Understanding your payout balances #
DashPledge provides organizers with a summary of their organization’s payout activity under:
Settings → Payout Setup
At the top of Payout Setup, you may see three important amounts:
- Available Balance
- Pending Balance
- Recent Paid Out
These amounts represent different stages of the payment and payout process.
Available Balance #
Available Balance represents funds that are currently available for Stripe payout.
These funds have moved through the applicable payment-processing period and are available according to the connected Stripe account.
An available balance does not necessarily mean the money has already reached your organization’s bank account.
It means the funds are available for payout according to Stripe’s payout process and schedule.
Pending Balance #
Pending Balance represents funds that are still processing through Stripe.
These funds are not yet available for payout.
A newly completed donation may initially contribute to the pending balance while Stripe processes the transaction and determines when the funds become available.
Recent Paid Out #
Recent Paid Out provides a summary of recent funds that have already moved through the payout process.
For individual payout information, scroll to the Recent Payouts section.
There you may see information such as:
- Payout date
- Amount
- Method
Why does money move from Pending to Available? #
When an eligible payment is successfully processed, the funds may initially remain pending.
After the applicable processing period, Stripe can make the funds available for payout.
The general flow is:
Donation received → Pending Balance → Available Balance → Payout → Bank account
Actual timing is controlled by Stripe and can vary according to the transaction and connected account.
Does Available Balance mean the money is already in my bank? #
No.
Available Balance means the funds are available for Stripe payout.
Once Stripe sends the applicable payout, the transaction can appear in your payout activity.
Your financial institution may then require additional time to post the funds to the organization’s bank account.
Why is my Available Balance $0? #
An Available Balance of $0 can be normal.
Possible reasons include:
- No eligible funds are currently available
- Recent donations are still pending
- Available funds were recently paid out
- Refunds or adjustments affected the balance
- Stripe is still processing transactions
Review the Pending Balance and Recent Payouts for additional context.
Why is my Pending Balance higher than my Available Balance? #
This can happen when recent fundraiser transactions are still moving through Stripe’s processing period.
Pending funds aren’t yet eligible to be included in a payout.
As eligible funds become available, the balances can change.
Why is my Available Balance lower than the amount my campaign raised? #
Your campaign’s amount raised and your Stripe Available Balance measure different things.
Campaign progress represents eligible fundraising activity associated with the campaign.
Available Balance represents funds currently available for Stripe payout at that particular time.
Differences can result from factors such as:
- Processing timing
- Previous payouts
- Payment-processing fees
- Refunds
- Disputes
- Other transaction adjustments
Does the DashPledge tip appear in the organization’s fundraising balance? #
The voluntary DashPledge tip is separate from the fundraiser donation.
It should not be treated as money raised by the school or organization or as part of the student’s fundraising total.
The organization’s fundraising and payout information should reflect the applicable fundraiser proceeds rather than treating the DashPledge tip as fundraiser revenue.
What about payment-processing fees? #
DashPledge’s 0% platform fee is separate from payment-processing fees.
Applicable payment-processing fees can affect the net funds associated with fundraiser transactions.
This is one reason the amount raised by a campaign and the amount ultimately paid out may not be identical.
How are main campaign donations handled? #
Eligible donations made through the main campaign page contribute to the organization’s overall campaign.
The applicable fundraiser proceeds move through the organization’s connected Stripe account and payout process.
How are student mini-fundraiser donations handled? #
Eligible donations made through a student mini-fundraiser can contribute to:
- The student’s individual fundraising progress
- The overall campaign fundraising total
However, the funds do not belong to or get paid directly to the student.
The applicable fundraiser proceeds continue through the school or organization’s connected Stripe account.
Do parents or students have separate balances? #
No.
Student mini-fundraisers are connected to the organization’s campaign.
Parents and students do not receive separate payout balances for the fundraiser proceeds.
The organization manages payout information through its connected Stripe account.
How do refunds affect balances? #
A refund can affect the organization’s payout information depending on when the refund occurs.
If funds are still pending or available, the refund can affect those amounts.
If the original transaction has already moved farther through the payout process, Stripe can handle the applicable adjustment according to the transaction and connected account.
How do disputes affect balances? #
Payment disputes can affect available funds and payout activity.
The exact effect depends on the disputed transaction and Stripe’s handling of the payment.
If you see an unexpected balance change associated with a dispute, review the relevant transaction information and contact DashPledge Support when necessary.
Where can I see individual payouts? #
Go to:
Settings → Payout Setup
and scroll to Recent Payouts.
This section can show individual payout information such as:
- Date
- Amount
- Method
For additional connected-account details, select Open Stripe.
What does Standard mean under Method? #
If a recent payout shows Standard, it refers to the applicable standard Stripe payout method used for that payout.
Available payout methods and timing are determined by Stripe and the connected account.
How often are funds paid out? #
Check:
Settings → Payout Setup → Payout Schedule
The schedule displayed there represents the payout configuration associated with your connected Stripe account.
For example, the schedule may show Daily.
Stripe controls the actual payout timing and fund availability, so the displayed schedule doesn’t guarantee that every donation will immediately reach your bank account.
What if my balances don’t look correct? #
First, review:
- Available Balance
- Pending Balance
- Recent Paid Out
- Recent Payouts
- Stripe Connect status
- Payout Schedule
Then select Open Stripe if you need additional connected-account information.
If the numbers still don’t appear consistent with the expected transaction activity, contact DashPledge Support.
Should I manually change a balance? #
No.
Payout balances are based on actual payment and payout activity.
Do not create transactions, delete donations, or otherwise alter campaign records simply to make a displayed balance match an expected number.
The underlying transaction should be investigated instead.
What’s next? #
Continue with the Payouts & Stripe guides to learn about:
- Managing your payout schedule
- Using Open Stripe
- Stripe verification requirements
- Managing your payout bank account
- Troubleshooting payout problems
For an overview of the complete process, see How DashPledge Payouts Work.
