How Creator Payments Work

The Simple Truth: You Keep 84-95%

For every sale you make on Sola, you receive 84-95% of the purchase price (depending on your creator tier and sale amount) directly to your Stripe account. Higher tiers and prices = better percentages for you.

Creator Tiers & Platform Fees

Sola offers three creator tiers with different marketplace fees. Higher tiers mean more money in your pocket from each sale:

Direct Stripe Connect Payouts

Sola uses Stripe Connect to ensure you get paid directly:

How It Works

1. Customer makes a purchase - Pays via Stripe checkout
2. Payment goes to your Stripe account - Money never touches Sola
3. Stripe deducts payment processing fees - 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
4. Sola's marketplace fee is deducted - 7%/4%/2% based on your tier via Stripe's application fee system
5. 84-95% is yours instantly - Available in your Stripe balance depending on tier
6. Stripe transfers to your bank - Based on your payout schedule

Setting Up Your Stripe Account

To receive payments, you must connect a Stripe Standard account:

Initial Setup

1. Go to Creator Dashboard → "Connect Stripe"
2. You'll be redirected to Stripe's secure onboarding
3. Provide your business information (name, address, tax ID)
4. Add your bank account details for payouts
5. Complete identity verification if required
6. Accept Stripe's Terms of Service
7. You're all set to start receiving payments!

What You Need

• Personal information: Name, date of birth, address
• Tax ID: SSN (US) or equivalent tax identification
• Bank account: For receiving payouts
• Phone number: For account verification
• Government ID: May be required for verification

Understanding Payout Schedules

You control when Stripe transfers money to your bank account:

Changing Your Payout Schedule

1. Log into your Stripe Dashboard
2. Go to Settings → Payouts
3. Select your preferred schedule
4. Save changes

Instant Transfers (Express Payouts)

Need your money faster? Stripe offers instant transfers:

• Available 24/7 - Transfer any time, even weekends
• Instant to debit card - Money in minutes
• Small fee: 1% per transfer (minimum $0.50)
• Set up in Stripe: Add eligible debit card
• Eligibility: Not all banks support instant transfers

Tracking Your Earnings

In Your Sola Dashboard

• Total revenue: Lifetime earnings (84-95% you keep depending on your tier and sale amounts)
• Total sales: Number of products sold
• Recent orders: See latest transactions
• Filter by date: View earnings by time period

In Your Stripe Dashboard

• Available balance: Money ready to be paid out
• Pending balance: Money being processed
• Payout history: All transfers to your bank
• Transaction details: Full breakdown of each sale
• Tax reports: Download for tax filing

Fee Breakdown

Understanding Sola's transparent fee structure:

Tax Information

Sales Tax (Collected from Buyers)

• Automatic calculation: Stripe Tax calculates sales tax
• Added to total: Buyers pay tax on top of your price
• You don't handle it: Stripe remits taxes to authorities
• Included in reports: Tax data in your Stripe dashboard

Income Tax (Your Responsibility)

• You're self-employed: Responsible for your own taxes
• 1099 forms (US): Stripe provides 1099-K if you earn $600+
• Track expenses: Deduct business costs from income
• Quarterly estimated taxes: May need to pay quarterly (US)
• Consult a tax professional: Get advice for your situation

Payment Security

Your financial data is protected:

• Stripe-powered: Industry-leading security standards
• PCI DSS compliant: Meets strict payment card security requirements
• Encrypted data: All financial information is encrypted
• Fraud detection: Advanced algorithms protect against fraud
• Two-factor authentication: Optional 2FA for Stripe account

Troubleshooting Payment Issues

Haven't received a payout

• Check your Stripe dashboard for available balance
• Verify your payout schedule (may be weekly or monthly)
• New accounts may have delayed first payout (7-14 days)
• Ensure bank account details are correct in Stripe

Payout failed

• Check Stripe dashboard for failure reason
• Verify bank account information is accurate
• Contact your bank to ensure they accept transfers
• Update bank details in Stripe if needed

Lower earnings than expected

• Remember: You receive 84-95% depending on your tier, not 100%
• Check if you ran any discounts or sales
• Review individual transactions in Stripe
• Refunds reduce your earnings

Need to change bank account

1. Log into your Stripe Dashboard
2. Go to Settings → Bank accounts and scheduling
3. Add new bank account
4. Verify the account (Stripe sends micro-deposits)
5. Set as default payout account

Getting Help

Sola Support

For questions about:

• Sales data and analytics
• Product listings and shop management
• Connecting your Stripe account
• Marketplace fees and revenue split

Stripe Support

For questions about:

• Payout schedules and transfers
• Bank account issues
• Tax forms and reporting
• Payment processing problems
• Account verification

Stripe offers 24/7 support via their dashboard.