Batch
A group of transactions settled together as one payout. A merchant reconciles against the batch, not against individual sales, which is why a provider that settles different payment methods in different batches creates more daily work than the rate difference usually justifies.
Why it matters to a merchant
The batch is the unit reconciliation is actually done in, and a merchant who tries to match individual sales to individual credits will not get there. One credit in the bank corresponds to one batch of many sales, less whatever was deducted. Once a bookkeeper works in batches the job stops being detective work.
Where this comes up
Pages on this site that deal with this in context:
Related terms
In this section: How a payment moves