> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.dollarlabs.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.dollarlabs.io/dollarback-store-credit/settings/trigger-and-timing.md).

# Trigger & Timing

The **Trigger & Timing** card on **DollarBack admin → Settings** lets you "choose when cashback is awarded and whether to delay it". These two settings together decide when a customer actually sees spendable credit.

## Give cashback when

Which order event triggers calculation and issuance, for every program at once:

| Option                      | Effect                                                         |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Order Created** (default) | "Award cashback immediately when an order is placed."          |
| **Order Fulfilled**         | "Award cashback once the order has been shipped or fulfilled." |
| **Order Paid**              | "Award cashback once payment is confirmed."                    |

Pick **Order Paid** if you take manual payments or see failed captures; **Order Fulfilled** if you want credit to appear only after shipping (a natural fraud buffer for high-risk categories).

## Holding period

A delay, 0 to 365 days, before issued credit becomes spendable. "Delay before the customer receives their store credit. Set to 0 to award immediately." Default: 0.

During the hold, credits sit in a **pending** state: customers see them coming in the widgets, and you can review the queue in **Analytics → Activity**, under the **Scheduled** view. When the hold elapses the credit is released automatically.

{% hint style="info" %}
Trigger and holding period **stack**. With Order Fulfilled + a 14-day hold, credit is calculated at fulfillment and becomes spendable 14 days later. Use the hold to outlast your return window, so most clawbacks resolve against pending credit instead of an already-spent balance.
{% endhint %}

## Verify it works

Place a test order and watch **Analytics → Activity**: the credit row should appear at your chosen trigger event, in Pending status if a hold is set, then flip to credited when released. The full lifecycle, including what happens on refunds during the hold, is in [When credit is issued](/dollarback-store-credit/earning-cashback-programs/when-credit-is-issued.md).

## Related articles

* [When credit is issued](/dollarback-store-credit/earning-cashback-programs/when-credit-is-issued.md)
* [Refunds, cancellations & order edits](/dollarback-store-credit/spending-store-credit-and-rewards/refunds-cancellations-and-order-edits.md)
* [Activity: credit logs & scheduled rewards](/dollarback-store-credit/analytics-data-and-account/credit-logs-and-scheduled-rewards.md)