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💳 Partner Guide: Understanding Batching on Adyen Terminals

Explanation of how batching works on Adyen payment terminals, including Immediate Capture, settlement batches, and why merchants do not need to manually close batches

Updated over a month ago

Learn how batching works for Adyen payment terminals and why merchants may ask about “closing a batch.” Unlike traditional processors, Adyen terminals do not store or manually close batches.


🧾 How Transactions Work in Adyen

Most Valpay partners are configured with Immediate Capture.

This means:

  • A payment is authorized first when the card is presented.

  • The transaction is then captured automatically a few seconds later.

  • Once captured, the payment is processed individually by Adyen.

Because of this setup, there is no manual batch closing required on the terminal.

Adyen terminals do not store credit card transactions locally. Transactions are processed and stored securely within the Adyen platform, not on the device itself.

By default, payments are automatically captured immediately after authorization unless capture settings are changed.


⚙️ Capture Settings That May Affect Transactions

Capture settings are configured at the merchant account level, not on the terminal itself.

While most Valpay merchants use Immediate Capture, other configurations are possible:

Immediate Capture (Most Common)

  • Transactions are captured automatically seconds after authorization.

  • No action is required from the merchant.

  • Funds move directly into Adyen’s processing flow.

Delayed Automatic Capture

  • Capture happens after a defined delay (for example, 2 hours).

  • This allows time to cancel a transaction if needed.

Manual Capture

  • Transactions are authorized first.

  • The merchant or system must manually capture the payment later.

This setup is commonly used in cases like pre-authorizations, hospitality, or order fulfillment workflows.


📦 What “Batching” Means in Adyen

Even though transactions are captured individually, Adyen still groups them into a daily settlement batch.

Adyen uses what is called a “sales day settlement model.”

  • A sales day runs from midnight to midnight in the merchant’s local time zone.

  • All transactions captured during that time are grouped into a settlement batch.

  • The batch represents all payments processed during that sales day.

This batch is used for reporting and payouts, not for transaction processing.


💰 When Funds Are Sent to the Merchant

After the sales day closes:

  • The daily batch is processed and prepared for settlement.

  • Funds are then swept to the merchant’s bank account according to their payout schedule.

For most merchants:

  • The sales day ends at midnight (local time)

  • The batch is typically swept around 1:00 AM local time

  • Payout timing depends on the merchant’s settlement delay configuration and banking schedule

Adyen settles funds based on captured transactions within the sales day, regardless of when card networks transfer funds to Adyen.


❓ Why Merchants Ask About “Closing the Batch”

Many merchants are familiar with older payment processors where they must manually close a batch on the terminal each day.

With Adyen:

There is no batch closing required

The terminal does not store transactions

All transactions are processed in real time

Adyen automatically groups transactions for settlement


⚠️ Important Notes for Partners

  • Batching is handled automatically by Adyen

  • Terminals do not store transaction data

  • Capture settings are configured at the merchant account level

  • Most Valpay merchants use Immediate Capture

  • Daily transaction batches are created for settlement and reporting purposes


🧠 Helpful Tip for Support Teams

If a merchant asks how to close their batch, you can reassure them:

“Adyen terminals do not require manual batching. All transactions are automatically captured and included in the daily settlement batch.”

This is expected behavior and no action is required on the terminal.

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