How Credit Card Deposits and Settlement Work

Direct Ordering is not a payment company and does not process transactions. It enables a direct relationship between the restaurant and the payment processor of its choice, so credit card deposits arrive directly in the restaurant's bank account on the schedule established with that processor. This article explains how deposits work, how to reconcile Direct Ordering transactions against processor deposits, and why settlement timing can cause discrepancies.

Does Direct Ordering Process Transactions?

Direct Ordering is not a payment company. It allows each restaurant to establish a direct relationship with the payment processor of its choice and to receive credit card deposits directly into its bank account on the timing agreed with that processor. Decisions such as whether to accept a particular card type (for example, American Express) are made between the restaurant and its processor. Many providers require the use of a preferred processor; Direct Ordering instead lets each restaurant choose.

Reconciling Direct Ordering Transactions With Deposits

To compare Direct Ordering transactions against the deposit statements from a processor, pull a credit card transaction summary report in the Direct Ordering Admin Panel:

1. In the Direct Ordering Admin Panel, go to Reporting > Credit Cards.
2. Select the relevant time period.
3. Filter by Order Source: Direct Ordering.

The report displays credit card sales data for each card type (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express) and each store location.

Automated Reconciliation With Checkmate Reconcile

For a less manual approach, because Direct Ordering is integrated with Checkmate, a restaurant can opt in to Reconcile, an automated reporting module in the Checkmate dashboard that consolidates this data. Transaction statements from various ordering platform partners, including Direct Ordering, are available in one place to review and identify discrepancies. More information is available in the Checkmate Reconcile articles: What Reconcile Is, How to Use Reconcile, and Types of Reconcile Reports.

Settlement Delays

Some individual transactions may not settle within the expected deposit date for various reasons, so they are not included in the planned batch. This creates a difference between what appears in Direct Ordering and what appears in the processor account. The processor's reporting can be used to verify any deposit discrepancies and confirm payment for every successful transaction.