) > **Viva Business → Account → Settlement schedule** (your configured cadence) The Settlements view shows per-batch lag; this card is the period average across all batches. **Why our number may legitimately differ:** | Reason | Direction | Why | | -------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Bank-holiday inclusion** | Marginal | We use calendar days. Viva Dashboard occasionally shows business-day equivalents. For non-Viva-IBAN accounts the difference can be 1 to 3 days during holiday weeks. | | **Reserve hold** | Ours higher if active reserve | Some merchants have a percentage of settlement held back as a rolling reserve; the Settlement Date for reserved portion can be deferred. We compute the average of actual settlement dates, including any held portion. | | **Currency mix** | Per-currency rails differ | EUR settles via instant rail or SEPA; GBP via Faster Payments or BACS; RON via local Romanian rails. Each has slightly different cycle. Blended figure averages across the mix. | **Cross-connector reconciliation:** | Comparison | Expected relationship | When divergence is legitimate | | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `viv_avg_settlement_days` ↔ Stripe avg payout schedule | Viva structurally faster for Viva-IBAN merchants | Stripe's default EU is T+7; standard merchants negotiate to T+2. Viva-IBAN is sub-1-day. | | `viv_avg_settlement_days` ↔ PayPal avg payout schedule | Viva typically faster | PayPal balance to bank takes 1 to 5 business days depending on currency / region. | ***
Documentation cross-reference * Stripe payout schedule cards (where present) * PayPal payout cards (where present)
## Known limitations / merchant FAQs **"What's the difference between Viva-IBAN and a regular bank IBAN?"** A Viva-IBAN is an electronic-money IBAN issued by Viva.com itself, where your merchant balance lives. Funds move from acquiring to your Viva-IBAN within minutes (instant rail), and you can spend or sweep from the Viva-IBAN at your discretion. A non-Viva-IBAN is a third-party bank account (e.g. National Bank of Greece, Santander, Deutsche Bank); funds move from Viva to that account via SEPA T+1 to T+3. **"Should I switch to a Viva-IBAN?"** For working-capital optimisation, yes. The 1.8 to 2.5-day faster settlement frees up cash that's otherwise trapped in transit. For merchants doing EUR 100k+/month, that's typically EUR 6,000+ in additional working capital available. Most CFOs find the operational change minor (you can sweep from Viva-IBAN to your primary bank account on your own schedule). **"Why doesn't Stripe offer instant settlement in the EU?"** Stripe uses partner banks (rather than holding its own EU e-money licence at the time of writing). Funds bridge through Stripe's holding accounts and then SEPA to your bank, which takes 2 to 7 days. Viva's regulated entity holds funds directly, which enables sub-day settlement. **"Does the JP Morgan acquisition speed up or slow down settlement?"** Neither, expected. Settlement infrastructure (Viva-IBAN instant rail, SEPA fallback) continues under existing Viva regulated entities. JP Morgan parent ownership is balance-sheet credibility, not operational change. **"Reserve hold, when does Viva apply one?"** Newly-onboarded merchants in higher-risk verticals (travel, digital goods, subscription) may have a 5 to 15% rolling reserve held for 30 to 90 days. Established merchants typically have no reserve. If your average settlement days is structurally above 5, check whether a reserve is in place. **"Recurring rebill settlement, same as one-time?"** Yes. Rebills settle on the same cycle as their underlying flow (Viva-IBAN instant or SEPA T+1 to T+3). **"What about non-EUR currencies?"** Viva natively settles in 13+ currencies. GBP settlements via UK Faster Payments (typically T+0 to T+1 for UK accounts), RON via Romanian instant rail (instant for Viva-IBAN, T+1 for local bank). Each currency has its own cycle; the blended average masks this, use the Settlements view in the Dashboard for per-currency detail. **"Holidays, how do they affect this?"** Viva-IBAN instant rail operates 24/7 including weekends and holidays. SEPA closes for weekends and EU bank holidays; non-Viva-IBAN merchants see settlement delayed by the holiday count. Greek Orthodox Easter and August holidays are particularly impactful in Greek-issuer-heavy merchants. **"My settlement days jumped, what to check?"** (1) Reserve: did Viva apply a new reserve due to risk-event? (2) Bank: did your destination bank change processing cadence? (3) Currency mix: did a slow-rail currency increase its share of volume? (4) Holiday: was there an EU bank holiday in the period? **"Can I see settlement timing per transaction?"** Yes, in the Viva Dashboard's Settlements view. Each row shows Transaction Date, Settlement Date, Amount, Net (after fees), Currency, IBAN destination. *** ### Tracked live in Vortex IQ Nerve Centre *Avg Settlement Time (days)* is one of hundreds of KPI pulses Vortex IQ tracks across Viva Payments 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.