temporary payment reserve on my account and its for items below £10 I don't understand.

[Waleswoodandcraft]

Etsy help and support states that no tracking is required for items/ orders under £10. yet I sold an item for £5 and delivered it personally because it was local, I stated in the despatched that it was out with the courier for same day delivery and now my account has been put in a temporary payment reserve. for 45 days. I'm worried because most of my items are under £10 and some won't have tracking numbers due to Royal Mail 2nd class postage. I've just started back up again on here after a long break. if I've got to wait 45 days for money it is really going to slow my progress. 

and I yes I understand the 45 days reserve is to do with the lack of the tracking number for insurance purposes. but I'm confused as to why they've added it to me due to the item only being £5 and anything under £10 doesn't require a tracking number as per Etsy help and support info. does anyone know what I could do to sort this or some advice.

[OwlAlwaysKnit]

A reserve can be placed on an account for other reasons aside from tracking, if you check the link below is does mention the Seller policy 

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360058722214-What-is-a-Payment-Account-Reserve-?segment=sell...

https://www.etsy.com/legal/sellers/?ref=list

This is from that section

Even if they otherwise meet our marketplace criteria, prohibited items, services, and items that violate our intellectual property policies are not allowed to be sold on Etsy. 

You should remove the Friends listings as these are infringing and may be the issue.

[CappuccinoLace]

Etsy help and support states that no tracking is required for items/ orders under £10

That criteria is for Star Seller only.

The reason you're on a reserve is because you've come back from a break and have started getting sales. An increase in sales can trigger a reserve.

[Marmalady]

The "no tracking required for items under £10" is for Star Seller purposes only.

If you are placed on Reserve -- which as Owl says  can be for any number of reasons -- all items must be shipped with tracking no matter what the value to release your money before the end of the 45 day hold period

[GlassyFields]

Reserves are Etsy's way of dealing with the risk that they might have to refund a buyer for non-delivery.

Etsy views items that are not tracked as risks.

And the risks/amounts are proportional - low risk amount, low reserve.

Since this was for a friend, ask them to leave a review to confirm that it was delivered.

[EccentricHandbags]

Just because tracking isn't required doesn't mean that Etsy won't place a reserve on your funds.