How earnings work
Every sale moves through a short lifecycle before it becomes cash in your bank. Understanding the stages tells you why your “available” balance is smaller than your “lifetime gross”.
The earnings lifecycle
| Stage | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Accrued | A sale credited to you, still inside the maturation hold. |
| Transferable | Matured and available to be paid out (once the payout gate is met). |
| Paid out | Transferred to your connected Stripe account. |
Your dashboard surfaces these as “Pending (in hold)”, “Available”, and “Lifetime gross”.
The maturation hold
New earnings sit in a maturation hold before they become transferable. The hold gives buyers a window to request a refund and protects the platform from paying out on sales that later reverse. Once the hold elapses, matured earnings move to your available balance.
Recoupment first
If a buyer is refunded, the refunded amount is recouped from your balance under the clawback consent you accepted. Recoupment comes out of your earnings before any payout — available balance first, and if that is not enough, it can push your balance negative.
Negative balances
A negative balance (“Owed back” on your dashboard) is recovered from future sales before you accrue new withdrawable earnings. It does not create a separate bill; it simply nets against what you earn next.
Key Takeaways
- Earnings flow accrued → transferable → paid out.
- A maturation hold delays withdrawal so refunds can settle first.
- Refunds are recouped from your balance and can go negative.