# Delay for first payout for connected accounts

New connected accounts have an initial waiting period before their first standard payout. The waiting period is usually seven days from the first live payment. The date funds become available and the date a payout arrives can also depend on settlement timing, payout settings, and account requirements.
This article covers standard payouts. See [Instant Payouts for Connect](https://docs.stripe.com/connect/instant-payouts) for separate eligibility rules.
## How the waiting period works
The initial waiting period applies to standard payouts, whether initiated automatically or manually. Funds awaiting availability appear in the connected account's pending balance and aren't yet available for standard payouts.
After the initial waiting period, funds can become available after their applicable settlement timing and any additional delays have also elapsed. A payment received near the end of the waiting period still needs to complete its settlement delay.
What happens next depends on the connected account's [payout schedule](https://docs.stripe.com/payouts#payout-schedule):
- **Automatic payouts**: Stripe sends eligible funds according to the configured schedule.
- **Manual payouts**: The platform or account operator still needs to initiate a payout after funds become available.
  Payout initiation and bank arrival are separate events. The receiving bank can take additional time to make funds available after a payout is sent.
## Example timeline
This example assumes a connected account with a seven-calendar-day initial waiting period, no additional restrictions, and daily automatic payouts. It doesn't specify a bank arrival date. Use the expected dates in the Dashboard for your connected account.
- Event
- Balance or payout status
---
- First live payment
- Funds are pending during the initial waiting period.
---
- Another payment during the waiting period
- Funds are pending and must also complete their applicable settlement delay.
---
- Initial waiting period ends
- Funds that have also completed their settlement delay can become available.
---
- Next eligible automatic payout cycle
- Stripe initiates a payout of eligible available funds according to the account's schedule.
---
- Bank arrival
- The receiving bank makes the payout available according to its processing time. This can be later than payout initiation.
Subsequent payments continue to follow the account's applicable settlement timing. A payout schedule controls when available funds are sent, not when pending funds become available.
## What to check in the Dashboard and API
- **Dashboard**: Open the connected account in your [platform Dashboard](https://dashboard.stripe.com/connect/accounts/overview) and review its balance, payouts, and any outstanding account requirements. Funds awaiting availability are pending. Use the expected availability and payout arrival dates shown for that account, rather than calculating a guaranteed date seven days after the first payment.
- **API**: The [Balance object](https://docs.stripe.com/api/balance/balance_object) shows funds awaiting availability in `pending` and funds available for standard payouts in `available`. A [balance transaction's available_on property](https://docs.stripe.com/api/balance_transactions/object#balance_transaction_object-available_on) is the transaction's expected availability date, not a universal first-payment-plus-seven calculation or a bank arrival date.
- **Manual payout attempts**: A standard payout attempt can fail if the connected account doesn't have enough available balance. Check the available balance before initiating the payout.
## Common questions
### Do test payments start the waiting period?
Test payments simulate payment activity and don't create live funds for payout. Check the expected dates for the connected account's live payments rather than using test activity to estimate the first payout date.
### Does the waiting period restart for a new currency?
Check the expected availability dates for funds in each settlement currency. Don't assume that a balance in a new currency becomes available because funds in another currency are already available. Currency-specific settlement timing and payout settings can affect when funds are paid out.
### Do I need to do anything after the waiting period?
With an automatic payout schedule, Stripe sends eligible available funds according to that schedule. With a manual payout schedule, the platform or account operator needs to initiate a payout. Complete any outstanding account requirements shown in the Dashboard.
### Does the initial waiting period override a custom 14-day settlement delay?
The initial waiting period doesn't shorten a longer settlement delay configured for your account. Check the expected availability dates for the affected transactions and the connected account's payout schedule.