Understanding Your Earnings
Watch Video Tutorial: [VIDEO_PLACEHOLDER]
Want to know exactly how much you're earning and where your money comes from? This guide breaks down everything about your seller earnings in simple terms.
Navigation: Accessing Your Financial Dashboard
- Go to your Seller Panel (click your profile icon, then "Seller Panel")
- In the left sidebar, click on Financial
- You'll see your Financial Dashboard with all your earnings information
Your Financial Dashboard Overview
When you open your Financial Dashboard, you'll see several key sections:
1. Total Earnings (Top Banner)
This is the big number at the top - your total earnings to date.
What it includes:
- All completed sales (after buyer receives product)
- Minus platform fees
- Minus payment processing fees
- Minus any refunds issued
What it doesn't include:
- Pending orders (not yet completed)
- Orders in transit
- Disputed orders
2. Available Balance
This is money you've earned that's ready to be paid out to you.
How it works:
- Orders complete → Money moves to Available Balance
- You request payout → Money moves from Available to your bank
- Minimum payout: $25 (you need at least $25 to request payout)
3. Pending Balance
This is money from orders that haven't completed yet.
Why orders are pending:
- Order is being shipped (in transit)
- Buyer hasn't confirmed receipt
- Waiting period for buyer protection (typically 7-14 days after delivery)
When it becomes available:
- Automatically after delivery confirmation + waiting period
- Usually 7-14 days after buyer receives the product
4. Lifetime Earnings
Your total earnings since you started selling, including:
- All payouts you've received
- Current available balance
- Current pending balance
This number only goes up (unless you issue refunds)!
How Your Earnings Are Calculated
Let's break down exactly how we calculate what you earn from each sale.
The Basic Formula
Your Earnings = Sale Price - Platform Fee - Payment Processing Fee
Example Calculation
Let's say you sell a T-Shirt for $25.00:
- Sale Price: $25.00
- Platform Fee (10%): -$2.50
- Payment Processing Fee (2.9% + $0.30): -$1.03
- Your Earnings: $21.47
Platform Fee Breakdown
The platform charges a percentage of each sale to cover:
- Hosting and infrastructure
- Payment processing
- Customer support
- Marketing and promotion
- Platform development
Standard Rate: 10% of sale price
Example:
- $20 product → $2.00 platform fee
- $50 product → $5.00 platform fee
- $100 product → $10.00 platform fee
Payment Processing Fee
This covers the cost of processing credit cards, PayPal, and other payment methods.
Standard Rate: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Example:
- $20 product → $0.88 processing fee
- $50 product → $1.75 processing fee
- $100 product → $3.20 processing fee
Shipping Fees
Important: Shipping fees are passed through to you - we don't take a cut!
How it works:
- Buyer pays $5 shipping
- You receive the full $5 (no platform fee on shipping)
- You use that $5 to ship the product
Pro Tip 💡: Set your shipping rates to cover your actual costs. The shipping fee goes directly to you!
Understanding Your Earnings Timeline
When Do I Get Paid for a Sale?
Here's the complete timeline from sale to payout:
Step 1: Order Placed (Day 0)
- Buyer completes purchase
- Money is held by the platform
- Status: Pending
Step 2: Order Shipped (Day 1-3)
- You mark order as shipped
- Money still held by platform
- Status: Pending - In Transit
Step 3: Order Delivered (Day 4-10)
- Buyer receives product
- Delivery confirmed by carrier
- Status: Pending - Delivered
Step 4: Waiting Period (Day 11-17)
- 7-day buyer protection period
- Buyer can report issues
- Status: Pending - Waiting Period
Step 5: Funds Released (Day 18)
- Waiting period complete
- Money moves to Available Balance
- Status: Available for Payout
Step 6: Payout Requested (Your Choice)
- You request payout (minimum $25)
- Money sent to your bank account
- Status: Paid Out
Why the Waiting Period?
The 7-14 day waiting period protects both you and buyers:
For Buyers:
- Time to report issues with the product
- Time to request returns if needed
- Protection against fraud
For You:
- Reduces chargebacks
- Fewer disputes after payout
- More stable earnings
Pro Tip 💡: Plan your cash flow around this timeline. Money from today's sale won't be available for 2-3 weeks!
Maximizing Your Earnings
Strategy 1: Optimize Your Pricing
Calculate your true profit:
Profit = Sale Price - Product Cost - Shipping Cost - Platform Fee - Processing Fee
Example:
- Sale Price: $25.00
- Product Cost: $8.00 (what you pay supplier)
- Shipping Cost: $3.00
- Platform Fee: $2.50
- Processing Fee: $1.03
- Your Profit: $10.47
Pro Tip 💡: Aim for at least 40% profit margin. If your profit is less than $10 on a $25 product, consider raising your price!
Strategy 2: Increase Average Order Value
Bundle products:
- Offer "Buy 2, Get 10% Off"
- Create product sets
- Suggest related products
Example:
- Single T-Shirt: $25 (you earn $21.47)
- Two T-Shirts: $45 (you earn $38.97)
- Benefit: Processing fee is only charged once!
Strategy 3: Reduce Refunds
How to minimize refunds:
- Use accurate product descriptions
- Show clear, high-quality images
- Set correct size expectations
- Respond quickly to customer questions
- Ship products carefully
Why it matters:
- Each refund costs you the processing fee
- Refunds hurt your seller rating
- Lower refund rate = higher earnings
Related Guides
Check out these related guides:
- Payout Schedule and Methods - Set up payouts and understand the schedule
- Transaction History - View all your transactions
- Reading Your Analytics Reports - Understand your sales data
- Pricing Strategy Guide - Optimize your pricing
Still have questions? Contact our support team or visit the Help Center!
Watch Video Tutorial: [VIDEO_PLACEHOLDER]
Understanding your earnings = better business decisions! 💰 Check your Financial Dashboard regularly and use the data to grow your shop!