This article details how payouts work, when you can expect to receive a pay-out you’ve initiated and what pay-out locks or holds you may encounter.
Note: If you are a brand new creator on Patreon, please note that there will be a 5-day hold in place from the date of adding your first pay-out method or from the date of receiving your first payment.
Setting up your payout details
Before you can withdraw your funds, you’ll need to add a pay-out method. You can do this from your Billing and pay-outs settings.
When you add or edit your payout method, a five-day pay-out hold will automatically be placed on your balance. After the five-day hold, you’ll be able to withdraw your balance normally.
Available payout options
Depending on your payout country, you can choose from one of the following options:
- Bank transfer (processed by Stripe) – available to creators based in the US
- Bank or wire transfer (processed by Payoneer) – available to creators who reside outside the US – please see full country eligibility list here
- PayPal
- Payoneer Wallet – available only to international creators
For step-by-step setup and details about each payout method, visit our Adding your payout details guide.
If you’re an international creator, check our Payouts guide for creators outside the US for more information about available payout methods, currencies and supported countries.
Pending payments
Apple requires us to use iOS in-app purchases for digital goods and new memberships to keep the Patreon app available on the Apple App Store. The iOS in-app purchase system requires a 75-day pending period, while Apple processes and confirms the funds. This timeline is managed by Apple and falls outside Patreon's control. Funds from iOS in-app purchases will appear as pending in your account until Apple has settled the transaction. Visit our How iOS in-app purchases work on Patreon page to learn more about this change.
There are two situations when you can expect funds to appear as pending on your account:
| Source | Hold Period | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Commerce (Web & Android) | Up to 7 days | Funds pending while payment is confirmed |
| Commerce (iOS in-app) | Up to 75 days | Apple's processing timeline applies |
| Ticketed Live events | Seven days after the event | iOS tickets: whichever is later (seven days post-event or 75 days from purchase) |
Here are the details for each situation:
- One-time purchases: Funds from digital products purchased through Commerce on Web and Android will appear as pending for up to 7 days before they can be withdrawn from your balance. Funds from product sales made via iOS in-app purchases will remain pending for up to 75 days before they are available for pay-out, reflecting the time Apple requires to process and confirm the funds
- Ticketed Live events: When fans purchase tickets to a Live event, those earnings are placed on hold until 7 days after the live event has completed. If a ticket was purchased through the iOS app, the standard 75-day iOS in-app purchase hold also applies, meaning iOS ticket earnings will be available at whichever date is later: 7 days after the event ends, or 75 days from the original purchase date. If an event is cancelled, ticket purchases will be automatically refunded to fans and will not be paid out to the creator.
Once funds are successfully processed, they'll appear as available to withdraw, and you can payout whenever you'd like, as long as there are no locks or holds on your payouts.
Payouts timeline
Once funds are no longer pending and appear as available to withdraw, you can pay out your balance.
Once a payout is initiated, it typically takes 1–5 days for the funds to appear in your personal account. If, for any reason, we are unable to send funds to your account successfully, funds are typically returned to your creator balance.
If you find there’s a message stating that your transfer may take up to 10 working days, that is because our team is running a few checks on your account due to the volume you’ve processed. This is part of our effort to keep creators and members safe on our platform. Once those checks are complete, you’ll receive an email to let you know that your funds are on the way.
Navigate to your Payouts dashboard to review your recent payout status. Each payout attempt will include a status. Below are the status definitions for payout attempts:
| Status | Definition |
|---|---|
| Failed | The payment provider has alerted us that there has been an error during the payout process. You can troubleshoot your payout to try to resolve these errors. |
| Successful | The payout provider has confirmed to Patreon that they received the funds. However, this does not mean that the pay-out has been transferred to the bank account linked to the provider. If your pay-out status is successful, but you've not yet received your funds, please go through the troubleshooting steps below. |
| Initiated | We are processing your withdrawal. Funds usually arrive within 3–5 working days. |
| Payout reversed | This means that Patreon reversed the payout transaction. At this point, all funds from the payout attempt should be returned to your creator balance. You can then initiate another payout process after checking that your payout information and accounts are correct. |
Automatic payouts
If you'd prefer to have one less item on your task list, you can also opt in to automatic pay-outs. When enabled, automatic pay-outs are initiated on the 5th of each month as long as you have a positive balance. You can enable or disable automatic payouts from your Pay-outs page.
Payout fees
Funds in your Patreon balance already reflect the platform fee, payment-processing fees and any currency conversion fees.
When you transfer your balance to your payout account, a payout transaction fee also applies.
Fees vary depending on your payout method, currency and country of residence.
For the full breakdown of fees, including detailed tables by currency and payout type, please visit: Creator fees overview
Pay-out holds
A 5-day pay-out hold will be placed on your account in the following situations:
- You add your pay-out method for the first time or update your payout information
- You are a creator who is subject to receive a 1099-K without having filed out your W-9 form
- Creators who are subject to receive a 1099-K will be required to submit a Form W-9. Once required, all payouts will be locked until Form W-9 is successfully submitted. To learn more, visit our guide on Will I receive a 1099-K form?
If you are under the 5-day payout hold, you'll receive an email with more details, including the specific time that the payout lock will be released in Pacific Time (PT)
I need help with a payout
If you need any assistance with locating a payout or fixing an issue with a payout, please submit a request for one-on-one assistance. Be sure to select 'Payouts and earnings' from the dropdown so we can help you as quickly as possible.