Stripe payouts

Ark pays creators via Stripe Connect. Payouts are automatic, on a 7-day rolling schedule. You keep 80-85% depending on your tier.

Setup

You need a Stripe Connect account before you can receive payouts. This is separate from a regular Stripe account — it's the platform that lets Ark route money to you.

Terminal

$ ark account connect-stripe

  Opening Stripe Connect onboarding...
  You'll need: government ID, bank account, and tax info.
  Takes about 5 minutes. Stripe saves your progress.

  ✓ Stripe linked
  ✓ Payouts enabled

Payout schedule

Tier	Default	Option
Starter	7-day rolling	—
Creator	7-day rolling	Monthly (opt-in)
Partner	7-day rolling	Monthly or Annual

7-day rolling: revenue from a sale is held for 7 days, then transferred to your bank account. This covers Ark's refund window (buyers can request a refund within 7 days).

Payout timeline example

May 7  — Sale of agent-comptable ($49)
May 14 — 7-day hold expires, payout initiated
May 15 — Funds arrive in your bank account
           (1-3 business days for bank transfer)

Viewing your balance

Terminal

$ ark account balance

  Pending (in 7-day hold):  $87.32
  Available for payout:     $39.20
  Lifetime earned:          $412.60
  Lifetime paid out:        $373.40

  Next payout:  2026-05-14 (~$39.20)

Supported countries

Stripe Connect supports creators in 40+ countries. Check the full list at stripe.com/global. If your country isn't listed, you can still publish free packages — payouts will be available when Stripe expands to your region.

Supported regions include: United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and others.

Tax and compliance

Stripe handles tax form generation (1099-K for US creators, equivalent forms for other regions) based on your Stripe Connect profile. Ark does not generate tax documents directly.

US creators: 1099-K issued by Stripe if revenue exceeds $600/year
EU creators: VAT handled at checkout (buyers in VAT regions pay applicable tax)
Other regions: follow Stripe's guidance for your country

Ark doesn't withhold taxes. You're responsible for reporting income from Ark sales in your jurisdiction. Consult a tax professional if you're unsure about your obligations.

Refunds and chargebacks

If a buyer requests a refund within 7 days, Ark processes it. The refunded amount is deducted from your pending balance. If a chargeback occurs (buyer disputes with their bank), Stripe handles it and may deduct a chargeback fee from your balance.

Disconnect Stripe

Terminal

$ ark account disconnect-stripe

  Warning: Disconnecting Stripe will pause payouts.
  Your packages will remain published (free packages only).
  Paid packages will be unlisted until Stripe is reconnected.

  Disconnect? (y/n): y
  ✓ Stripe disconnected

→ Pricing tiers — commission rates per tier
→ Creator accounts — account setup and tiers