Also called: Auto Close, Auto-batch, Batching out
What Auto-Close is
Auto-Close is a setting that closes an open payment batch automatically, instead of waiting for you to close it manually. The system closes the transactions collected in that batch and submits them for settlement.
The setting may use a specific daily time or a repeating interval. For example, with a 12-hour interval starting at 6:23 AM, a system can close the batch at 6:23 PM. The exact schedule and time zone depend on your system's settings.
Auto-Close triggers the batch close, but the deposit follows through a separate settlement process.
How Auto-Close relates to batch settlement
Auto-Close is the scheduled trigger that closes the batch. Batch Settlement is the process that follows, when the closed transaction totals are submitted and funds are prepared for deposit. Closing a batch does not mean the money has already reached your bank account.
The label also appears in some restaurant POS systems for a different feature that closes unpaid checks. In that use, the check can be recorded as paid with a placeholder payment type even though no money was collected. Confirm that your setting closes a payment batch, rather than marking unpaid orders complete.
What Auto-Close means for deposits and records
A batch left open can delay its submission and the related deposit. An error that prevents a batch from closing can also hold up the funds transfer, so a scheduled close is useful only if you can identify and correct failures.
Your closing report gives you a record of the transactions in the closed batch. Compare its total with your sales records and the eventual deposit. A difference in timing or amount is easier to investigate when you also receive batch error notifications.
What you can actually change
Auto-Close does not change your card-processing rates. You can control when your system closes batches and how quickly you learn about a failed close.
- Set a close time that fits your business day and funding schedule.
- Enable email notifications for batch reports and errors.
- Review the closing report against daily sales and confirm the deposit arrives.
- Check that the setting closes payment batches, not unpaid restaurant checks.
- Confirm the schedule. Check the configured close time, interval, and time zone so the batch does not remain open past your business day.
- Turn on alerts. Use batch report and error notifications to spot a close that failed before it delays a funds transfer.
- Match the deposit. Compare each closing report with sales records and the bank deposit to identify timing gaps or mismatched totals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Auto-Close the same as batch settlement?
No. Auto-Close schedules the action that closes your payment batch. Batch Settlement is the process that follows, submitting the closed transactions and preparing funds for deposit. The close itself does not mean the deposit has arrived.
Can Auto-Close delay my deposit?
A batch that remains open or encounters a closing error can delay its submission and related funds transfer. Set a close time that suits your business day, enable error notifications, and compare the closing report with the deposit.
Does Auto-Close charge my customer for an unpaid check?
A payment-batch Auto-Close setting closes transactions already in the batch. Some restaurant POS systems use the same label for closing unpaid checks with a placeholder payment type. That records the check as completed but does not collect money.