Ready to take the next step and turn on paid posts on your publication? This guide covers exactly the steps you need to take with Stripe– from linking your receiving bank account to managing payouts.
In this guide
Connecting to Stripe
It takes just minutes to set up your Stripe account. Before you get started, Stripe will ask for information about your business and customer support details.
Customer support details such as a phone number and address may appear on subscriber invoices and their card statements.
Tip: You can hide the public support phone number on Stripe but for extra privacy, you can set up a Google Voice number and/or a virtual mailbox.
1. Sign into your Substack account and navigate to your publication's Settings page.
2. Select Payments in the left navigation bar and once in your Payments section, click on the button that says "Connect with Stripe".
3. Enter the requested information such as a registered business address and personal details.
Note: If you don't have a business address, you can use a home address.
Depending on the country you reside in, Stripe will tailor what required details they need in order to verify your identity and meet requirements from regulators.
4. Link your bank account using your online banking credentials or manually add your routing and account number for payments (Stripe refers to these as payouts).
5. Provide customer support details that help subscribers recognize the charges on their credit card statement.
Tip: A statement descriptor explain charges or payments on bank statements. Make it easy for a subscriber to recognize!
6. Once you submit your information, you'll be directed back to your Settings page on Substack where you can set up your subscription plans.
Managing your Stripe Account
All payouts for paid subscriptions can be viewed on your Stripe account.
How to access Stripe
You can access your Stripe account anytime by selecting the Connected account link under
"Subscription plans" on your Settings page.
How to view payouts
Once you're on Stripe, navigate to the left dashboard and select Payouts.
Here, you'll be able to see all the payments sent from Stripe to your bank account.
Tip: To view a detailed ledger of payment details such as fees as well as the ETA for the payout, click on the individual payout.
Frequently asked questions
Are there any fees?
If you add paid subscriptions, we charge 10% and there is a credit card fee charged by Stripe.
How long do payouts take?
Payments usually arrive in your bank account within 48 hours of each transaction; you can read more information from our payment processor here.
The first payout for every new Stripe account takes 7-14 days to deposit in your bank account.
Will I be notified once a payout is on its way?
Yes! You can set your payouts to be sent on a daily or weekly basis. Once a payout is on its way, Stripe will notify you via email of the amount and the estimated deposit date to your bank account.
What can I do if Stripe isn't supported in the country I reside in?
Stripe is our sole payments provider and we rely on many of their features to make Substack work and their entire feature-set may not be available in every country.
As a workaround you may consider using Stripe Atlas which helps you set up a company and bank account in the US and is designed to work with Stripe.
Can I hide my support phone number?
If you'd like to keep your support phone number private, navigate to Public details in your Stripe Settings.
Click on the toggle next to "Support phone number". If you see a purple toggle, this indicates that the phone number in this section will be visible on receipts and invoices. A gray toggle indicates that the phone number will be hidden.
Who do I contact if I need help with payouts?
Have a question about your Stripe account? Click on "Contact Support" here where you'll be able to chat, call, or email Stripe Support.
