Why Doesn't My Deposit Match?

It is normal for the deposit in the dealership's bank account to look different from what DealerWorks shows as the day's transaction total. There are several predictable reasons why these numbers will not be equal — and understanding them makes reconciliation straightforward. This article explains each reason and how to work through them.

Reason 1 — The Deposit Covers a Different Day's Transactions

This is the most common source of confusion. Card payments settle on a T+2 schedule — the deposit arriving today was generated by transactions processed two business days ago, not yesterday and not today.

Reason 2 — Merchant Fees Are Deducted Before the Deposit

DealerWorks shows the gross amount charged to customers. The deposit the dealership receives is net of merchant fees — the processing cost deducted by the payment processor before funds are transferred.

This means the deposit will always be slightly less than the DTR Grand Total for the matching date. The difference is the merchant fee for that batch.

Reason 3 — Refunds Reduce the Deposit

When a refund is processed, it is included in the same settlement batch as the day's approved transactions and reduces the net deposit. If a refund was processed on the same day as a large batch of sales, the deposit will be lower than the gross sales total by the refund amount — in addition to merchant fees.

The DTR already accounts for this: the refund columns (Sales Refunds, Service Refunds, Parts Refunds) show negative values that reduce the Grand Total. If the DTR Grand Total is lower than expected, check whether a refund was processed that day.

Reason 4 — Transactions After Batch Cutoff Shift to the Next Day

Approved transactions are batched at a scheduled cutoff time each day. Transactions processed after that cutoff are not included in that day's batch — they roll into the following day's batch and settle two business days after that.

If transactions processed late in the evening are missing from an expected deposit, check whether they crossed the batch cutoff. Those transactions will appear in the next day's DTR entry and in the following deposit.

Reason 5 — Multiple Deposits for the Same Day's Transactions

Dealerships with multiple merchant accounts — such as separate accounts for service and sales — may receive separate deposits for the same batch date. Each merchant account settles independently and produces its own deposit.

If you are seeing two deposits for the same date, add them together before comparing to the DTR Grand Total. The Payout Report (Accounting → Payout Report) shows payouts by merchant account, with a separate tab for each account, which can help identify which deposit corresponds to which account.

Reason 6 — Cash, Checks, and Money Orders Are Not in the Deposit

DealerWorks records cash, check, and money order transactions for reporting purposes, but these payment types are not electronically settled through the payment processor. They do not appear in the electronic deposit at all — they are deposited separately by the dealership according to your store's cash handling procedures.

When comparing the bank deposit to the DTR, subtract any cash, check, or money order totals from the DTR Grand Total before making the comparison. Only card transactions (and any applicable ACH transactions) appear in the electronic settlement deposit.

How to Reconcile a Deposit

Use this process to work through a deposit that doesn't match your expectations:

1. 1 Identify the source date. Count back two business days from the deposit date (skip weekends and holidays). That is the transaction date the deposit covers.
2. 2 Pull the DTR for that date. Go to Accounting → DTR, filter to the source date, and note the Grand Total. This is your starting point.
3. 3 Subtract non-card payments. Remove any cash, check, or money order totals from the DTR Grand Total. These are not in the electronic deposit.
4. 4 Account for merchant fees. The deposit will be lower than the adjusted DTR total by the merchant fee amount for that batch. If you need the exact fee amount, check the Payout Report or contact DealerWorks support.
5. 5 Check for split deposits. If your dealership has multiple merchant accounts, add all deposits for that settlement date together before comparing to the DTR.