How seller payments work
When a buyer pays for your order by card, Fetch holds the money for you in your wallet — no invoices to send, no bank transfers to chase. Here's the full breakdown of how it works.
At a glance
Card payments on Fetch flow through your Fetch wallet. The moment a buyer pays, the money is allocated to you — but it clears in stages so we can protect both sides of the order.
Step 1
Payment received
The buyer's card is charged and the full payout is allocated to your Fetch wallet immediately — no invoices to send, no bank transfer to chase.
Step 2
Held in Future Funds
Your payout sits in Future Funds for 3–5 business days while the order is shipped and the payment clears with our payment provider.
Step 3
Ready to withdraw
Once the hold ends, your funds move to your withdrawable balance. Withdraw to your bank from Settings → Wallet whenever you like.
The flow
How a card payment flows
When a buyer chooses to pay by card on Fetch, the payment is processed end-to-end by our payment provider — no card details ever touch your account, and you don't need to send invoices, chase payment, or confirm a bank transfer.
- 1
The buyer pays at checkout.
The buyer enters their card details at checkout. Our payment provider authorises and captures the payment securely — Fetch never sees or stores card numbers. A small card surcharge is added on top of the listing price, paid by the buyer to cover the cost of card processing.
- 2
The full payout is allocated to your wallet.
The moment the payment clears, your full payout is added to your Future Funds in your Fetch wallet. Platform fees and any seller-paid surcharges are already deducted. You'll see the order marked as Paid on the sale detail page straight away.
- 3
You ship the order.
Mark the order shipped and add a tracking number. That's the only thing you have to do — there's no buyer-side confirmation required for the funds to clear, and you never have to confirm a payment yourself for card orders.
- 4
Funds clear to your withdrawable balance.
After 3–5 business days, your payout moves automatically from Future Funds to your withdrawable balance. From there you can withdraw to your bank account from Settings → Wallet whenever you like.
The hold
Future Funds & the 3–5 business day hold
Future Funds is the section of your Fetch wallet where money sits while it's clearing. It's not money in limbo — it's allocated to you, you can see exactly how much you have coming, and it will move to your withdrawable balance automatically once the hold ends.
Why the hold exists
The 3–5 business day window matches how card payments settle with our payment provider. It also gives the buyer time to receive their order and gives both sides a small protection window if something goes wrong (a missing parcel, a dispute). Once the window closes, the funds are unconditionally yours.
What the clearing window depends on
The clearing window starts when the buyer's payment is received. As long as you ship the order within that window, the funds clear on schedule and move to your withdrawable balance after 3–5 business days.
Important — ship promptly
If you haven't shipped the order by the time the 3–5 business day window ends, the hold is extended until you do. Funds only clear once we've seen tracking on the order. Shipping promptly keeps your payout on schedule.
You don't have to wait for the buyer to confirm delivery — marking the order shipped with valid tracking is all that's required from your end.
Your part
What you actually need to do
For card-paid orders, your job is short:
Accept the offer
When you accept an offer, you commit to delivering the order within 72 hours of payment. The buyer is notified and can pay by card.
Ship within the clearing window
Mark shipped and add tracking via the order detail page. This is the only action that actually unlocks your payout — no buyer-side step is required.
Withdraw whenever you want
Once funds clear to your withdrawable balance, withdraw to your bank from Settings → Wallet. There's no minimum and no waiting period beyond the clearing window.
What you don't have to do
You don't need to send the buyer an invoice, confirm a bank transfer, follow up about payment, or wait for the buyer to mark the order received. Card payments are handled end-to-end by Fetch.
Cashing out
Withdrawing to your bank
Once funds have cleared from Future Funds to your withdrawable balance, you can withdraw them to your bank account at any time. Head to Settings → Wallet and choose how much to withdraw — the rest stays in your wallet for next time.
A small one-time withdrawal fee applies per withdrawal, shown on the withdrawal screen before you confirm. There's no minimum withdrawal amount.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Has Fetch actually received my money when I see the order marked as Paid?
Yes. Paid means the buyer's card was charged and the full payout is sitting in your Fetch wallet's Future Funds. The money is allocated to you — it just hasn't cleared the 3–5 business day window yet.
Why can't I withdraw immediately after payment?
Card payments take 3–5 business days to settle with our payment provider, and the hold also exists to protect both sides if something goes wrong with the order (a missing parcel, a dispute). Once the window ends and the order has been shipped, your funds move to your withdrawable balance automatically.
What happens if I don't ship in time?
The clearing hold is extended until you ship. Funds only clear once we've seen tracking on the order. If you can't ship for some reason, get in touch with us as early as you can so we can sort the order out with the buyer.
Where do I see how much is in Future Funds?
Open your wallet — on web, head to your seller dashboard (Profile → Store), and on the mobile app, open the Wallet screen. You'll see your Future Funds and your withdrawable balance side by side.
Are platform fees taken before or after the hold?
Platform fees and any seller-paid card surcharges are deducted up-front, so the amount that lands in your Future Funds is the exact amount that clears to your withdrawable balance after the hold. The only fee that applies later is a small one-time withdrawal fee, shown on the withdrawal screen before you confirm.
Does this apply to bank transfer orders too?
No — this article is specifically for card-paid orders. Bank transfer orders work the way they always have: the buyer sends the money to you directly, and you confirm receipt on the order detail page.
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