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297 lines
8.5 KiB
Markdown
297 lines
8.5 KiB
Markdown
# Stripe Payout Diagnostic Guide
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## Issue: Payment showing in UI but not in bank account
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This is **usually normal** - Stripe holds funds before transferring to your bank. Let's diagnose:
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---
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## Step 1: Verify You're in Live Mode (Not Test Mode)
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**CRITICAL**: Test mode payments are fake - no real money moves.
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1. Go to https://dashboard.stripe.com
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2. Look at the top-right corner
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3. Check the toggle switch:
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- **If it says "Test mode ON"**: You're in test mode - no real money
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- **If it says "Viewing test data"**: Switch to Live mode
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- **If it says "Live mode" or toggle is OFF/gray**: You're in live mode ✅
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**If you were in test mode:**
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- The $5 payment was a test transaction
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- No real money was charged
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- You need to redo the donation in Live mode
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---
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## Step 2: Check Your Stripe Balance
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Your Stripe balance shows funds that are available or pending payout.
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1. Go to https://dashboard.stripe.com/balance/overview
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2. Look for two numbers:
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### Available for Payout
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- **If $0.00**: Funds are still pending
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- **If $5.00 NZD (or converted amount)**: Funds are ready but not sent yet
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### Pending
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- **Shows funds waiting to become available**
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- New accounts: 7-14 day hold
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- Established accounts: 2 day rolling reserve
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**Normal behavior**: Your $5 should appear in "Pending" first, then move to "Available" after the hold period.
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---
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## Step 3: Check Payout Schedule
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1. Go to https://dashboard.stripe.com/settings/payouts
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2. Look for **"Payout schedule"** section
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3. Check settings:
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### Standard Payout Schedule (Most Common):
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- **Frequency**: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
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- **Timing**: "2 business days after charge" (standard)
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- **Status**: Should say "Automatic payouts enabled"
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### What to look for:
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- ✅ **"Automatic"**: Payouts happen automatically
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- ❌ **"Manual"**: You must request payouts manually
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- ⚠️ **"Payouts paused"**: Issue with account - see Step 6
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**If set to Manual:**
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1. Click "Switch to automatic payouts"
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2. Or manually request payout: Balance → "Pay out funds"
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---
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## Step 4: Verify Bank Account is Connected
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1. Go to https://dashboard.stripe.com/settings/payouts
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2. Scroll to **"Bank accounts and debit cards"** section
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3. Check:
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### You should see:
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- ✅ A bank account listed (with last 4 digits)
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- ✅ Status: "Verified" or "Default"
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- ✅ Currency: NZD
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### If NO bank account listed:
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1. Click **"Add bank account"**
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2. Enter your NZ bank details:
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- Account number (format: XX-XXXX-XXXXXXX-XX)
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- Account holder name
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- Bank name
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3. Verify via micro-deposits (Stripe sends 2 small deposits, you confirm amounts)
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### If bank account shows "Verification required":
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- Check your email for verification instructions from Stripe
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- You may need to confirm micro-deposit amounts
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- Or upload bank statement for verification
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---
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## Step 5: Check Payment Status
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Let's verify the $5 payment actually succeeded:
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1. Go to https://dashboard.stripe.com/payments
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2. Look for your $5 NZD payment
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3. Click on it to see details
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### Check the Status:
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- ✅ **"Succeeded"**: Payment captured successfully
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- ⏳ **"Processing"**: Still being processed (rare for card payments)
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- ❌ **"Failed"** or **"Requires payment method"**: Payment didn't work
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### Check the Fee:
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- Stripe charges fees on each transaction
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- For NZD: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
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- $5.00 NZD → ~$4.55 NZD net after fees
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### Check Available On:
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- This shows when funds become available for payout
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- Usually: Payment date + 2 business days
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- Example: Oct 18 payment → Available Oct 20 (if no weekends)
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---
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## Step 6: Check Account Status
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Your account might be restricted or need verification:
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1. Go to https://dashboard.stripe.com/settings/account
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2. Look for banners or alerts at the top
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3. Check **"Account status"** section
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### Common issues:
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- ⚠️ **"Verification required"**: Need to provide business documents
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- ⚠️ **"Payouts paused"**: Account under review
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- ⚠️ **"Risk review"**: Flagged for unusual activity
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### Required information:
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- Business type (Individual / Company)
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- Business details (name, address, URL)
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- Personal information (ID verification)
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- Bank account verification
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**If verification required:**
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- Click the banner or alert
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- Follow the steps to submit required documents
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- Verification usually takes 1-2 business days
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---
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## Step 7: Timeline - When to Expect Payout
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Here's the typical timeline for a new Stripe account:
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### Day 0 (Today - Oct 18):
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- ✅ Customer pays $5 NZD
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- ✅ Payment appears in Stripe Dashboard
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- ✅ Payment appears in your Tractatus UI
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- ❌ **No payout yet** - this is normal
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### Day 0-7:
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- Funds in "Pending" balance
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- **New accounts**: 7-14 day initial hold period
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- **This is Stripe's risk mitigation for new accounts**
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### Day 7-14:
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- Funds move from "Pending" to "Available"
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- Automatic payout scheduled
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### Day 9-16:
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- **Payout sent to your bank account**
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- Bank processing: 1-3 business days
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- **Money appears in your bank account**
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### Timeline Summary:
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- **New Stripe account**: 7-14 days until first payout
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- **Established account (after 90 days)**: 2 days
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- **Weekends/holidays add extra days**
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---
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## Step 8: How to Check Scheduled Payouts
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1. Go to https://dashboard.stripe.com/payouts
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2. You should see a list of payouts
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### What you might see:
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- **"In transit"**: Payout sent to bank, waiting for bank processing
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- **"Paid"**: Successfully received by bank
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- **"Scheduled"**: Future payout queued
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- **Empty list**: No payouts scheduled yet (if balance still pending)
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---
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## Quick Diagnostic Checklist
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Run through this checklist:
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- [ ] I'm in **Live mode** (not test mode)
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- [ ] Payment shows **"Succeeded"** in Stripe Dashboard
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- [ ] Payment amount is correct: $5 NZD
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- [ ] Balance shows funds in **"Pending"** or **"Available"**
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- [ ] Bank account is **connected and verified**
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- [ ] Payout schedule is set to **"Automatic"**
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- [ ] Account status is **"Active"** (no verification required)
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- [ ] I understand the **7-14 day hold** for new accounts
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---
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## Expected Outcome for New Account
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**This is completely normal:**
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1. ✅ Oct 18: Payment succeeded ($5 NZD)
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2. ✅ Oct 18: Shows in Tractatus transparency dashboard
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3. ✅ Oct 18-25: Funds held in "Pending" balance
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4. ⏳ Oct 25-28: Funds become "Available"
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5. ⏳ Oct 26-29: Automatic payout sent to bank
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6. ⏳ Oct 27-30: **Money appears in your bank account**
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**Stripe's reasoning:**
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- New accounts have longer holds to prevent fraud
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- After 90 days of good history, holds reduce to 2 days
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- This protects both you and customers from chargebacks
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---
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## If Money Still Missing After 14 Days
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1. **Check Stripe Balance**: https://dashboard.stripe.com/balance
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- Should be $0 if payout completed
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- Should show amount if still pending
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2. **Check Payouts**: https://dashboard.stripe.com/payouts
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- Should show "Paid" status
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- Should show payout date
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3. **Check Bank Statement**:
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- Look for "STRIPE" or "Stripe Payments"
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- Amount might be slightly less due to fees
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- Can take 1-3 business days after "Paid" status
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4. **Contact Stripe Support**:
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- https://dashboard.stripe.com/support
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- Provide payment ID and payout ID
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- They can trace the exact status
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---
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## Testing Without Waiting
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If you want to verify the system works without waiting 14 days:
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### Option 1: Request Manual Payout (if available)
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1. Go to Balance → "Pay out funds"
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2. Only works if funds are "Available" (not "Pending")
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### Option 2: Check Test Mode First
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1. Switch to Test mode
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2. Make a test donation
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3. Verify it appears in database and UI
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4. This confirms the integration works
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5. Live mode will work the same way (just with real money)
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---
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## Common Misconceptions
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❌ **"Payment succeeded = money in bank immediately"**
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- Payments go to Stripe balance first
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- Then Stripe pays out on schedule
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- Total time: 2-14 days depending on account age
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❌ **"Test mode payments are real"**
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- Test mode uses fake card numbers
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- No real money moves
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- Use live mode for real payments
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❌ **"Stripe balance = bank balance"**
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- These are separate
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- Stripe holds funds temporarily
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- Bank receives scheduled payouts
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---
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## Next Steps
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1. **Check if you're in Live mode** (Step 1)
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2. **Verify bank account is connected** (Step 4)
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3. **Check payment succeeded** (Step 5)
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4. **Check account status** (Step 6)
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5. **Wait 7-14 days for first payout** (Step 7)
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**If everything looks correct**: Just wait. This is normal for new Stripe accounts.
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**If something is wrong**: Follow the specific step where you found an issue.
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---
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**Document Created**: 2025-10-18
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**Your Payment Date**: 2025-10-18
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**Expected Payout**: 2025-10-25 to 2025-11-01 (first time)
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**Future Payouts**: 2 days after payment (after account is established)
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