Frequently asked questions

How long does it usually take for the company to issue my certificate after exercising?

The signing and issuing of your certificate is handled by your company, not Carta. While many companies sign certificates within 1–2 business days, the timing can vary—especially if the company admin doesn’t log in regularly.

What do I do if my exercise request is stuck on "Pending"?

If your exercise request is in the "Pending" status, this means that it is awaiting company approval. Please reach out directly to your company for an update or to request they expedite the process.

Why can’t I view my certificate yet?

Your stock certificate has been generated and linked to your option grant. It’s currently awaiting your company administrator’s signature before being released for you to view and accept.

📌 Certificates are not viewable by stakeholders until the issuing company admin has signed them.

📌 The timeline for signing and issuing certificates is managed by the company, not Carta. Some companies may take longer than the typical 1–2 business days, especially if admins do not log in daily.

📌 If you see a certificate attached to your grant but cannot open it, this means it is still pending the company’s signature.

Why am I seeing this message: “Company has not provided an updated FMV”?

This message appears because your company hasn’t provided a current Fair Market Value (FMV), which is required to complete your exercise.

You’ll see this message in the following situations:

Exercising NSO (Non-Qualified Stock Option) grants: FMV is needed to calculate estimated taxes.
Exercising unvested early-exercisable options: FMV is required to determine tax implications and ensure IRS compliance.

Until your company provides an updated FMV, these types of exercises cannot be processed. Please reach out to your company admin for more information.

What is a manual exercise?

A manual (or off-platform) exercise is when you exercise your options outside of Carta’s standard online process. This is typically done in special situations such as:

Your company is giving you a loan to cover the cost (a “loan-based exercise”)
Banking or compliance restrictions
An expired FMV
Other company-specific requirements

Can I start a manual or loan-based exercise in Carta?

No. Only your company admin can record a manual or loan-based exercise on your behalf. You won’t see an option to do this yourself in Carta.

How to exercise your options on Carta