We know it can be frustrating when you make a payment and don’t see it immediately reflected in your school account. With recent increases in fraudulent transactions, our system waits until funds fully clear the banking system before they can be used to transfer to another student account or pay school fees.
Card vs eCheck
- Credit cards (about 2 business days)
Credit card networks provide near-real-time authorization, but settlement still takes a day or two. This allows time for the issuing bank to finalize the charge and detect fraud. - eChecks / ACH (about 5 business days)
ACH payments work differently. Unlike credit cards, there is no instant guarantee that the money has actually moved. Banks and the ACH network allow up to 5 business days for payments to fully settle. During that window, a payment can still be returned (for example, if there are not enough funds in the account, or if the transaction was blocked for fraud).
Business days vs. calendar days
It’s important to note that when we say 2 business days or 5 business days, this does not include weekends or federal holidays. For example, a payment made on Friday evening may not even begin processing until Monday morning, and a holiday in between can add an extra day. This is one of the main reasons families sometimes feel that processing is “taking longer than promised.”
Why can’t funds be used right away?
Think of ACH like writing a paper check. Your school can see that you handed over the check, but until the bank confirms that the funds cleared, there’s always a chance it could bounce. To protect schools and families, we have to hold ACH deposits until the bank says, “Yes, the money is here and final.”
You may see an ACH credit “posted” in your PushCoin account quickly, but the funds are not truly available to spend until the hold period ends. This protects schools from having to reverse payments that later fail.
Why ACH transfers can still take 5 business days
Even though ACH technology has improved and most payments technically clear in 1–2 business days, banks (and schools’ payment processors) often hold funds up to 5 business days before making them available. There are a few reasons for this:
Return windows
- NACHA (the governing body for ACH) allows receiving banks 2 business days to return a debit (e.g., “insufficient funds”).
- But other types of returns (fraud, authorization revoked, account closed, etc.) can come back up to 60 calendar days later.
- To be safe, banks typically wait 4–5 business days before considering an ACH deposit “good funds.”
Batch processing, not real time
ACH is a batch settlement system. Transactions are grouped and processed in windows during the day, not instantly like a debit card swipe. Settlement only happens on business days when the Federal Reserve is open — not on weekends or holidays.
Risk management by banks
Each receiving bank decides how much risk it is willing to take. Many banks delay releasing funds (especially for higher-risk clients like schools handling many small family payments) to make sure no large number of transactions bounce back.
Our commitment to you
We know these delays cause inconvenience, especially for families acting in good faith. Unfortunately, we have no way to know in advance whether a payment will settle successfully or be reversed. By waiting for settlement, we protect all users — and ensure that only good funds are credited to student accounts.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. These policies are not about slowing down your payments — they are about ensuring fairness, protecting school resources, and safeguarding all families from the ripple effects of fraudulent transactions.