Instant Deposit FAQ

Last updated: Jun 4, 2026, 4:39 PM

Get answers to the most commonly asked questions for instant deposit. 

Please note that some customers or locations may not yet have access to Instant Deposit. If you are new to Toast, or have newly opened locations,  you may not have access right away when you first begin accepting card payments through Toast. 

 

Instant Deposit, also called instant transfer, lets you access closed card sales fast for a fee. Find answers about fees, timing, cards, and errors.

 

In this Article:

 

General Questions About Instant Deposit

Is there a fee to use instant deposit?

Yes, instant deposit has a fee. A 1.75% fee is deducted from your available amount for each instant deposit, whether you send funds to a debit card or to your bank account. The fee and the deposit amount are deducted from your next scheduled card settlement payout.

Also asked as:

    • How much does instant deposit cost?
    • Is there a charge for instant transfer?
    • Do I get a free instant deposit?

 

How fast will my instant deposit arrive?

Instant deposit funds typically arrive within 30 minutes of when you submit your request, on any day of the year, including weekends and holidays. You will receive an email once the transaction has been sent. In rare cases, funds can be delayed by service interruptions outside of Toast's control. If you do not see your funds after 30 minutes, contact Toast Customer Care.

Also asked as:

    • When will my instant deposit hit my account?
    • Where is my instant deposit?
    • How long does instant transfer take?

 

How do I add or change the debit card or bank account for instant deposit?

To add or change your instant deposit destination, navigate to Toast Web > Finance > Payments > Instant deposit. You can have only one debit card on file for instant deposit at a time. For step-by-step instructions to add or replace a card, see Update Debit Card for Instant Deposit. To add a new bank account, see Update or Add a New Bank Account in Toast Web.

Note: If you add a card that has not been used before, your maximum available amount may start lower to help protect against fraud, and it increases as you continue to use instant deposit, up to $10,000 per 24-hour period.

Also asked as:

    • How do I link a card for instant deposit?
    • How do I update my instant deposit card?
    • Where do I add my bank for instant deposit?

 

Can I pay a vendor or supplier through instant deposit?

No, you cannot pay a vendor or supplier through instant deposit. Instant deposit may be used only with a compatible debit card or bank account that your restaurant owns or has the right to use, to receive your own available funds.

 

How are my available funds for instant deposit calculated?

Your available funds for instant deposit are the total of your closed Visa, Mastercard, and Discover card transactions since your last capture or instant deposit. American Express transactions are not available for instant deposit for American Express Direct merchants, while American Express OptBlue merchants do have access to those sales. The available amount also reflects deductions for card processing fees, the 1.75% instant deposit fee, Toast Capital and Easy Pay withholdings, and a deduction to protect against risk. If your amount looks lower than you expect, see Why is my available amount lower than expected, or showing $0? below.

 

Why is my available amount lower than expected, or showing $0?

Your available amount can be lower than expected, or $0, usually because you have no eligible card sales since your last capture, or your sales were recently captured. Each time you manually capture batches, or reach your automated capture time, your captured card transactions move to the normal settlement payout process and your instant deposit available amount resets to $0. To maximize your available amount, request an instant deposit before your automated capture time, and avoid using manual capture on the device if you plan to request an instant deposit. Other causes include transaction limits, or a large share of American Express sales if you are an American Express Direct merchant. For the current limits, see Get Started With Instant Deposit.

Also asked as:

    • Why is my instant deposit only showing a small amount?
    • Why do I have $0 available for instant deposit?
    • Why aren't my sales showing in instant deposit?

 

Can I use a credit card for instant deposit?

No, you cannot use a credit card for instant deposit. For card deposits, instant deposit works only with Visa or Mastercard debit cards issued by U.S. banks that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). For direct-to-bank deposits, your bank must support the Real-Time Payments (RTP) or FedNow real-time payment rails.

 

What is real-time settlement?

Real-time settlement (RTS) is the ability to deposit funds instantly into your settlement bank account using real-time payment rails such as RTP and FedNow. With RTS, deposits can land in your account within seconds, 24/7, including weekends and holidays. Only accounts that are real-time enabled and reachable by these payment systems are eligible. Not all banks support RTS yet, and this may change as RTP and FedNow adoption grows. If your account is not yet supported, you can still receive instant deposits to a debit card.

 

Can I schedule recurring instant deposits, and how do I cancel a schedule?

Yes, you can schedule recurring instant deposits so a deposit runs automatically at a time you choose, and you can edit or cancel that schedule at any time. Toast checks your available amount at the scheduled time and initiates a deposit if at least $25 is available; the same 1.75% fee and limits apply. To set up, edit, or cancel a schedule, see Get Started With Instant Deposit.

Note: If you receive alerts for scheduled instant deposits you did not set up, contact Toast Customer Care.

Also asked as:

    • How do I stop a scheduled instant deposit?
    • Why do I have an instant deposit scheduled?
    • How do I cancel automatic instant deposits?

 

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Instant Deposit Troubleshooting

Why is my bank account not supported for instant deposit?

Your bank account may be marked "Not Supported" for instant deposit because of how your bank handles real-time transactions. Instant deposit uses real-time payment rails such as real time settlement (RTP) and FedNow, which require both your bank and your specific account to support real-time funds transfers. Not all financial institutions support these capabilities yet, and more accounts may become eligible as RTP and FedNow participation grows. If your account is not eligible, you will still see the instant deposit screen, but it will show "Not Supported," and you can still receive instant deposits to a debit card.

 

Why is my bank account marked as unavailable for instant deposit?

If your bank account is temporarily marked "Unavailable," it is most likely due to a security hold. This usually happens when you recently changed your settlement account for daily Toast payouts, or when there is a known issue with your bank that affects real-time transfers. This temporary restriction is a fraud-prevention measure that helps protect you against unauthorized changes, such as account takeover. These holds are usually lifted within a few days, and you can continue to use debit card deposits during this time. If your account remains unavailable for more than a few days, contact Toast Customer Care.

 

Why is the available amount different for my debit card versus my bank account?

Your available instant deposit amount can differ between a debit card and a bank account because of security controls and risk policies that help keep your funds and your business secure. Bank account deposits are generally more flexible and may offer a higher available amount than debit card deposits.

 

Why can't I add or change the debit card on file?

If you cannot add or change the debit card on file, it is most likely due to your user permission level. There are two access levels for instant deposit. The Instant Deposit Admin is assigned automatically by Toast to the business owner on file, and this role can add or change the destination debit card and initiate a deposit. A financial admin with the "Account Admin 8.7 Instant Deposit" permission can initiate instant deposits and view instant deposit transactions, but cannot change the destination card. If you are the owner but cannot access the instant deposit page or change the card, contact Toast Customer Care. For instructions to replace a card once you have access, see Update Debit Card for Instant Deposit.

Also asked as:

    • Why can't I change my instant deposit card?
    • Why am I not allowed to add a debit card for instant deposit?

 

Why am I seeing a message that instant deposit is not enabled at this location?

If you see a message that instant deposit is not enabled at your location, it is usually because your account is new, still in onboarding, or needs to be enabled by Toast. Customers new to Toast are not enabled immediately, so allow a few business days after your Toast Web account is set up. Some accounts must contact Toast to receive access. You can also lose access if there is an active hold from a third party on your account, in which case instant deposit stays disabled until the garnishment is released. If you believe you should have access but do not, contact Toast Customer Care.

Also asked as:

    • Why is instant deposit not available for my restaurant?
    • Why can't I use instant deposit at this location?

 

Why does instant deposit appear for one location but not another?

If instant deposit appears for one location but not another, it is because each location is enabled separately, so a newer location may not have access yet or may still be in its enablement window. Confirm that the location has been accepting card payments through Toast, and allow a few business days after setup. If a location that should be eligible still does not show instant deposit, contact Toast Customer Care.

Also asked as:

    • Why is instant deposit missing for one of my restaurants?
    • Why does instant deposit work at one location but not the other?

 

What should I do if I see an instant deposit I don't recognize?

If you see an instant deposit transaction or a card change you do not recognize, contact Toast Customer Care immediately. Start a chat in Toast Web by selecting the blue button in the bottom-right corner of any page, or select the Support icon at the bottom of the screen in the Toast Now app. For more on suspected fraud, see Unrecognized Instant Deposit Transactions or Suspected Fraud.

Also asked as:

    • I see an instant deposit I didn't make — what do I do?
    • How do I report an unrecognized instant deposit?

 

Why didn't my instant deposit work, or why was it declined?

Your instant deposit may not work, or may be declined, for several reasons. A deposit can be declined if the card cannot receive the funds — for example, the card expired, was reported lost or stolen, or is no longer eligible. Deposits can also fail due to network outages or technical issues with Toast, its processing partners, or a payments network; bank-side delays on holidays or weekends; pending batch processing; or insufficient permissions in your Toast account settings. During an outage you will receive a pop-up notification, so monitor the notifications and try again later. Some declines are caused by activity restrictions set by the bank that issued your debit card, so check with your bank about transaction limits on your account.

Also asked as:

    • Why was my instant deposit declined?
    • Why did my instant deposit fail?
    • Why isn't my instant deposit going through?

 

Why aren't my offline sales showing in my available amount?

Card payments taken while your device was in offline mode are not available for instant deposit until your devices reconnect. To resolve this faster, verify your internet connection, check your device network status, and make sure the app transitions correctly from offline to online mode. Once your devices are back online, your available amount should reflect any closed, uncaptured card sales you accepted while offline.

Also asked as:

    • Why don't my offline sales show in instant deposit?

 

Why do I see "Instant deposit is not available at the moment. Try again later."?

The message "Instant deposit is not available at the moment. Try again later." usually means you have reached the maximum number of instant deposits allowed in a 24-hour period. Try again later, or the next day. The current limit is six instant deposits per user per 24 hours; for all limits, see Get Started With Instant Deposit.

 

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