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Connecting Stripe for Payouts

How to connect your Stripe account to BookAuth to receive payouts from book sales — setup, verification, and managing your payment settings.

Updated April 10, 20261 views

Stripe is BookAuth's payment processor. To receive revenue from book sales, you must connect a Stripe account. This guide walks you through setup, identity verification, and managing your payment preferences.

What You'll Learn

  • How to create and connect a Stripe account
  • The identity verification process
  • How payouts are scheduled
  • Managing your Stripe connection

Why Stripe?

BookAuth partners with Stripe for payment processing because:

  • Industry-leading security — PCI DSS Level 1 compliant
  • Global coverage — supports 135+ currencies and 46+ countries
  • Instant onboarding — get set up in under 10 minutes
  • Transparent fees — 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (standard processing)

Connecting Your Stripe Account

Step 1: Navigate to Payment Settings

  1. Go to Revenue > Payments (or Settings > Payments) from the sidebar
  2. Click "Connect Stripe"

Step 2: Create or Link Your Stripe Account

You'll be redirected to Stripe's secure onboarding flow:

Option A: Create a New Stripe Account

  • Enter your email address
  • Create a password
  • Follow Stripe's onboarding steps

Option B: Link an Existing Stripe Account

  • Click "Sign In" if you already have a Stripe account
  • Authorize BookAuth to connect

Step 3: Complete Identity Verification

Stripe requires identity verification for all accounts receiving payments:

Required Information Details
Legal name Your full legal name (or business name)
Address Your physical address
Date of birth For identity verification
Tax ID / SSN Required for US-based authors (EIN for businesses)
Bank account Where Stripe will deposit your earnings
ID document Government-issued photo ID (may be required)

Step 4: Verification Complete

Once Stripe verifies your identity (usually within minutes):

  • Your BookAuth account shows "Stripe Connected" with a green badge
  • You can now receive payments from book sales
  • Payouts are enabled automatically

How Payouts Work

Payout Schedule

Timing Details
Processing delay Stripe holds funds for 7 days after each sale (standard for new accounts)
Payout frequency Daily (after the holding period)
Payout method Direct deposit to your linked bank account
Currency USD by default (configurable in Stripe dashboard)

After your account matures (typically 1-2 months of consistent sales), the holding period may decrease.

Revenue Flow

Reader pays $9.99
  → Stripe processing fee: -$0.59 (2.9% + $0.30)
  → BookAuth platform fee: -$0.30 (3% on Pro)
  → Your net revenue: $9.10
  → Held for 7 days
  → Deposited to your bank account

Managing Your Stripe Connection

Viewing Your Stripe Dashboard

  • Click "Open Stripe Dashboard" from Revenue > Payments
  • Your Stripe dashboard shows: balance, payouts, disputes, and tax documents

Updating Bank Details

  • Changes are made in your Stripe dashboard directly
  • BookAuth doesn't store your bank details — Stripe handles all sensitive data

Disconnecting Stripe

  1. Navigate to Revenue > Payments
  2. Click "Disconnect Stripe"
  3. Confirm — your books remain listed but payment processing is disabled
  4. Outstanding payouts will still be processed

Tax Documentation

Stripe provides year-end tax documentation:

  • US authors: 1099-K form (if you exceed the reporting threshold)
  • International authors: Stripe provides equivalent documentation per your country's requirements
  • Access tax forms from your Stripe dashboard under Settings > Documents

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need Stripe to list free books?
A: No. Stripe is only required for paid books. You can list unlimited free books without connecting Stripe.

Q: Can I use PayPal instead of Stripe?
A: Currently, Stripe is the only supported payment processor. PayPal integration is under consideration.

Q: Is there a minimum payout amount?
A: Stripe has a minimum payout of $1.00. Earnings below this threshold accumulate until the minimum is met.

Q: Are Stripe's fees in addition to BookAuth's fees?
A: Yes. Stripe's processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) and BookAuth's platform fee (2-5% depending on plan) are separate charges.

Q: What if a reader requests a refund?
A: Refunds are processed through Stripe. The original Stripe processing fee is not returned.

Related Articles

  • Understanding Payouts & Revenue
  • Book Pricing — Free, Paid & Subscriber-Only
  • Understanding Platform Fees by Plan

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