Paying Affiliates with Stripe

Looking for a fast, secure, and seamless way to payout your affiliates directly to their bank accounts? Paying affiliates with Stripe 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 work, how to set them up, and how to send them.

Overview of Stripe

AffiliateWP includes a built-in Stripe integration that lets you 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 four main sections: International Affiliate Payouts, Live Mode, Sandbox Mode, and Webhook Configuration.

International Affiliate Payouts: Enables paying affiliates in other countries in their local currency. Requires a US- or UK-based Stripe account.

Live Mode: 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: Settings to allow AffiliateWP to receive real-time updates from Stripe about account status and transfers.

Let’s walk through each section.

International Affiliate Payouts

This section lets you pay affiliates in other countries in their local currency, straight from your Stripe account. It requires your Stripe platform account to be based in the US or UK.

Enable the Enable international affiliate payouts toggle to turn this on. For the full guide, see Paying Affiliates Internationally below.

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 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 (recommended)

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.

Setting Up Webhook Events

To make sure Stripe can send real-time updates back to AffiliateWP, we recommend configuring the following events when setting up your webhook:

Start by logging in to your Stripe Dashboard. In the bottom-left corner of the dashboard, click on Developers. Then, from the side menu, select Webhooks.

On the Webhooks page, click the Add Destination button to begin setting up a new webhook.

On the Select events page, Stripe will ask you to choose which account should trigger events. Under the Events from section, ensure that Your account is selected. This is pre-selected by default and ensures that events triggered from your Stripe account are sent to AffiliateWP.

Just below that, you’ll see the API version field. From the dropdown, select the latest available version to ensure compatibility with the most recent Stripe features and improvements.

Next, under the All events tab, use the Find event by name or description field to search for specific event names.

Then, select the following events to ensure AffiliateWP receives the necessary updates from Stripe:

• payout.paid – Notifies when a payout is successfully deposited into the affiliate’s bank account
• payout.failed – Notifies when a payout fails to reach the affiliate’s bank
• transfer.created – Notifies when a transfer is initiated to the affiliate’s Stripe account
• transfer.reversed – Notifies when a previously sent transfer is reversed
• transfer.updated – Notifies when the transfer status or metadata is updated
• account.updated – Tracks changes in the affiliate’s account (e.g., status or verification info)
• account.application.authorized – Confirms when an affiliate connects their Stripe account
• account.application.deauthorized – Triggers if the affiliate disconnects from your Stripe account

Once all events are selected, proceed by clicking the Selected events tab to review your selections.

Once all events are selected, click Continue to proceed to the next step.

On the Choose destination type screen, ensure that Webhook endpoint is selected. This option is pre-selected by default and allows Stripe to send event notifications to your specified webhook URL.

On the Configure destination screen, Stripe will ask where to send the selected events. In the Destination name field, enter a recognizable name to help you identify this webhook later. In the Endpoint URL field, paste the webhook URL provided in your WordPress admin under: AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts » Stripe Payouts. Optionally, you can add a Description to provide more context about this webhook’s purpose. Once everything is filled in, click Create destination to complete the setup.

After clicking the Create Destination button, Stripe will automatically redirect you to the newly created webhook’s details page. In the Signing secret section, click the eye icon to reveal the secret key.

Then click the copy to clipboard icon to copy it.

Next, return to your WordPress admin and paste the copied key into the Webhook Signing Secret field under AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts » Stripe Payouts.

Email Notifications

AffiliateWP’s Stripe payouts include 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

To receive payouts via Stripe, affiliates must connect their own Stripe account. This is a self-service process and can be completed either from the Affiliate Area or from the Affiliate Portal, depending on which interface your site uses. Once connected, payouts can be sent automatically to the affiliate’s bank account through Stripe.

Affiliate Area

If your site uses the Affiliate Area, affiliates can connect to Stripe by following these steps:

1. Log in to the Affiliate Area on your site
2. Go to Settings » Payout Method dropdown, and select Paid via Stripe.
3. Select the country they receive payouts in from the dropdown.
4. Click Set Up Stripe.

Affiliate Portal

If your site uses the Affiliate Portal, once an affiliate is logged in, they can click the profile icon in the top-right corner and click Settings.

In the Settings screen, locate the Payout method dropdown and select Stripe. Select the payout country, then click Set Up Stripe.

Stripe onboarding process

After clicking Set Up Stripe Payouts, affiliates will be redirected to Stripe’s secure onboarding flow. This is 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.

Customizing the Affiliate Onboarding Page

As the site admin, you can customize the Stripe-hosted onboarding experience that affiliates see when connecting their account. 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

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:

If the affiliate is not connected to Stripe, their profile will display their name, a status badge labeled Not Connected, and a message stating: “Stripe account not connected. This affiliate will receive payouts via your default method.”

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 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. On the Configure step, set your date range, optional minimum earnings threshold, and any affiliate filters. Under payout routing, you can pay each affiliate via their configured method — which will route Stripe-connected affiliates through Stripe automatically — or choose to pay everyone in this batch via Stripe specifically. Click Preview payout to review the grouped summary, then confirm to process.

When a payout is initiated, Stripe performs two actions:

1. The funds are transferred from your Stripe account to the affiliate’s connected Stripe account.
2. From there, Stripe deposits the funds directly into the affiliate’s linked bank account.

Supported Countries

Stripe payouts in AffiliateWP work in 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).

Paying Affiliates Internationally

From a US- or UK-based Stripe account, you can pay affiliates across the US, UK, Canada, Switzerland, and most of Europe in their local currency, straight from your own Stripe account, with nothing extra to install. Stripe charges a 0.25% cross-border fee (waived within the EEA and between the UK and the EEA); AffiliateWP adds nothing on top. International payouts are off by default; you opt in from AffiliateWP » Settings » Payouts.

For setup, the full country list, costs, and what affiliates see, see Paying affiliates internationally with Stripe.

If you pay US affiliates, Stripe also collects their W-9 at onboarding and can prepare their 1099 for you to file. See 1099 tax forms for US affiliates.

Frequently Asked Questions