How to Receive Payments & Manage Your Stripe Account on Main Court

Now that your Stripe Express account is connected, this guide explains how money flows from a player's payment into your bank account — and how to read and manage your balances along the way.

Main Court manages the payment workflow, while Stripe securely handles payment processing and payouts.

How Payments Work on Main Court

When a player pays for a match, league, tournament, lesson, clinic, or social event:

The payment is processed by Stripe
The funds are transferred into your connected Stripe Express account
Main Court controls payout timing and refund handling through the platform

👉 Main Court does not directly store your funds. They sit in your own Stripe Express account.

This system helps ensure a secure and reliable experience for both organizers and players.

Understanding Your Stripe Account Balances

After a match, lesson, clinic, or event, Main Court transfers the funds into your Stripe Express account right away. From there, the money moves through a few stages before it reaches your bank. Your Stripe dashboard shows each stage as a separate balance:

Total balance — All funds currently in your account, including money still being held and money that's ready to pay out. This is your headline number, not the amount you can withdraw today.
Available soon — Funds that have just come in and are in a 48-hour holding period. Once the 48 hours pass, this money moves into "Available to pay out."
Available to pay out — Funds that have cleared the holding period and are ready to be sent to your bank on a standard (free) payout.
In transit to bank — Funds that have already been paid out and are on their way to your bank account.
Available to instantly pay out — The amount you can withdraw immediately using Stripe's Instant Payout. Instant Payouts reach your bank within minutes but carry a small Stripe fee. Standard payouts are free.
Lifetime total volume — The total amount you've processed through Main Court since you started.

💡 Quick math: Total balance − Available soon = Available to pay out. If your numbers don't seem to add up, it usually means some funds are still inside the 48-hour hold.

Why Funds Are Not Immediately Available

When a player pays for a match, league, lesson, clinic, or event:

The payment is processed immediately and Main Court transfers the funds to your Stripe account.
The funds appear under Total balance and sit in Available soon during a 48-hour hold.
This hold allows any eligible refunds or cancellations to be processed first.
After 48 hours, the funds move to Available to pay out and are ready to send to your bank.

This 48-hour window is the same cancellation and refund window referenced throughout your event setup — it protects both organizers and players by making sure eligible refunds are settled before money leaves the platform.

Managing Payouts

Standard payouts (free)

Once funds reach Available to pay out, they can be sent to your connected bank account on Stripe's standard payout schedule. Standard payouts are free and typically arrive within a couple of business days.

Instant Payouts (small fee)

If you need funds faster, use Available to instantly pay out to send money to an eligible debit card or bank account within minutes. Stripe charges a small fee for this service. Standard payouts remain free, so use Instant only when you need the money quickly.

Handling refunds and cancellations

Refunds are processed through Main Court during the cancellation window, before payouts are released. Because of the 48-hour hold, eligible refunds come out of funds that haven't yet been paid out — keeping your books clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Main Court hold my money? No. Payments are securely processed by Stripe and sit within your connected Stripe Express account. Main Court controls payout timing and refund handling through the platform but does not directly store organizer funds.

Why does my Total balance look higher than what I can pay out? Your Total balance includes funds still inside the 48-hour hold ("Available soon"). Only funds that have cleared the hold appear under "Available to pay out."

When exactly does my money become available? Main Court transfers funds to your Stripe account right after the match or event. They become available to pay out 48 hours later, once the cancellation/refund window has passed.

Summary

Main Court provides a secure and structured way for organizers to collect payments and receive payouts through Stripe Express:

Payments are securely processed by Stripe
Main Court transfers funds to your Stripe Express account right after the match or event
Funds sit in Available soon during a 48-hour hold, then move to Available to pay out
Standard payouts are free; Instant Payouts are available for a small fee
Main Court manages refunds and cancellations during the hold window

This helps create a fair and reliable experience for both organizers and players.