14 day hold on funds even though more than 180 days have passed since first sale.

[WhiBeArtsBG]

Hi all,
I am aware this is not a way to contact Etsy support, but after browsing the forum, I noticed other sellers got this issue resolved after posting here. I moved countries and had to open a new shop and knew there would be a 14 day hold on my funds from new sales for 90 days. However, 90 days after my first sale (December 21st), the 14-day hold was still in effect. I read it could last up to 180 days. It has been over 180 days, and the 14-day hold is still in effect. I tried contacting support, but the "specialist team"  told me there is no way to lift this hold and thanked me for the “feedback”.

There are no other holds or payment reserves on my account.

Can any of the sellers that have had this happen to them advise me how they got this resolved?

Thanks in advance!

[Crimadus3DDruck]

Unfortunately, I can only agree and can't offer a solution.

I've already contacted support. After a while, they told me the team would contact me via email. Since then, there hasn't been any response in the support window.

Star sellers and no reserves don't seem to have anything to do with the 14-day retention period. It's a shame that some small sellers disappear so quickly.

[WhiBeArtsBG]

I just got a reply back from Etsy saying the 14 day payment delay is now a "permanent security feature" and no longer a "temporary measure" since March 2024. This seems very unfair, as other sellers did have the hold lifted having opened after March 2024. Seeing as we all pay the same fees, we should be treated the same. Because on that note, PayPal is also not an available payment method for my shop.

Edited to add: Based on the language used and the incredible speed of their latest email replies, which have come from the same person, opposed to all the rest, I am convinced they have been sent by AI.

[PoochandTabby]

@cindylouwho2 Have you heard of this re: 14 day hold a 'permanent security feature'?

[CryzalisMasksUK]

First I have heard of it, going to lose many sellers this way, especially if it is still 7, 14 or 20 days depending on what the system decides 

[cindylouwho2]

@PoochandTabby It is within Etsy's policies for them to do that with shops they consider more of a risk. I don't remember anyone being told it is "permanent", but I have seen holds go long past 180 days.

[CryzalisMasksUK]

I can no longer see the 90 days being mentioned, maybe not checking the right page

When will my funds become available for deposit?

If you're a new seller, your funds will generally be available for deposit 14-20 days after a sale, though it may take longer depending on the specific standing of your shop. Etsy Payments orders may become Available for deposit the next business day depending on the specific standing of your shop.

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015747228-How-to-Manage-Your-Payment-Account?segment=sell...

But they are back to using "May" take , "May" may become Available for deposit the next business day depending on the specific standing of your shop.

"May" Surely transparency is important when it comes to your pay and trust? 

[WhiBeArtsBG]

I checked all the pages multiple times. From what I found (or didn't), the mentions of 90 days (or even 180) have been removed from all pages on Etsy's payments policies regarding holds on new shop funds. There's no trace of them anymore. I honestly wouldn't have an issue with the hold, IF the fees were taken out of the new sale revenue. As in, whatever revenue is being earned in those 14 days, will be paid out after those 14 days. Not the revenue minus fees for sales being made during those 14 days. If my explanation makes sense. (It's getting late here, so it may not.)

When I asked for more transparency, I only received flowery replies thanking me for my self-sufficiency and dedication to Etsy...

[CryzalisMasksUK]

Your explanation makes total sense, being paid out crumbs whilst your balance is being built up is not an issue for those selling digital products, but it is for those who make everything by hand, pay out all the materials, postage etc.. whilst the marketplace takes all their fees instantly and do not have to wait for it.

I can't see this being right, customer service do not always provide the correct information and am giving them the benefit of the doubt at the moment, but if in fact true, it is outrageous.

@cindylouwho2 This is concerning if true

[WhiBeArtsBG]

I sell (mostly) digital products, but I still have to buy the materials (fabrics and notions) to be able to make and then sell my digital products, so I definitely know what you mean!

I was hoping if I was persistent enough, I would get a better reply, but I truly think it just resulted in the AI being allowed to take over. I received an email reply in under 10 minutes, which I feel is unheard of in Etsyland.

[PoochandTabby]

This is still in the legal payment policy (180 day mention):

• A hold may be put on funds associated with a particular transaction if there is a dispute or investigation related to the order, for the shorter of: (a) 180 days after the estimated delivery date, or (b) completion of any investigation regarding the seller’s actions.
• Deposit delays are defined as the number of days between a sale and the day the net amount from the sale becomes available for deposit, provided the payment has been completed. A deposit delay may be between 0 and 180 days. A deposit delay is applied across all transactions for a seller and the number of days is reflected in each seller’s payment account.

https://www.etsy.com/legal/etsy-payments/

[WhiBeArtsBG]

The way I read that, I believe that information is separate from the new shop hold, as it mentions "if there is a dispute or investigation related to the order", and the second just mentions a delay of the payment itself of up to 180 days, not the hold being in effect for up to 180 days.

[cindylouwho2]

It's really important to understand that the Etsy Help pages are not the site's legal policies, and can be out of date, and can change at any time.

The legal policies have been very open ended on how long they can use new shop holds and reserves. (The hold info cited above by @PoochandTabby is for individual transactions only, and for the length of an individual hold, not how long Etsy can continue holding every sale for some period of time)

That help page cited above changed between Nov 6 2024 and March 15 2025: https://web.archive.org/web/diff/20250315140915/20241106235422/https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articl...

I note there is a removed item which (from the title) could indicate an IP issue, or a counterfeit takedown. The OP may want to look at removing the anime and other potential IP issues to see if that eventually lifts the hold period. @CryzalisMasksUK 

[CryzalisMasksUK]

@cindylouwho2 .. That could explain it, sorry did not look at the shop.

[WhiBeArtsBG]

@cindylouwho2 I have not had any items removed by Etsy. Could you tell me which item you think was removed by Etsy? I have been removing my anime items myself over the past few days as I was unsure about these and was looking for more info on the matter. I appreciate all you do for the community and trust your input, so I have just deactivated all remaining anime items.

[cindylouwho2]

@WhiBeArtsBG "I have been removing my anime items myself over the past few days as I was unsure about these and was looking for more info on the matter."  That must be what I saw; I was looking at your reviews, and the first page returned a dead listing. 

Thank you for your kind words! I am sorry you are going through this, and that Etsy is not more transparent. 

[WhiBeArtsBG]

@cindylouwho2 then it must be the Lucy Heartfilia listing you're referring to! Yes, that is one of the patterns I had taken down already. I have been receiving conflicting info on the matter of sewing patterns, but I trust what you say, and I don't want to do anything I shouldn't be doing. Truly, thank you for all you do. I can only hope Etsy will become more transparent someday.

[LuxeGalleryWallArt]

I've received an email now that says:

Due to specific financial regulations that apply to sellers under Etsy Payments Ireland Limited your payments will always be subject to this 14-day delay. 
 
This is a requirement we must adhere to, as these regulations are set by EPIL. It's not related to your shop's performance or tenure; it's simply part of the compliance framework for sellers in your region.

[cindylouwho2]

@LuxeGalleryWallArt your shop says it is in the US - is that true? Because most US shops do not have a permanent 14 day hold. 

[DragonFireGlass]

@cindylouwho2  The GalleryWall Art ships from China and sells copywrite material 

[IlluminatiFlamingo]

Hi! I’m in the same situation as you — my first sale was 11 months ago and I still have the 14-day payment delay. I’m a Star Seller and I always ship with tracking.  

Because of this hold, I never actually receive the full amount from any sale since fees from subsequent sales keep getting deducted.  

Right now I have an open ticket and they’re supposed to get back to me — they say they’ve escalated it.  

Did you manage to get the hold removed?

[InkSplashDesign1]

When I got my star seller (August) my hold/ reserve got released immediately and then confirmed it with support that it was due to the star seller badge. 

[CryzalisMasksUK]

Star seller will release you from the reserve but has nothing to do with the hold.

The Hold for new shops is 90 but can be up to 180 days, however, it has been reported in the past that some new shops have faced technical issues which meant their hold was not lifted after both the mentioned time frames.

As it has been 11 months, I would try and request a call back @IlluminatiFlamingo 

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?segment=selling#issue_sell_offsite_ads-callback

[WhiBeArtsBG]

Hi @IlluminatiFlamingo 
No, my 14-day hold is still in place and I was told it is permanent. I think it's absolutely ridiculous because they keep subtracting the fees from future sales so, as you say, we never get the full amount. We're effectively being punished for selling because, the more we sell, the less we receive.

[IlluminatiFlamingo]

@InkSplashDesign1 

That's great, I'm happy for you. I've been a Star Seller for the second time and still nothing... hopefully I'll have some luck too.