Rolling reserve
simulator.
See how much is held, when it rolls off, and what changing your reserve terms could mean for your business.
Your reserve terms.
Start with the example, then enter the terms in your reserve agreement.
Enable JavaScript to explore your own forecast. A worked example and the assumptions are below.
Your cash-flow timeline.
Reserve held at each month end.
- Card sales
- —
- New reserve
- —
- Reserve released
- —
- Available before fees
- —
Compare the cash-flow effect.
| Measure | Scenario A | Scenario B |
|---|
Differences show cash availability, not fee savings. Account pricing and eligibility are separate.
The forecast includes the remaining reserve releases after sales stop.
Calendar-day illustration. Releases are not guaranteed bank deposits. Read the assumptions ↓
EVERY MONTH, ACCOUNTED FORView the full monthly schedule
Scenario A. Monthly totals and closing reserve balance. The daily CSV contains each modeled release date.
| Month | Card sales | New reserve | Released | Available* | Reserve held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enable JavaScript to generate a schedule. | |||||
*Available means sales less newly held reserve plus reserve released, before fees, refunds, disputes and bank payout timing. “Reserve held” is a balance, not a value to add across months.
Your business deserves a clear conversation.
Explore merchant account options and the reserve questions to ask with NUMUS.
From a percentage
to a practical plan.
- 01
Enter the written terms.
Add your monthly card sales, reserve percentage and holding period. Confirm whether your agreement measures the hold in calendar days, business days or months.
- 02
Follow the release cycle.
Explore the chart and monthly schedule. The reserve builds before the first release; later, older funds roll off while new sales may add fresh reserves.
- 03
Compare and prepare.
Switch on Scenario B to compare different terms using the same sales. Download the daily schedule to support your cash-flow planning and provider conversation.
A reserve changes timing.
For an illustrative $1,000 sale on October 1 with a 10% reserve and a 90-calendar-day hold:
Outside the reserve
before fees and funding delays
Scheduled reserve release
assuming no deductions or changes
That $100 is held temporarily in this model. It is not added to processing fees. Your provider’s written terms control actual withholding and release.
Sales use real calendar months.
The first month begins on its first day. Your entered monthly total is spread evenly across that month’s actual number of days. Remaining cents go to the earliest days. Monthly growth compounds from one month’s total to the next, rounded to cents.
Each day has its own release date.
The modeled daily reserve is the daily sales amount multiplied by the reserve percentage, rounded half up to the nearest cent. It releases exactly the selected number of calendar days later, including weekends and holidays. The schedule uses calendar dates consistently across time zones.
The forecast starts with no existing reserve.
After your selected number of sales months, new sales stop. The model continues through the final scheduled release. It assumes unchanged terms and full release with no reserve deductions. An existing balance, reserve cap, minimum balance, upfront reserve, account closure restriction or delayed release needs a different model.
Available cash is not your bank balance.
Available before fees = gross sales − new reserve + reserve released. This model excludes processing fees, refunds, disputes, taxes, expenses and bank settlement delays. Actual reserves may use a different sales base or rounding method. A 180-day hold is not always the same as six calendar months.
General reserve mechanics: Stripe’s rolling reserve explanation. The NUMUS calculations and stated assumptions above define this simulator; they do not reproduce a specific provider agreement.
Useful answers about reserves.
Is a rolling reserve a processing fee?
A reserve is money held to cover potential liabilities, rather than a processing charge. Funds may later be released under your agreement, while refunds, disputes or other obligations can affect the amount returned. This simulator assumes the full modeled reserve is eventually released. Use our processing fee calculator to model charges separately.
Why can the reserve balance vary with steady monthly sales?
Calendar months have different lengths. Spreading the same monthly sales across February versus March changes daily volume, while a fixed holding period can span parts of several months. Daily cent rounding can also create small differences.
Why do releases continue after my sales period ends?
The last day’s reserve still has its full holding period to run. We include that release-only period so you can see the complete cycle. This is a modeling boundary, not a prediction of what happens if a real account closes.
Can this predict the reserve I’ll be offered?
No. Reserve requirements depend on the provider’s review and written terms. The example percentages and periods are editable illustrations. Request a processing review to discuss your business.
Are my forecast inputs sent to NUMUS?
No. Calculations, comparisons and downloads happen in your browser. The separate processing-review form only sends the details you choose to enter in that form.