How long does approval take?
Three to ten business days from a complete file is typical. Categories needing scheme registration add one to three weeks on top before you can process. Almost all delay past that comes from an incomplete file rather than slow underwriting.
The honest ranges, assuming the file is complete on the day it is submitted:
- Three to ten business days to an underwriting decision for most categories.
- One to three additional weeks where the category requires registration with the card schemes before you can process. That clock does not start until the acquirer submits, and it is not something the provider can accelerate.
- Same week is occasionally real for a clean, established merchant in a mild category with statements ready. It is not something anyone should promise you in advance.
What actually causes delay is rarely the underwriter. It is a missing month of statements, a settlement account in the wrong name, a refund policy that returns a 404 on the day they check, or an owner who cannot be reached for an ID request.
Be sceptical of a 24-hour approval claim. What is usually being approved that fast is an application into a gateway, not an acquiring decision, and the underwriting still happens afterwards — sometimes after you have started processing, which is the worst time to find out the answer is no.