Paying with Wallet, Credit, and ACH

Creatures accepts several ways to pay, and if you have stored value it is applied for you in a set order. This article explains each method and exactly how they stack at checkout.

The payment methods

• Card (debit or credit): the standard option, charged immediately. Your payment is then held by Creatures until you confirm delivery.
• Bank transfer (ACH): pay straight from a US bank account. It usually carries lower fees than a card, with one trade-off: it takes a few business days (commonly up to five) to clear. See how that affects timing below.
• Creatures Wallet: your real-money balance on Creatures, typically built up from animals you have sold. Wallet money is yours, and what you do not spend can be withdrawn to your bank. See Your Creatures Wallet: balance, holds, and getting paid.
• Creatures Credit: promotional credit, for example from a referral or a Creatures offer. It spends like money at checkout but is not withdrawable to a bank. See Creatures Credit: what it is and how it is spent for where it comes from.

How stored value is applied: Credit, then Wallet, then your method

When you have Credit or Wallet and you check out, Creatures spends them in a fixed order, automatically:

1. Creatures Credit first. Because credit cannot be withdrawn, Creatures uses it before anything else, so your promotional value is never left stranded.
2. Creatures Wallet next. Your real balance covers whatever remains after credit.
3. Your chosen payment method last. Only the leftover (if any) is charged to your card or bank.

The implication is simple: you never overpay with "spendable-only" money by accident, and you only ever charge your card for the part your stored value did not cover. If Credit and Wallet together cover the full total, your card or bank is not charged at all.

How an ACH bank transfer clears

ACH is cheaper but not instant, and that changes the timeline:

• When you pay by ACH, the purchase enters a payment-pending state while the transfer clears (commonly up to five business days).
• During that time the sale is not yet confirmed. The seller is told not to ship or hand over the animal until payment confirms, so nobody is out of pocket if a transfer fails.
• Once the transfer clears, the purchase is confirmed and proceeds like any other: the funds are held by Creatures and released to the seller only when you confirm delivery.

If you need the animal to move quickly, a card is the faster choice. If timing is flexible and you want to save on fees, ACH is a good fit. There is a step-by-step "How to Pay with an ACH Bank Transfer" article in this category.

Related information

• How buying works: payments, held funds, and protection
• Buying at a fixed price
• When does the seller get paid? Your role as the buyer

Updated on: 23/06/2026