When a guest taps their phone to tip an employee, several things happen in rapid succession before that money lands in a bank account. Understanding this flow helps you set expectations, troubleshoot delays, and explain the process to your team.
The Full Lifecycle
Guest pays tip
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Stripe charges the guest's card / wallet
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Funds held by Stripe (minus processing fees)
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Aplauso routes funds to the employee's Connected Stripe account
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Funds arrive in the employee's Aplauso Wallet
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Employee requests withdrawal
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Stripe pays out to employee's bank account (1–2 business days)
Step 1 - Guest Payment (Stripe Charge)
When a guest pays through the Aplauso kiosk or mobile tipping page, their payment is processed by Stripe - one of the world's most trusted payment processors. Stripe captures the funds from the guest's card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay account.
Processing fees are deducted at this stage (see Aplauso Fees and Pricing for the current rate schedule).
Step 2 - Aplauso Routes the Tip
Aplauso uses Stripe Connect - specifically the "destination charges" model - to route tips from the platform to individual employee Stripe accounts. This means:
- Each employee has their own Stripe Connected account linked to their Aplauso profile.
- Tips are routed directly to that employee's Stripe account.
- For team/department tips, Aplauso calculates the split and routes each share separately.
- Tips appear in each employee's Wallet balance in near real-time (typically within 1–2 minutes of the guest's payment).
Step 3 - The Employee Wallet
Each employee has an Aplauso Wallet - a balance-tracking account linked to their Stripe Connected account. The wallet shows:
- Available balance - funds that have cleared and can be withdrawn
- Pending balance - funds that are processing (typically 24–48 hours after first connecting Stripe)
- Transaction history - every tip received with timestamp and amount
Employees can view their wallet at my.aplauso.io under Wallet, or in the mobile app under the Wallet tab.
Step 4 - Requesting a Withdrawal
Employees initiate payouts from their wallet:
- Open the Wallet screen.
- Tap Withdraw.
- Select a preset amount ($25, $50, $100, $250) or enter a custom amount.
- Confirm the bank account on file (linked during Stripe onboarding).
- Confirm the withdrawal.
Stripe initiates the bank transfer immediately upon confirmation.
Step 5 - Bank Settlement
Stripe pays out to the employee's bank account on the following schedule:
| Account Type | Payout Speed |
|---|---|
| Standard (new accounts) | 2 business days after withdrawal request |
| Standard (established accounts, 30+ days) | Next business day |
| Instant (available in supported regions) | Within 30 minutes, small fee applies |
Note: Stripe may place a 7-day hold on payouts for newly connected accounts. This is a Stripe policy to prevent fraud and affects only the first few payouts.
What Employees See on Their Bank Statement
Payouts from Aplauso will appear as "Stripe" or "STRIPE APLAUSO"* on the employee's bank statement. The exact descriptor depends on the bank and the Stripe payout method used.
Payout Timing for Managers
As a venue manager, you can see all tip activity and payout status across your team in Manage → Finance. You'll see:
- Total tips received per employee per period
- Stripe payout status (pending, paid, failed)
- Failed payout alerts (if an employee has an invalid bank account)
Frequently Asked Questions
"Can employees withdraw before the 24-hour Stripe hold?" Standard payouts are subject to Stripe's holding period. The available balance in the wallet reflects funds that Stripe has cleared - employees cannot withdraw from a pending balance.
"What happens if an employee forgets to withdraw?" Nothing - tips accumulate in the wallet indefinitely. There is no expiry on wallet balances. However, we recommend employees withdraw at least weekly for best financial hygiene.
"Are tips held by Aplauso at any point?" No. Tips are routed directly to the employee's Connected Stripe account via destination charges. Aplauso never holds tip funds - they flow through Stripe directly.