Stripe Payouts

Looking for a fast, secure, and seamless way to payout your affiliates directly to their bank accounts? Stripe Payouts in AffiliateWP makes that possible. With a one-time setup, you can send affiliate earnings directly through Stripe, without ever needing spreadsheets or manual processing.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how Stripe Payouts works, how to set it up, and how to send payouts.

Overview of Stripe Payouts

Stripe Payouts is a built-in integration in AffiliateWP that allows you to pay your affiliates using Stripe.

You’ll connect your Stripe account in AffiliateWP, which is installed on your site, and your affiliates will connect via your Stripe account from their Affiliate Area. Once both are connected, you can initiate payouts with a single click.

When you send a payout, funds move from your Stripe account to your affiliate’s connected Stripe account, and Stripe then deposits those funds into the affiliate’s bank account.

Setting Up Stripe Payouts

To get started, navigate to AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts, then click on Stripe Payouts from the list of available payout methods. You can either click the Configure button or click anywhere on the Stripe Payouts row to expand the settings panel.

When opened, the Stripe Payouts panel displays three main sections: Live Credentials, Sandbox Mode, and Webhook Configuration.

• Live Credentials is where you connect your live Stripe account to send real payouts.
• Sandbox Mode A test environment where you can simulate payouts without real transactions.
• Webhook Configuration — Optional settings to allow AffiliateWP to receive real-time updates from Stripe about account status and transfers.

Let’s walk through each section.

Live Credentials

To process real payouts, you’ll need to connect your live Stripe account by entering your Live Secret Key. If the connection is successful, a green checkmark will appear. If the connection is successful, a green checkmark will appear next to your credentials.

After entering your key, toggle to on and click Save Changes. Once enabled, Stripe will be available as a payout method.

Sandbox Mode (Test Environment)

Sandbox Mode lets you simulate payouts without processing real transactions. This is especially helpful for testing your Stripe Payouts configuration and ensuring that everything works as expected before going live.

To enable Sandbox Mode:

1. Enable Sandbox Mode by toggling it on.
2. Enter your Test Secret Key found in your Stripe Test Dashboard under Developers » API Keys.

The panel also shows:

1. Available Test Balance: Displays the current sandbox funds available in your Stripe test account.
2. Add Test Funds: Enter an amount (e.g., $500) and click Add Funds to simulate having a balance. These test funds allow you to initiate payout actions without real money.

Webhook Configuration (Optional)

Webhooks keep AffiliateWP in sync with Stripe by providing real-time updates when an affiliate’s account changes status or when a payout is sent.

This section includes:

• A Webhook Endpoint URL that you can copy into Stripe
• A field to paste the Webhook Signing Secret from Stripe

These steps are optional but highly recommended for better reliability and debugging.

Email Notifications

AffiliateWP’s Stripe Payouts integration includes built-in email notifications that keep both site admins and affiliates informed of key payout events.

To configure these notifications, navigate to AffiliateWP » Settings » Emails, and then open the Stripe Payout Emails tab.

The interface is divided into two sections: Affiliate Manager Emails and Affiliate Emails.

Affiliate Manager Emails

These notifications are sent to the site admin (or whoever manages affiliate payouts) when Stripe reports a change in payout or account status.

Each notification has a Configure button that lets you customize the subject line, body content, and add dynamic tags. You can also preview or send a test email from this screen.

Here are the available notifications:

• Transfer Created Notifies admins when a transfer is successfully initiated to an affiliate’s Stripe account.
• Transfer Failed Alerts admins when a transfer attempt to Stripe fails.
• Transfer Reversed Critical notification when Stripe reverses a previously successful transfer.
• Payout Completed Sent when Stripe confirms that funds have successfully reached the affiliate’s bank account.
• Payout Failed Sent when a payout fails to reach the affiliate’s bank due to an issue (e.g., invalid bank account).
• Account Verification Required Alerts you when an affiliate needs to complete additional verification steps to be eligible for payouts.
• Account Connected Notifies you when an affiliate successfully connects their Stripe account.

Affiliate Emails

These are sent directly to affiliates, helping them stay updated on their account and payout statuses.

Available notifications include:

• Transfer Created Informs affiliates that a transfer has been initiated to their Stripe account.
• Transfer Failed Notifies them if the transfer failed.
• Payout Completed Lets affiliates know the funds have reached their bank account.
• Payout Failed Alerts the affiliate that the payout could not be completed by their bank.
• Account Verification Required Notifies the affiliate if Stripe requires additional identity or bank information to enable payouts.
• Account Connected A welcome message confirming their Stripe account was successfully connected.

Each email can be customized with its own subject, message, and template tags. These are accessed by clicking the Configure button next to each notification

Connecting as an Affiliate

Affiliates must connect their own Stripe accounts through the Affiliate Area. This is a self-service process and cannot be completed by the site admin on their behalf.

Here’s how the process works:

1. The affiliate will need to log in to their Affiliate Area.
2. Go to Settings » Stripe Payouts, and click Set Up Stripe Payouts button.
3. This will take them to Stripe’s secure onboarding flow where they’ll be prompted to provide identity verification, banking information, and accept Stripe’s terms.

Once completed, the affiliate’s Stripe account is linked to your site.

In the Affiliate Area, the affiliate will then see their connected Account ID, along with options to access their Stripe dashboard.

Managing Affiliate Connections

As the site admin, you can view and manage each affiliate’s connection status from the AffiliateWP » Affiliates screen. Here you’ll see a Stripe Status column, which lets you quickly check the connection status of each affiliate at a glance, without needing to open their individual profile.

Hovering over any status badge will display a tooltip with more details about the connection.

• If the affiliate hasn’t connected their account, you’ll see an em dash (—). Hovering over it will reveal a tooltip that says, “Affiliate has not connected their Stripe account.”
• If the connection is successful, you’ll see Enabled, along with the affiliate’s account ID, connection status (e.g., “Payouts: active, Payments: active”), and a View Details link.
• If something’s wrong with the connection (e.g., incorrect keys or revoked access), you’ll see Error, along with the specific error message.
• A Restricted status means the affiliate’s account is connected, but something is preventing payouts — often due to missing verification or country restrictions.

You can click the View Details link (only available when the status is “Enabled”) to open the full Stripe Connection panel within the affiliate’s profile.

Clicking on any affiliate’s name will take you to their profile. Here, you’ll find a Stripe Payouts section that shows more detailed information based on their connection status.

What you see here depends on the affiliate’s connection:

If the affiliate is not connected:

• A notice will explain that this is a self-service setup and must be completed by the affiliate.
• You’ll also see:
  • Step-by-step instructions to share with the affiliate.
  • A shareable link that takes them directly to the Affiliate Area » Settings » Stripe Payouts tab.

If the affiliate is connected:

Their connection details will display, including:

• Name and Stripe Account ID
• Connection status (Enabled)
• Account details (always “Express”), country, and connection date
• Payouts and Payments status
• A View in Stripe button to open their profile in your Stripe dashboard
• A Disconnect button to reset their connection

This view is helpful for troubleshooting, managing affiliate connections, and ensuring everyone is properly set up to receive payouts.

Sending Payouts

Once your Stripe account is connected and affiliates have linked their accounts, payouts can be sent directly from your WordPress admin.

Option 1: Pay from the Referrals screen

Go to AffiliateWP » Referrals. Next to each unpaid referral, you’ll see a Pay via Stripe link.

Clicking the Pay via Stripe link will display a confirmation lightbox, allowing you to review the payout details before sending. This lightbox shows the affiliate’s name, the payout amount, and confirms the payment will be sent to the affiliate’s connected Stripe account.

To complete the payout, click Pay Now. To cancel, simply close the popup or click Cancel.

To pay multiple referrals at once:

1. Select the referrals using the checkboxes.
2. Open the Bulk Actions dropdown.
3. Choose Pay Now via Stripe, then click Apply.

Option 2: Use the Payouts Screen

Navigate to AffiliateWP » Payouts » Pay Affiliates. Here you can filter payouts by affiliate, date range, or minimum earnings. Choose Stripe as the Payout Method, then click to process the batch payout.

Branding & Customization

You can customize the onboarding experience your affiliates see on Stripe’s hosted pages. To set your brand color for the Stripe onboarding page:

1. Log in to your Stripe Dashboard
2. Go to Settings » Connect » Onboarding interface, and click Customize
3. Set your logo, brand color, and accent options
4. Save changes — they’ll reflect on the hosted onboarding pages

Supported Countries

Stripe Payouts in AffiliateWP supports any country where Stripe Express is available. 
To view the full list of supported countries and their payout requirements, visit Stripe’s supported countries page.

Keep in mind:

• Affiliates must be located in a supported country to connect their Stripe account.
• Some countries may require additional verification steps (e.g., government-issued ID, proof of address).

Frequently Asked Questions