International affiliate payouts let you pay affiliates who live in other supported countries, in their local currency, straight from your store’s own Stripe account. There’s nothing extra to install or set up. Stripe calls this capability cross-border payouts; in AffiliateWP, and throughout this guide, it’s called international affiliate payouts. This guide covers which countries you can pay, how to turn the feature on, what Stripe’s cross-border fee is, what your affiliates see, and what happens to affiliates Stripe can’t reach.
In This Article
- What you need before you start
- Which countries can I pay affiliates in?
- What currency do affiliates get paid in?
- Turning on international payouts
- What it costs: Stripe's cross-border fee
- What your affiliates see
- What happens to affiliates Stripe can't reach
- What turning it off does (and doesn't do)
- Tax forms for US affiliates
- Frequently asked questions
- Next steps
What you need before you start
International payouts work with your existing Stripe account. You don’t need a special account, anything extra to install, or any extra monthly fee. You do need two things:
- A US- or UK-based Stripe account connected to AffiliateWP. International payouts are available only from US- and UK-based Stripe accounts. If your connected account is based anywhere else, the option is unavailable.
- Stripe enabled as a payout method at AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts.
Eligibility follows the country of your connected Stripe account, not your store’s address. If your store is set to one country but your Stripe account is based in another, the Stripe account is what decides whether international payouts are available.
Which countries can I pay affiliates in?
You can pay affiliates across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, and most of Europe (the 27 EU countries plus Norway and Liechtenstein). Each affiliate is paid in their local currency, and Stripe handles the currency conversion automatically, so there’s no manual exchange-rate work on your side.
| Region | Supported countries |
|---|---|
| North America | United States, Canada |
| United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| European Union | Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden |
| Other Europe | Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein |
Iceland isn’t currently supported. Affiliates outside these supported countries can’t be paid through Stripe and will use another payout method instead (see What happens to affiliates Stripe can’t reach).
What currency do affiliates get paid in?
Each affiliate is paid in their own local currency. Stripe converts automatically from your Stripe account’s currency, so you can pay affiliates in multiple currencies with no manual exchange-rate work on your side, and each affiliate receives their commission in the currency they bank in.
Turning on international payouts
International payouts are off by default. You opt in from your Stripe payout settings:
- Go to AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts and make sure Stripe is connected.
- In the Stripe settings, find International Affiliate Payouts and switch on Enable international affiliate payouts.
That’s it. From now on, when an affiliate sets up payouts, they choose the country where they receive money, and they’re paid there in their local currency.
If the toggle is greyed out, your connected Stripe account isn’t based in the US or UK. Stripe supports cross-border payouts only from US- and UK-based accounts.
What it costs: Stripe’s cross-border fee
Stripe charges a cross-border fee (currently 0.25%) on each payout that goes to a different country. This is Stripe’s fee, billed to your Stripe account: it isn’t an AffiliateWP charge, and there’s no AffiliateWP markup on top of it. For the current fee and the routes where it’s waived, see Stripe’s cross-border payouts pricing.
Two cases are free:
- Payouts to an affiliate in your own country (for example, a US store paying a US affiliate) have no cross-border fee.
- Payouts within the EEA, and between the UK and the EEA, are free.
For example:
- A UK store paying an affiliate in Germany: free (UK to EEA is waived).
- A US store paying an affiliate in the UK: 0.25% of the payout, billed by Stripe.
What your affiliates see
Affiliates handle their own setup, so you don’t have to walk them through it. Here’s the flow, so you know what to expect and what to point them to if they ask:
- When an affiliate goes to set up payouts, they first answer “Which country do you receive payouts in?” This is the country of the bank account where they get paid.
- If that country is supported, a Set Up Stripe Payouts button appears. They click it, Stripe runs a short verification, and their payouts then arrive in their local currency.
- If an affiliate picked the wrong country and hasn’t finished Stripe setup, they can click Choose a different country to clear the unfinished account and start over. An affiliate who’s already verified and getting paid doesn’t need to do anything.
- If an affiliate connected but didn’t finish, they’ll see a Complete Setup button to pick up where they left off.
This same guidance appears in the affiliate’s payout settings, next to the country selector, which is where affiliates actually read it.
What happens to affiliates Stripe can’t reach
Affiliates outside the supported countries can still be paid, just not through Stripe. AffiliateWP routes them to another payout method automatically, before they ever try to connect, so no one is left stuck on a method that can’t pay them.
Enable PayPal too if you have affiliates outside the supported countries. PayPal can pay affiliates anywhere, so turning it on covers the affiliates Stripe can’t reach. Without another method enabled, you’d have to pay those affiliates manually.
What turning it off does (and doesn’t do)
Turning the International Affiliate Payouts setting off only affects affiliates who haven’t connected yet. It never strands anyone who is already getting paid.
- Affiliates who are already connected keep getting paid, no matter where they are.
- Affiliates outside your own country who haven’t connected yet can no longer connect Stripe; they’ll use another enabled payout method instead.
- Affiliates in your own country can always use Stripe, whether the setting is on or off.
In other words, the toggle gates onboarding, not payouts. Switching it off later won’t interrupt a single affiliate who’s already set up.
Tax forms for US affiliates
When you pay US affiliates through Stripe, Stripe collects the tax information it needs (such as a W-9) during the affiliate’s onboarding and can handle 1099 reporting for you. This is separate from the international payouts setting and applies whenever a US Stripe account pays US affiliates.
For the full walkthrough of how Stripe handles W-9 collection and 1099 filing, see 1099 tax forms for US affiliates.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a special Stripe account to pay affiliates internationally?
No. International payouts work with your existing Stripe account, as long as it’s based in the US or UK. There’s nothing extra to install or sign up for, and no extra monthly fee.
An affiliate’s country isn’t in the list. What do I do?
Stripe can’t pay affiliates outside the supported countries. Enable PayPal so they can set up their own payout method, or pay them with another method you’ve enabled, such as store credit or a manual payment.
The International Affiliate Payouts toggle is greyed out. Why?
Your connected Stripe account isn’t based in the US or UK. International payouts are only available from US- and UK-based Stripe accounts. This depends on your Stripe account’s country, not your store’s address.
I see the option even though my store isn’t in the US or UK. Is that right?
Yes. Availability follows your connected Stripe account’s country, not your store’s address. If your Stripe account is US- or UK-based, international payouts are available even when your store is set to another country.
Will turning this on change anything for affiliates I already pay?
No. The setting only affects new connections. Everyone already connected keeps getting paid exactly as before.
An affiliate isn’t getting paid. What should I check?
Their Stripe onboarding may be unfinished. Ask them to open their payout settings and click Complete Setup, or Choose a different country if their account was set up in the wrong country.
Next steps
- Stripe Payouts – Connect Stripe and pay affiliates by direct transfer.
- Paying your affiliates – Compare every payout method and learn how payouts work.
- PayPal Payouts – Add PayPal so affiliates anywhere can set up their own payout method.
- 1099 tax forms for US affiliates – How Stripe handles W-9 collection and 1099 reporting.
That’s it! Your affiliates around the world can now be paid in their own currency, straight from your Stripe account. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team.