Booking Payout Hold
When a fan pays for a Book a Session offer, Flo may keep your share of that sale set aside for a while after checkout. It is still your money — it just is not counted toward what Flo can pay out to your bank until the session has passed and a short buffer has elapsed.
This guide explains booking payout hold. It is separate from the normal settlement wait on new sales (often about 7 days, then about 2 days once your account matures). Both can apply at the same time.
Paid bookings only
Free sessions do not charge the fan and do not create a booking payout hold. You need Creator, Pro, or Studio with Flo Payments active for paid bookings. See Bookings overview and Flo Payments.
Why Flo holds booking earnings
Paid sessions are scheduled for the future. Holding earnings until after the session helps:
| Reason | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Chargebacks and disputes | There is time to resolve issues tied to a specific session |
| Cancellations and refunds | If a session is cancelled, Flo can adjust payouts without money already sent to your bank |
| Fair timing | You are paid for work that was set to happen, not only for a calendar reservation |
Product sales and memberships follow the usual Wallet rules — only bookings use this extra hold.
What amount is held
Flo holds your earnings from that booking — what you keep after Flo’s fee on that charge, not the fan’s full checkout total.
| Example | Fan pays | Flo fee (varies) | Amount set aside for this hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid session | $100 | $6 | About $94 until release |
The sale still appears in Wallet activity like other Flo Payments income. The hold affects how much of your balance Flo will include in a payout, not whether the sale happened.
Timeline: from booking to bank
Paid session money is subject to two waits at the same time:
| Wait | What it does | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement | New card sales sit in Pending before they count as available | About 7 days at first, about 2 days after ~60 days of clean history — Payout schedule |
| Booking hold | That session’s earnings stay excluded from Pay out until after the session | About 24 hours after the session start time, then checked once per day |
Settlement and booking hold are not one-after-the-other. Booking hold usually matters longer when the session is days or weeks away.
Step by step
| Step | When | What you see in Wallet | Can this session’s earnings go to your bank? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fan pays and booking confirms | Sale appears; balance often Pending | No |
| 2 | Settlement finishes (varies by account) | Same sale may move to Available | Still no — booking hold is still active |
| 3 | Session start time passes | Usually no change on its own | Still no — about 24-hour buffer after start |
| 4 | About 24 hours after session start | Booking hold on this session clears | Yes — can count toward the next payout |
| 5 | Your payout day (e.g. weekly Friday) | Transfer to your linked bank | Yes — if total available meets minimum and fees |
Session start time, not end time
The booking buffer is measured from when the session was scheduled to start, not when it ends. A 90-minute session still unlocks based on start time plus about 24 hours.
Example: fan pays Monday, session Friday 3:00 PM
| Milestone | When |
|---|---|
| Fan books and pays | Monday 10:00 AM |
| Money may leave Pending (settlement) | A few days later (about 2 or 7 days from payment, depending on account age) |
| Session happens | Friday 3:00 PM |
| Booking hold typically clears | Saturday ~3:00 PM or later (24 hours after start, then daily check) |
| Money can reach your bank | Next eligible payout after step 4 (e.g. following Friday if you use weekly payouts) |
Flo checks booking holds on a daily schedule, so step 4 is not always to the minute — the next calendar day after the buffer is common.
Two different “holds” (do not mix them up)
Creators often confuse booking hold with other Wallet wording.
| Name in docs / Wallet | What it is | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Booking payout hold (this page) | Paid session revenue set aside until after the session | About 24 hours after session start, then daily release |
| Settlement / pending balance | New card sales clearing before they become available | About 7 days at first, about 2 days after ~60 days of clean history |
| “Payout hold” on Wallet → Payouts plan | Your account’s standard delay label (7-day vs 2-day tier) | Not the same as per-booking session hold |
If Available in Wallet looks high but Pay out offers less than you expect, booking holds are a common reason.
When the hold starts
The hold is placed when the booking is confirmed after successful payment:
- Fan completes Flo Payments checkout
- Flo confirms the booking and sends confirmation emails
- Your net earnings for that session are marked for booking hold
There is nothing extra to turn on in the dashboard — it is automatic for paid sessions.
When the hold ends
After the session (normal path)
For confirmed sessions that are not cancelled:
| Condition | Result |
|---|---|
| Session start time was at least about 24 hours ago | Flo releases the hold on that booking |
| Release runs | Once per day; your balance eligible for payout updates afterward |
Until then, that booking’s earnings stay in the hold total.
If the booking is cancelled
When you or the fan cancels a confirmed paid booking, Flo releases the hold right away for that session (before the session date).
| Situation | Hold | Refund |
|---|---|---|
| Paid booking cancelled with card payment on file | Released on cancel | Flo attempts to refund the fan when you cancel from the dashboard; fan cancel follows the same paid-session rules — see Cancellations |
| Free booking cancelled | No hold was placed | No payment to refund |
Cancelling does not leave session earnings locked until Saturday if the session was on Friday — the hold clears when the booking is cancelled.
If the fan reschedules
The session start time on the booking is updated. The hold still ends about 24 hours after the new start time (not the original slot). Plan payouts using the current session time in Dashboard → Bookings.
Several paid bookings at once
Each paid session adds its own held amount. They add together until each session’s hold clears.
| Your schedule | Held until |
|---|---|
| Three paid sessions next week | Sum of all three nets, until each passes its own release window |
| One session last month, one next month | Last month’s portion drops off after its session + buffer; next month’s stays held longer |
The longest-running upcoming session keeps part of your balance from being paid out until its window passes.
How this shows in Wallet
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Overview → Available | Stripe’s available balance — can include booking revenue still under hold |
| Pay out / scheduled payout amount | Uses available balance minus booking holds (and fees, minimums) |
| Pending | Card revenue still in settlement delay — different from booking hold |
| Recent sales | Booking charges listed like other sales |
Flo does not always show a separate line item labeled “booking hold” on the balance card. If available looks larger than what you can withdraw, check upcoming paid sessions in Dashboard → Bookings.
Free sessions, products, and other income
| Sale type | Booking payout hold? |
|---|---|
| Free Book a Session | No |
| Paid Book a Session | Yes, on your net earnings |
| Digital / physical products | No — normal Wallet timing only |
| Courses, memberships | No — normal Wallet timing only |
After the hold clears
Cleared booking earnings behave like other available Flo Payments balance:
- Count toward manual payout when you tap pay out
- Count toward scheduled payouts (default weekly on Friday, UTC) when you meet the minimum — Payout schedule
- Still subject to payout fees and your plan’s payout options — Wallet fees
Booking hold does not add an extra fee. It only delays when that session’s net can leave for your bank.
Chargebacks and disputes
If a fan disputes a booking charge, Flo handles it under Flo Payments dispute rules. A booking hold does not replace dispute processes — see Wallet overview for dispute banners and status.
Tips for planning cash flow
| Situation | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Heavy booking week | Expect more balance to stay non-payable until each session passes + ~24 hours |
| Need cash before sessions | Booking hold is by design; product or membership sales follow the usual settlement timeline only |
| Long lead-time sessions | Payment today may not be bank-eligible until long after checkout — plan from session date, not sale date |
| Cancelling to “unlock” money | Hold releases on cancel, but paid fans are refunded when payment was on file — only cancel when that matches your policy |
State refund rules on your offer or page so fans know what to expect — Cancellations.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Sale shows in Wallet but I can’t pay out that amount | Upcoming paid bookings still on hold; settlement may still be pending too |
| Session was yesterday, still held | Buffer is ~24 hours after start; daily release may land the next calendar day |
| Cancelled session still seems held | Rare delay until systems update; if it persists, note the booking time and contact support |
| Rescheduled session — wrong payout timing | Hold follows the updated start time in Bookings |
| Free session — why no hold? | Expected — no charge, no hold |
| Confused with 7-day pending | Open Payout schedule — that’s settlement, not booking hold |
| Wallet “Payout hold: 7-day” | Account maturity delay, not this booking feature |
Related guides
| Guide | Topic |
|---|---|
| Bookings overview | Paid vs free, fan flow |
| Bookings setup | Pricing and Flo Payments |
| Managing bookings | Upcoming and past sessions |
| Cancellations | Cancel, refunds, fan self-serve |
| Wallet overview | Balances and payouts |
| Payout schedule | Weekly payouts, 7-day / 2-day settlement |
| Booking holds (wallet) | Wallet-focused view of the same idea |