A payout at Digistore24 has two parts: the payout documents and the money transfer. Once you can tell the two apart, you can trace every payout and post your records correctly.
Note: In this article, “payout” is the umbrella term. It covers two things:
- Payout documents: The records for a payout (credit note and invoice). They are grouped under a Payout report ID.
- Money transfer: The actual transfer of the money. It is assigned a Payout number. Digistore24 also creates a payment overview for it.
How do payouts work in Digistore24?
If you earn money through Digistore24 (e.g., by selling or promoting products), Digistore24 pays these earnings out to you. This is usually just called a “payout”.
Technically, though, two different things happen:
- Digistore24 creates payout documents. They are grouped under a Payout report ID.
- Digistore24 triggers the money transfer if the requirements are met. The money transfer is assigned a Payout number.
This is how a payout works:
- When you set up your payout account, you activate one or more payout dates.
- Your earnings accumulate until the next activated date.
- On the payout date, Digistore24 creates payout documents for this period (credit note and invoice). It groups the earnings under a Payout report ID.
- Digistore24 then checks the requirements for payout:
- Is your Digistore24 account fully set up?
- Has the payout threshold been reached?
- If the requirements are met, Digistore24 triggers the money transfer. It assigns a Payout number and creates a payment overview.
- If the requirements are not met, there is no money transfer and no payment overview. Your earnings stay on hold. Digistore24 checks them again on the next activated date. New earnings go under a new Payout report ID from the next period onward.
- After the money transfer, it may take up to 10 business days for the money to arrive (depending on payout method, bank, and country).
What is the difference between the Payout report ID and the Payout number?
In your Digistore24 account reports (e.g., Reports → Commissions), you see the columns Payout report ID and Payout number.
Payout report ID (for payout documents)
When you set up your payout account, you activate one or more payout dates. Your earnings accumulate between these dates.
Digistore24 creates payout documents for these earnings (credit note and invoice). This documents which earnings belong to which period – for you, your accounting or tax advisor, and Digistore24. To do this, Digistore24 assigns a Payout report ID to the earnings.
Example: You have activated two payout dates per month. Digistore24 groups all earnings between those two dates under one Payout report ID. The next period gets a new Payout report ID.
Payout number (for the money transfer)
On your activated payout dates, Digistore24 checks whether the requirements for payout are met:
- You have fully set up your Digistore24 account.
- Your earnings reach the payout threshold on the payout date.
Only then can Digistore24 pay out your earnings. If both are met, Digistore24 assigns a Payout number and groups the earnings from one or more Payout report IDs into one money transfer. Digistore24 also creates a payment overview. It summarizes all credit notes and invoices included in the money transfer.
Rule of thumb: Payout report ID = payout documents; Payout number = money transfer.
Which payout documents exist?
For each payout, Digistore24 creates a credit note with your earnings. Depending on the payout, you also get an invoice (fees), a claims document (joint ventures), and the payment overview for the money transfer.
What each document contains and how to read it is explained in Reading your payout documents.
Why do I receive multiple credit notes on one payout date?
Sometimes Digistore24 creates several credit notes for one payout date. This can happen in these cases, for example:
- Multiple calendar years: Earnings from different calendar years (e.g., because the service dates fall in different years) appear on separate credit notes.
- Multiple VAT recipients (countries): Earnings from several countries may appear on separate credit notes. For tax reasons, each credit note can only show one VAT recipient (country).
Do I receive multiple money transfers if I have multiple credit notes on one payout date?
No. Even with several credit notes for one payout date, Digistore24 bundles the earnings into a single money transfer.
Why is my payout lower than the credit note?
This is because of the security deposit (a part of your earnings that Digistore24 holds back for a while and pays out on a later date).
The credit note still shows your total earnings. This lets you file your advance VAT return directly with the amounts on the credit note. Page 2 of the credit note shows how much of it is paid out on this date.
To learn how to read this breakdown, see Reading your payout documents.