> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.useroutr.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Settlement

> How fast funding lands, and why the speed depends on size.

Settlement runs in two tiers, chosen automatically and surfaced in the quote so the estimate you show a user is honest.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Fast fill">
    **Used for** amounts at or below the tier threshold, when float is available.

    We deliver from our own prefunded capital immediately and reimburse ourselves from the underlying settlement afterwards. The user does not wait for a bridge.

    Typical time to credit: seconds.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Standard">
    **Used for** larger amounts, or when fast fill capacity is unavailable.

    The underlying rail settles first, then we deliver. Slower, and no capital is at risk.

    Typical time to credit: rail finality, commonly 2 to 15 minutes.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The tier is never something you select. It is reflected in `estimated_duration_seconds` on each quote, so if you are optimising for speed you can see the real number rather than a marketing one.

<Note>
  If fast fill capacity is exhausted the route degrades to standard automatically. Your user sees a longer estimate, not a failure.
</Note>

## Optimising

`policy.optimize` accepts `cost`, `speed`, or `reliability`. Each objective is bounded by constraints on the others, so choosing `cost` will not return a route that saves four cents and takes four hours.

```ts theme={null}
const intent = await useroutr.fundingIntents.create({
  amount: { amount: "100.00", asset: "fiat:USD" },
  destination: { /* ... */ },
  policy: { optimize: "speed", max_slippage_bps: 50 },
});
```

## Seeing why a route was not offered

`GET /funding_intents/{id}/options` returns the rails we excluded and why, alongside the ones we are offering:

```json theme={null}
{
  "options": [ /* ... */ ],
  "excluded": [
    { "rail": "ethereum", "reason": "network_fee_exceeds_amount",
      "detail": { "estimated_fee": "12.40", "amount": "10.00" } }
  ]
}
```

This exists so that "why didn't it use the cheap rail" is answerable without contacting support.