> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stablegenius.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Settlement

> How merchant funds move from blockchain to bank account

# Settlement

Settlement is the process of converting a merchant's on-chain USDC balance to USD in their bank account. This happens automatically — integrators don't need to manage it.

## How Settlement Works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Payment Received">
    Customer sends USDC to the merchant's payment address. Fees are split on-chain instantly. The net amount is available in the merchant's on-chain wallet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Withdrawal Initiated">
    On the configured schedule (default: weekly Monday 8am EST), USDC is transferred from the merchant's on-chain wallet to our banking partner for conversion.
  </Step>

  <Step title="USD Conversion">
    Our banking partner (Bridge, a Stripe company) converts USDC to USD at a 1:1 rate. No conversion fee — the stablecoin peg ensures exact dollar equivalence.
  </Step>

  <Step title="ACH Deposit">
    USD is deposited into the merchant's linked bank account via ACH. Settlement takes 1-3 business days from withdrawal initiation.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Settlement Schedules

| Schedule        | Description                                | Availability               |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------- |
| Weekly (Monday) | Automatic transfer every Monday at 8am EST | Default                    |
| Manual          | Merchant triggers from dashboard anytime   | Available to all merchants |

## Non-Custodial Architecture

Stable Genius never holds merchant funds. Here's the custody chain:

1. **Customer → Merchant proxy**: USDC is sent directly to a smart contract the merchant controls.
2. **Merchant proxy → Settlement**: An authorized operator (Stable Genius) initiates the withdrawal, but only to the merchant's pre-configured bank account.
3. **Emergency withdraw**: Merchants can call `emergencyWithdraw()` directly on their proxy contract to retrieve funds to their own wallet at any time, bypassing Stable Genius entirely.

This means even if Stable Genius went offline, merchants can always recover their funds.

## Settlement Timing

| Event                         | Typical Time                           |
| ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Payment confirmation on-chain | 3-15 seconds                           |
| Fee split execution           | Immediate (same transaction)           |
| Weekly automatic withdrawal   | Monday 8am EST                         |
| USDC → USD conversion         | Same day                               |
| ACH deposit to bank           | 1-3 business days                      |
| **Total: payment to bank**    | **1-3 business days after withdrawal** |

## For Integrators

Settlement is fully managed by Stable Genius. As an integrator, you:

* **Don't** initiate withdrawals
* **Don't** manage USDC-to-USD conversion
* **Don't** handle bank transfers
* **Do** receive `settlement.completed` and `settlement.failed` webhook events if you want to track settlement status
* **Do** have read access to settlement history via `GET /v1/transactions`