When Do I Receive Funding After My Kickstarter Project Is Successfully Funded?

The moment you reach your funding goal on Kickstarter, it's exciting to think about when you will see the funds in your bank account. The typical process involves a 14-day period for processing and transferring funds, but there are some key factors to consider, such as payment processing times and banking policies.

Standard Timeline for Fund Transfer

Once your Kickstarter project is successfully funded, the process of collecting and processing pledges begins. According to Kickstarter's instructions, the payout is typically sent 14 days after the project's funding deadline. This means that if your project ends and reaches its goal, you can expect to receive the funds in your linked bank account within two weeks. However, there might be slight variations in the actual receipt time, depending on your payment processor and your bank's policies.

For US-based projects, the payment is transferred directly from backers' credit cards to your Amazon Payments account. After the 14-day window, you can transfer funds from your Amazon Payments account to your linked bank account. If you have a six-month history of receiving credit card payments on Amazon Payments, you can apply to Amazon for immediate withdrawals.

Non-US projects follow a similar process where funds are directly debited from backers' credit cards. After the 14-day window, these funds are transferred directly to your bank account.

Additional Considerations

It's important to note that the funds from Kickstarter typically go through a processing period involving Stripe, the payment processing company used by Kickstarter. For approximately two weeks after the campaign closes, Stripe collects payments from backers. During this period, there might be delays due to card expiration or insufficient funds.

Once the 14-day period for pledge collection and processing has passed, the funds minus Kickstarter's fees and any canceled pledges are transferred to the creator's bank account. Typically, Kickstarter takes 5% of the funded amount, and Stripe takes a fee of around 3%. The remaining amount, minus these fees, is transferred to the creator's bank account.

What to Expect if Delays Occur

If you find that the funds have not arrived within three weeks from the end of your campaign, there are a few things to check:

Ensure your bank account details are correct and up-to-date. Check for any delays due to payment processor issues, such as Stripe's processing times. Verify with Kickstarter or your payment processor if there are any issues with the campaign or card details.

Overall, the standard timeline for fund transfer is 14 days from the end of the campaign, with some additional time for processing and bank transfers. However, if you encounter any issues or delays, it's important to communicate with Kickstarter and your payment processor to resolve any potential problems.