Fast Cashouts at a Glance: What This Guide Delivers
Most withdrawals at UK-facing operators reach your account within a few hours to three working days. The hold-up almost never comes from the payment network alone — it comes from the operator's pending window, its internal review queue and, on a first cashout, identity checks. This page breaks down each of those stages with real numbers, so you can judge any operator against a sensible benchmark before you deposit.
Below you will find the full journey of a withdrawal from the moment you press the button to the moment the money lands, a comparison of minimums, caps and fees expressed as figures, an explanation of why your first payout is always the slow one, and a look at what changes on weekends and bank holidays. The table above already lists the current payout windows operator by operator, so this text concentrates on explaining the mechanics behind those figures.
- Every stage of a withdrawal, with the typical time it adds to the total
- Minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts, and where fees actually come from
- Why verification turns a five-minute cashout into a two-day wait
- What weekends, cut-off times and public holidays do to your payout
- A practical checklist for when a withdrawal overruns its stated window
How long does a Fast Withdrawal Casino withdrawal actually take in the UK?
- 37 minFastest from request to cash — Fortunica
- 5 h 30 minMedian time to money, all sites
- 2/10Sites with no pending period
This is an editorial comparison, not an operator statement. Timings, limits and fees are indicative and should be checked before you commit money. 18+.
From Request to Arrival: The Four Stages of Every Withdrawal
Before comparing any fast payout casino UK operators against one another, it helps to separate the four distinct stages a withdrawal passes through. Players often blame the casino for a slow transfer when the delay sits in stage three or four, or blame their bank when the operator is the one holding the request. Splitting the timeline into stages makes each figure on the comparison table meaningful rather than a single opaque number.
Stage One: Submitting the Request
The moment you confirm a withdrawal, the request enters the operator's queue. At fully automated operations this stage is instant — the system timestamp is logged the second you click. At operators with manual queues, requests are batched and reviewed in groups, which can add anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. A useful editorial rule of thumb: the more an operator advertises automation, the less tolerance it usually shows for exceptions, which is why anything unusual about your account pushes the request into a manual pile.
Stage Two: The Pending Window
The pending period is the gap between your request and the operator releasing the funds. Across the market this window typically runs from zero to 48 hours, with many established names settling in the zero-to-12-hour range. Some operators keep a withdrawal reversible during this window so you can cancel and return the money to your balance; others release immediately with no reversal option, which suits players who want the decision to be final.
- An active pending window set in the operator's terms, commonly 0–48 hours
- Volume spikes after big sporting weekends or promotional periods
- A first-time withdrawal, which almost always routes through identity checks
- Requests above a stated threshold — often around £2,000–£5,000 — that trigger a manual review
- Any mismatch between the deposit method and the requested withdrawal method
Stage Three: Internal Processing and Release
Once the pending window closes, the operator's finance team or its automated system releases the funds to your chosen provider. At operators with genuinely automated pipelines this happens within minutes of the pending window expiring. At smaller operations, release can wait for the next scheduled payout run — some process withdrawals twice a day, others once every 24 hours. If an operator's stated window is "up to 24 hours", the realistic median is usually far shorter, but the ceiling is the number to plan around.
Stage Four: Transit Through the Payment Network
The final leg belongs entirely to your payment provider. Debit card transfers through the faster payments infrastructure typically arrive within two hours of release and often within minutes. eWallet transfers settle inside their own network, so they are effectively instant once released. A standard bank transfer is the outlier at one to three business days. This is why two players at the same operator on the same day can report wildly different experiences — stage four is the difference.
The process and what each stage takes
Timings are the working values for this comparison; the stage that varies most between operators is marked in the table above.
- 1
Request the withdrawalunder 1 min
Open the cashier, pick the same method you deposited with and enter the amount. The minimum is £50 at Fortunica; below that the request is rejected rather than queued.
- 2
Operator reviewUsually under an hour
The request sits in a pending state while the operator checks it. This is the stage that varies most between sites — from no wait at all to a full day — and it is where a cancel-and-reverse button, if the site has one, quietly costs players their payout.
- 3
Identity check, first time only1 hour
Documents are requested once, usually when cumulative withdrawals pass £5,000. Uploading them before the first withdrawal removes this stage from every later payout.
- 4
Transfer to your bank15–60 min
Once approved, the transfer itself is the fast part. Money lands in the account tied to the payment ID, which must match the account name on the casino profile or the bank returns it.
- 5
Funds availableProcessed 7 days
Availability depends on your bank's posting rules as much as the operator's. Transfers submitted after the evening cut-off are credited the next processing run.
Operator by Operator: Windows and Pending Periods
The ranked table above sets out the payout windows for the ten names on this page — Spinpin, Winplace, CrownJewels, Bravoplay, Fortunica, Betninja, Bet365, William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral. Rather than repeating those rows, this section explains how to read them. Each window you see there combines the operator's stated pending period with the fastest settlement method it supports, so an "up to 4 hours" figure generally assumes an eWallet rather than a debit card or bank transfer. When you compare any fast withdrawal casino UK operators, always check which payment method the advertised speed assumes, because the headline number is meaningless without that context.
High-Street and Established Names
Long-established operators such as Bet365, William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral tend to publish conservative ceilings — often "up to 24 hours" for eWallets and up to several working days for cards — even though many payouts clear far sooner in practice. The conservative figures reflect the volume these brands process daily and the compliance overhead that comes with it. The trade-off is predictability: their published terms are usually close to what actually happens, and their complaint-handling routes are well documented.
Newer and Boutique Operators
Newer names like Spinpin, Winplace, CrownJewels, Bravoplay, Fortunica and Betninja often advertise shorter windows, sometimes quoting processing measured in minutes. Treat these figures the same way you would treat any marketing number: as a ceiling achieved under favourable conditions. On a first withdrawal, or on a request above the operator's review threshold, expect the realistic timing to drift towards the upper end of the published range. The behaviour to look for is consistency — an operator whose window holds up across amounts and repeat requests is worth more than one quoting minutes on a good day and days on a bad one.
Money in, money out: the limits
Every number that decides whether money can move, in one place. Read the minimum and the cap together — a low entry with a high withdrawal minimum traps a small balance.
| Site | Min deposit | Min withdrawal | Daily cap | Monthly cap | Withdrawal fee | ID check from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortunica | £20 | £50 | £2,500 | £40,000 | 1% | £5,000 |
| Coral | £20 | £20 | £7,500 | £90,000 | None | £2,500 |
| Winplace | £5 | £50 | £2,500 | £40,000 | None | £5,000 |
| Bravoplay | £30 | £10 | £2,000 | £24,000 | 1.5% | £2,500 |
| William Hill | £50 | £50 | £1,000 | £9,000 | None | £2,500 |
| Betninja | £5 | £20 | £2,000 | £18,000 | 1.5% | £1,000 |
| Ladbrokes | £5 | £30 | £5,000 | £100,000 | None | £2,500 |
| Bet365 | £5 | £50 | £4,000 | £80,000 | None | £5,000 |
| Spinpin | £20 | £30 | £10,000 | £120,000 | 1.5% | £5,000 |
| CrownJewels | £15 | £50 | £4,000 | £48,000 | None | £1,000 |
Figures in this table are an editorial estimate compiled for this comparison, not an operator quote — limits and timings change. Confirm in the cashier before you deposit. 18+.
Limits, Minimums and Fees, Compared as Numbers
Speed is worthless if the amount you want to withdraw falls below a threshold or triggers a fee. This section puts the numbers side by side. A typical minimum across the market sits between £10 and £20, with £10 being the friendlier end and the figure most players should treat as the benchmark for a decent service. Maximum caps vary far more widely — from around £5,000 per transaction at some operators to £20,000 or more per day at the largest brands — and caps interact with speed more than most players expect. Response times and escalation routes are measured in our ukgc license rundown.
Minimum Withdrawal Amounts
A request below the stated minimum is usually rejected automatically or held until your balance grows, which quietly adds a day to your timeline. Two practical points: minimums are often set per method rather than per operator, with bank transfers sometimes carrying a higher floor (commonly £25–£30) than eWallets (commonly £10), and some operators waive the minimum entirely for crypto-style withdrawals. Check the method-specific figure, not just the headline one, before assuming a small balance can be moved.
Maximum Caps and Large Withdrawals
Large requests frequently leave the automated track. Thresholds for manual review commonly start between £2,000 and £5,000, and above that level the published window often no longer applies — a manual review can add 24 to 72 hours. Operators also differ in how the cap is expressed: per transaction, per day, or per week. A £10,000 daily cap may still mean £5,000 per transaction, requiring two requests and two review cycles. If you are planning a substantial cashout, work out in advance how many transactions the cap implies and how many manual reviews that means. How these operators were ranked is set out in our apply rundown.
Where Fees Actually Come From
Most UKGC-licensed operators charge nothing for a standard withdrawal, and that is the standard to hold them to. When a fee does appear, it comes from one of three places:
- Operator-imposed fees — rare among established brands, occasionally applied to repeated small withdrawals within a short period, or to withdrawals below a set frequency limit
- Payment provider fees — some eWallet services charge for transfers out of the wallet, typically a small percentage with a cap
- Network fees — where applicable on crypto-style rails, these fluctuate with network demand rather than being fixed by anyone on the UK side
The honest way to compare fee structures is to read the terms for your specific method and your specific withdrawal size, not the general policy page. A "no fees" promise can still mean a provider-side charge you pay at the wallet level, and a currency-conversion spread if your wallet holds a different currency from your winnings.
Verification: Why the First Payout Is Always the Slowest
Identity checks are the single largest controllable variable in your withdrawal timeline. Every operator listed on this page will, at some point, verify who you are — it is a legal obligation, not an obstacle to be worked around, and it protects your balance as much as the operator. What varies is when the check happens: some operators verify at registration, others only when you first request a withdrawal, and the latter group produces the classic "my payout is stuck" experience that is really a verification queue. The scoring behind this order is explained in free bets.
What the Checks Involve
Standard verification asks for proof of identity and proof of address, and occasionally confirmation of the ownership of your payment method. In straightforward cases the review completes within a few hours; in complicated ones it can stretch to several days. The documents most operators request are:
- A photo of a valid passport or photocard driving licence
- A recent utility bill or bank statement, usually less than three months old, showing your registered address
- Where relevant, a screenshot or statement confirming the withdrawal method belongs to you
First Versus Repeat Withdrawals
Your first cashout is best treated as a setup process rather than a fair sample of an operator's speed. It typically combines identity verification, payment method verification and a one-off review of the account, and it can take several times longer than every subsequent cashout combined. Once those checks are cleared, repeat withdrawals to the same method are processed automatically at most operators — often inside the hour for eWallets. If your first payout felt slow, give the second one a fair trial before drawing conclusions about the operator.
How to Remove the Delay Entirely
The fix is unglamorous and effective: upload your documents immediately after registering, before you have any winnings to move. Verified accounts skip the entire review stage on the first withdrawal, which routinely turns a 48-hour experience into a same-hour one. Submitting clear, complete documents the first time matters too — a blurry photo or a statement older than three months generates a follow-up request, and each follow-up adds a round trip measured in hours or days. The cost of play is broken down in Visa debit.
When it goes wrong
What actually goes wrong, what causes it and what resolves it — with the time each fix realistically takes.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Withdrawal stuck in pending | Operator review window has not elapsed | Wait out the stated period before contacting support; contacting early does not advance the queue | Usually under an hour |
| Payout reversed into the balance | A reverse-withdrawal option was used or a bonus was still active | Disable reverse withdrawals in account settings; clear or forfeit the bonus before requesting | Immediate |
| Transfer returned by the bank | Name on the bank account does not match the casino profile | Correct the profile name, then re-request; a name change usually requires a document | 1 hour |
| Amount below the minimum | Request under £50 | Top the balance up to the minimum or use the operator's low-balance clearance process | Under 1 min |
| Daily cap reached | Request exceeds £2,500 in 24 hours | Split the withdrawal across days, or ask support to raise the cap for a verified account | 24 hours |
Weekends, Cut-Off Times and Bank Holidays
The calendar matters more than most players realise. Even a fully automated release can be slowed at the final stage when the receiving bank's settlement windows close, and manual reviews — which large withdrawals trigger — depend on staff being at their desks. Understanding the rhythm of a working week tells you when to expect a same-day result and when your request will realistically sit until Monday.
Daily Cut-Off Times
Operators with scheduled payout runs typically process at set points in the day. A request submitted at 9am may clear in the first run the same morning; the same request at 9pm waits for the next run, or the one after. Some providers also have their own settlement cut-offs — a card transfer released at 6pm may not post until the following morning regardless of the operator's efficiency. When an operator's terms quote a window in hours, check whether those are clock hours or business hours, because the difference on a Friday evening is often an entire weekend. Offers that need no deposit at all are compared in our free spins no deposit rundown.
Weekends and When They Help or Hurt
Weekend behaviour splits into two patterns. eWallet and crypto-style transfers are largely calendar-blind: released funds settle on Saturday and Sunday much as they do midweek. Debit card and bank transfers depend on the bank's faster payments infrastructure, which generally runs around the clock, but any manual step at the operator — reviews, large-amount checks, verification follow-ups — waits for staff. So a small eWallet cashout requested on Saturday morning can still land the same day, while a £6,000 card withdrawal requested on Friday evening will very likely not move until Monday.
Public Holidays
UK bank holidays pause the banking leg entirely for traditional transfers, and they thin out operator support teams, slowing manual reviews too. Expect the practical effect to be one extra working day per holiday in the chain. Around the Christmas and New Year period the cumulative effect is larger — several consecutive non-working days can turn a routine 24-hour window into five or more calendar days. If a withdrawal of any size is time-sensitive, the single most reliable tactic is to request it on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning, when payout runs, staffing and banking settlement are all at their best. A separate page, the fast payout casino UK page, goes into this in detail.
When a Withdrawal Overruns the Stated Window
Occasionally a payout sits past the published ceiling — say an operator promising "up to 24 hours" still has not released funds after two full days. Before assuming the worst, work through the ordinary explanations in order. In the large majority of cases the cause is one of the items below rather than anything more concerning, and each has a straightforward remedy.
- Your first withdrawal is queued for verification you have not yet completed
- The request exceeds the operator's manual review threshold
- You are withdrawing to a different method than the one you deposited with
- An active bonus with uncleared wagering is tying up part of your balance
- The payment provider itself is experiencing a settlement delay outside the operator's control
Quick Checks You Can Run Yourself
Two minutes in your account usually identifies the cause. Check whether the withdrawal still shows as "pending" or has moved to "processed" — if it is processed, the delay is at the provider and a few more hours is normal. Check your email for a verification request, which is the most common silent hold. Check whether an active bonus is attached to your balance, and whether the withdrawal method matches your most recent deposit. Any of these explains most overruns without a single support ticket. What is actually in these lobbies is broken down in our slots UK comparison.
Escalating With Support
If the ordinary checks come up empty, contact support with the specific facts: the request timestamp, the amount, the method, and the operator's own published window. A precise query gets a precise answer — "where exactly is my request in the queue, and what is holding it" is answerable, whereas "where is my money" is not. If the response is unsatisfactory and the operator is UK-licensed, you can escalate through its formal complaints procedure and, after eight weeks, to the independent adjudicator. Keep a simple record of dates and replies; it makes any escalation dramatically easier.
Answered directly
How long does a withdrawal take in practice?
The transfer itself runs 15–60 min at Fortunica. What decides the total is the review before it: no pending wait at all here, plus a one-off identity check on the very first payout.
Why is the first withdrawal slower than the rest?
Documents are checked once, typically when cumulative withdrawals pass £5,000. Budget 1 hour for it, then later payouts run at the normal window.
Is there a fee?
1% at Fortunica. Fees, where they exist, matter most on small withdrawals — a flat charge on a minimum payout is a percentage nobody quotes.
How much can be withdrawn at once?
£2,500 per day and £40,000 per month here. Larger balances leave in instalments, which is worth knowing before a big win.
Do withdrawals process at weekends?
Processed 7 days. Bank posting rules apply on top: a transfer approved late Friday can still land Monday.
These numbers are our working estimate for comparison purposes; each operator publishes its own limits and changes them without notice. Check the current terms before depositing. 18+.
Payment Methods and Their Settlement Speeds
Choosing among available payment methods is the fastest lever you control over your own payout speed, and it is worth fixing early: most operators require you to withdraw to the method you deposited with, so the decision at deposit time locks in your withdrawal experience weeks later. The table below is an editorial comparison of typical ranges across the market — it shows how the method you pick sets the floor and ceiling of stage four of the timeline described earlier.
| Method | Typical release to arrival | Typical fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debit card (Visa/Mastercard) | Minutes to 4 hours | None from operator | Credit cards are not permitted for UK gambling |
| eWallet (PayPal, Skrill, Neteller) | Minutes to 1 hour | Provider may charge on transfer out | Fastest and most consistent option at most operators |
| Bank transfer | 1–3 business days | Usually none | Higher minimums are common; unaffected by automation |
| Crypto-style rails | Near instant after release | Network fees vary with demand | Available only at offshore-licensed sites, not UKGC ones |
Across all these payment methods, eWallets remain the sensible default for speed-focused players: they settle inside their own network, they are unaffected by banking hours, and most established operators process them first. Debit cards are a close second thanks to faster payments infrastructure. Whichever you choose, the deposit choice is the withdrawal choice — pick the fast option on day one and you never have to think about it again. All of the operators mentioned here are listed on the fast withdrawal casino UK overview.
Bonuses, Wagering and Their Effect on Cashout Timing
Nothing ties up a balance longer than a misunderstanding about bonuses. Any offer attached to your account imposes conditions that must be cleared before the related winnings become withdrawable, and those conditions are set in multiples that vary enormously. A player chasing a casino welcome bonus with a 40x requirement on a £50 credit needs £2,000 in qualifying stakes before a single pound of the derived winnings is movable — that is the arithmetic that turns "instant" into weeks.
Welcome Offers and Their Multipliers
Welcome packages across the market typically carry wagering between 20x and 50x the credited amount, sometimes applied to the bonus alone and sometimes to deposit plus bonus — a distinction that doubles the effective requirement at the top end. The lower the multiplier, the sooner your winnings unlock, so a smaller offer at 20x is often worth more in real terms than a larger one at 50x. Check whether table games and live dealer titles contribute fully, partially or not at all, because contribution rules determine how quickly the requirement can actually be cleared in practice.
No-Wagering and Free-Play Offers
At the opposite end sit no-wagering promotions, which credit winnings as withdrawable cash immediately — the natural companion to a fast withdrawal casino UK real money no deposit offer, where even a small credit can be cashed out with no strings. They are genuinely rare because they are expensive for operators to fund at scale. In the same family, free spins no deposit deals usually convert winnings from the spins into bonus funds rather than cash, so read the terms: the headline word "free" describes the entry, not always the exit. Sports-focused players should note that free bets sit outside the casino balance entirely and follow separate conversion rules.
Reload Deals and What to Check Before Claiming
Reload offers behave like smaller welcome packages: wagering applies in most cases, and lower multipliers mean faster access. A handful are wagering-free and are worth prioritising if you top up regularly. Before claiming anything, three terms decide whether your payout speed survives contact with the offer:
- Withdrawal caps — some offers limit the maximum cashout from derived winnings regardless of the amount won
- Time limits — requirements must usually be cleared within 7 to 30 days or the credit and its winnings are forfeited
- Game weighting — many offers count certain titles at reduced or zero contribution, which stretches the clearing time considerably
One further point worth a sentence: the real-money balance you deposited yourself is unaffected by any of this and can normally be withdrawn at any time. Complications arise only when balances are mixed with bonus credit, where terms dictate which balance is treated first.
Where each site lands on Pending period
Ordered by Pending period, best first. These are the working values used across this site, so the same operator shows the same numbers on every page here.
| # | Site | Pending period | First payout | Min withdrawal | Weekends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fortunica | No wait | 6 h 37 min | £50 | Processed 7 days |
| 2 | Coral | No wait | 1 h 50 min | £20 | Processed 7 days |
| 3 | Winplace | 3 hours | 14 h 55 min | £50 | Processed 7 days |
| 4 | Bravoplay | 4 hours | 16 h 25 min | £10 | Business days only |
| 5 | William Hill | 4 hours | 10 h 52 min | £50 | Business days only |
| 6 | Betninja | 4 hours | 9 h 30 min | £20 | Processed 7 days |
| 7 | Ladbrokes | 8 hours | 16 h 17 min | £30 | Processed 7 days |
| 8 | Bet365 | 12 hours | 24 h | £50 | Processed 7 days |
| 9 | Spinpin | 24 hours | 29 h 52 min | £30 | Processed 7 days |
| 10 | CrownJewels | 24 hours | 37 h 5 min | £50 | Processed 7 days |
Fortunica takes the top slot on the shortest wait from request to cash (No wait). At the other end of the table CrownJewels sits at 24 hours — the spread is the reason this page exists.
Figures in this table are an editorial estimate compiled for this comparison, not an operator quote — limits and timings change. Confirm in the cashier before you deposit. 18+.
Safety, Licensing and Picking Where to Play
How quickly an operator pays out has no bearing on whether it is trustworthy — fast and slow operators both span the full quality range. What matters is the regulatory framework behind the site. For players comparing casino sites on this page's shortlist, a valid ukgc license is the baseline expectation: it enforces fund protection standards, fair terms, access to formal dispute resolution and a self-exclusion scheme that spans every licensed brand simultaneously.
Offshore-licensed alternatives exist and sometimes advertise faster processing, but they operate outside the UK framework, which means no access to the UK's independent adjudication service if a dispute arises. If you are weighing a fast withdrawal casino UK real money platform against an offshore one, that loss of recourse is the price of the extra speed — a trade worth making only with full knowledge. Many readers also arrive from comparing a fast withdrawal casino UK ranking with our wider coverage of the best paying slots uk, and the same principle applies in both directions: advertised figures are ceilings, and the regulatory wrapper tells you what happens when reality falls short of the ceiling.
- A licence number and regulator named in the site footer, verifiable on the regulator's public register
- Withdrawal windows and pending periods stated explicitly in the terms, not just in marketing copy
- Clear fee disclosures per payment method, including third-party charges
- A documented complaints procedure with realistic response commitments
- Visible player-protection tools: deposit limits, loss limits, session reminders and self-exclusion
Why Speed Is a Legitimacy Signal
Withdrawal behaviour is one of the few areas where an operator's real priorities become visible. Operators with healthy liquidity and honest terms process automatically and let the money go; operators under strain develop sudden review queues, new "verification" steps and quiet threshold changes. Because a player comparing any instant withdrawal casino cannot audit the balance sheet, the consistency of payout timing is the nearest available proxy — and it is why this page treats the pending window as the headline figure rather than the marketing claim.
Dispute Routes if Something Goes Wrong
With a UK-licensed operator, the escalation path is structured: internal complaints first, then the independent adjudication service after eight weeks. Offshore sites offer whatever their licence jurisdiction provides, which ranges from reasonable to minimal. This asymmetry is the strongest argument for staying within the UK framework unless you have a specific reason not to, and it is the reason the table above includes only operators whose licensing status is stated on their own sites.
Keeping Control of the Money
Fast access to winnings is a genuine benefit, and it also makes redepositing effortless — the two edges of one sword. Every operator named on this page offers the standard toolkit, and free, confidential support is available independently of any operator:
- GamCare — free advice and support, 0808 8020 133
- BeGambleAware — free, confidential help
- GamStop — free self-exclusion across all UK-licensed operators
- Gambling Therapy — online support for players and families
Our Editorial View on Fast Cashouts in 2026
Strip away the marketing and the entire subject reduces to three numbers: the pending window, the review threshold and the settlement time of your chosen method. Operators that publish a zero-to-12-hour pending window, set review thresholds high enough that ordinary players never meet them, and prioritise eWallet settlement deliver an experience that feels instant. Operators with 48-hour windows and low thresholds deliver the same withdrawal speed they always were going to — just dressed in friendlier wording. Read the three numbers, verify your documents early, and the timeline stops being a lottery.
Our assessment of the operators compared on this page — Spinpin, Winplace, CrownJewels, Bravoplay, Fortunica, Betninja, Bet365, William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral — is an editorial judgement based on published terms and stated windows, not derived from independent timing tests. Where the table above shows a range, treat the lower bound as the automated ideal and the upper bound as the realistic planning figure for a first withdrawal or a large amount. If you want the broader context on offers rather than speed, our sibling pages cover bonuses, deposits and game catalogues in detail; this page deliberately stays on the one question it set out to answer: how long the money actually takes to arrive — and now you can predict it to within a few hours.