# Payment states and outcomes

Money flows through Sponsor Driven in several stages. This guide explains every payment state you'll encounter, what causes each state, what you should do, and how long each stage takes.

## Quick Reference: Payment State Flowchart

```
Sponsor pays → Contribution created (Processing/Active)
                        ↓
             Balance updated (Available for payout)
                        ↓
          Payout requested (Pending with Stripe)
                        ↓
        Funds arrive in your bank (Paid/Completed)

Alternate paths:
- Refund requested → Refunded (reversed back to sponsor)
- Payment fails → Error/Failed (manually retry)
- Balance goes negative → Negative balance (owes platform)
```

## Contribution States

A contribution is a payment to your profile. It moves through several states:

### Processing

**What it means:** Payment just arrived from a sponsor or member. Sponsor Driven is verifying it with Stripe.

| Detail                  | Info                                                                   |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**            | 0–5 seconds                                                            |
| **User action**         | Wait — it should move to Active automatically                          |
| **What to do if stuck** | Refresh the page; if stuck >5 min, contact support with transaction ID |
| **Balance impact**      | Not yet added to your balance                                          |

### Active

**What it means:** Payment verified and confirmed. Money is now in your Sponsor Driven account, ready to payout.

| Detail             | Info                                                  |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**       | Lasts until you request a payout or it's refunded     |
| **User action**    | Optional — leave it, or request a payout              |
| **What to do**     | Go to **Payouts** and request a withdrawal when ready |
| **Balance impact** | ✅ Added to your "Available balance"                   |

### Paid

**What it means:** You requested a payout; money left Sponsor Driven and went to your bank.

| Detail                                 | Info                                                                                  |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**                           | 1–3 business days (typically arrives by next morning)                                 |
| **User action**                        | Check your bank account                                                               |
| **What to do if money doesn't arrive** | Check Stripe payout status in your **Transactions** page; if delayed, contact support |
| **Balance impact**                     | ✅ Deducted from your balance; shows in **Payout** section                             |

### Refunded

**What it means:** Sponsor cancelled their subscription or requested a refund. The money returns to them; your balance is reduced.

| Detail             | Info                                                                                |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**       | Immediate (refund processed same day)                                               |
| **User action**    | Check your **Transactions** for the refund entry                                    |
| **What to do**     | If the refund was unexpected, check with the sponsor; contact support if it's wrong |
| **Balance impact** | ❌ Deducted from your available balance; can make balance negative                   |

### Error / Processing Error

**What it means:** Payment failed to process (e.g., sponsor's card declined, Stripe API error, or system issue).

| Detail             | Info                                                          |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**       | Happens within seconds of payment attempt                     |
| **User action**    | Ask sponsor to try again with a different card/payment method |
| **What to do**     | Check the error message in **Transactions** for details       |
| **Balance impact** | ❌ No balance added; money never reached your account          |

### Disputed / In Review

**What it means:** Sponsor raised a chargeback or dispute (claimed fraud, didn't recognise charge, etc.). Sponsor Driven is investigating.

| Detail             | Info                                                                    |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**       | 7–30 days (depends on payment processor)                                |
| **User action**    | Contact support with evidence (sponsorship agreement, proof of service) |
| **What to do**     | Provide documentation to support the payment legitimacy                 |
| **Balance impact** | ⚠️ Money is held; won't be available until dispute resolved             |

### Cancelled

**What it means:** Recurring subscription ended (e.g., annual membership expired or auto-renewal was disabled).

| Detail             | Info                                                  |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**       | No new payments; past payments remain in your balance |
| **User action**    | Check if you want to reach out to the member/sponsor  |
| **What to do**     | Go to **Sponsorship deals** to see contract end date  |
| **Balance impact** | 0 (no impact; only affects future payments)           |

### Rejected

**What it means:** Sponsor Driven or Stripe automatically rejected the payment (e.g., fraud detected, account restricted, location blocked).

| Detail             | Info                                                                   |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**       | Within seconds                                                         |
| **User action**    | Contact support to check the rejection reason                          |
| **What to do**     | Check your **Payout** page — your Stripe account may need reactivation |
| **Balance impact** | ❌ No balance added                                                     |

## Your Balance: Available vs. Pending

Sponsor Driven tracks two balances:

### Available Balance

**What it means:** Money you can request a payout on right now.

| Detail              | Info                                                                |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Includes**        | Active contributions, completed sponsorships, membership revenue    |
| **Excludes**        | Pending contributions, disputed payments, payouts already requested |
| **Where to see it** | **Payouts** page under "Available balance"                          |
| **Minimum payout**  | £20 for first payout, £10 for subsequent                            |
| **How to claim it** | Click "Request payout" on **Payouts** page                          |

### Pending Balance

**What it means:** Money that's on its way to your bank or is stuck in processing.

| Detail                    | Info                                                                                                   |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Includes**              | Payouts requested but not yet arrived at your bank                                                     |
| **Where to see it**       | **Payouts** page under "Pending balance"                                                               |
| **Timeline**              | Usually clears within 1–3 business days                                                                |
| **What to do if delayed** | Check your bank first (may be processing on bank's side); then check Stripe status in **Transactions** |

***

## Payout States

A payout is your request to move money from your Sponsor Driven balance to your bank account.

### Pending (Payout Initiated)

**What it means:** You clicked "Request payout"; Sponsor Driven has sent the request to Stripe but it hasn't reached your bank yet.

| Detail              | Info                                                          |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**        | 1–3 business days                                             |
| **Status in app**   | Shows as "Pending" on **Payouts** page                        |
| **What to do**      | Wait — Stripe will send the money automatically               |
| **Can you cancel?** | No — it's already been initiated                              |
| **Bank preview**    | Some banks show it as "pending" before money officially lands |

### Paid / Completed

**What it means:** Payout successfully arrived in your bank account.

| Detail            | Info                                                                   |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**      | Usually appears in bank 1–3 business days                              |
| **Status in app** | Shows as "Paid" on **Payouts** page with arrival date                  |
| **What to do**    | Check your bank — money should be there                                |
| **Fees applied**  | Stripe processing fee (\~1.5%) already deducted from what you received |

### Failed

**What it means:** Payout tried to reach your bank but was rejected (wrong account details, account closed, daily limit, etc.).

| Detail             | Info                                                                                   |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Timeline**       | Detected within 24–48 hours                                                            |
| **Status in app**  | Shows as "Failed" with error reason                                                    |
| **What to do**     | Check your **Payouts** page for the failure reason; correct bank details and try again |
| **Money location** | Returned to your Sponsor Driven balance (can request new payout)                       |
| **Common causes**  | Wrong sort code, closed bank account, account holder name mismatch                     |

### Reversed

**What it means:** Payout was completed but then reversed (e.g., you asked us to cancel, account issue, chargeback).

| Detail             | Info                                                                     |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Timeline**       | 3–10 business days                                                       |
| **Status in app**  | Shows as "Reversed"                                                      |
| **What to do**     | Check why (usually shown in transactions); money returns to your balance |
| **Balance impact** | Money re-added to your available balance                                 |

***

## Negative Balance: What It Means

A negative balance means you owe Sponsor Driven money.

### How It Happens

| Scenario                    | Details                                                              |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Refund after payout**     | Sponsor refunded £100 you already paid out to your bank              |
| **Dispute lost**            | You paid out money, then sponsor's payment was disputed and reversed |
| **Sponsorship deal cancel** | You already cashed out; sponsor cancelled and asked for refund       |
| **Billing adjustment**      | Platform fee adjustment or correction                                |

### What to Do

| If you owe... | What happens                                            | What to do                                           |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| < £5          | Nothing immediate; consider it settled                  | Pay next time you're owed money                      |
| £5–£20        | You can't request new payouts until balance is positive | Wait for new revenue, or manually settle via support |
| > £20         | Sponsor Driven may ask you to settle                    | Contact support to arrange payment plan              |

### How to Fix It

1. **Earn new revenue** – receive new contributions/sponsorships (will offset the negative balance)
2. **Manual payment** – contact <support@sponsordriven.com> to arrange a bank transfer to settle
3. **Wait for the dispute to resolve** – if money is disputed, wait for the outcome; funds may be released

***

## Understanding Transaction Fees

Every transaction is subject to fees. Here's how they work:

### Where Fees Are Deducted

| Fee                           | Amount                 | When                             | Impact                                          |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Stripe processing fee**     | 2.9% + £0.30 (typical) | When sponsor pays                | Deducted before money reaches your balance      |
| **Platform fee**              | 10%                    | When sponsor pays                | Part of your Sponsor Driven cut                 |
| **FX fee** (if international) | 2%                     | When currency conversion happens | Only applies if sponsor is in different country |

### Example: Sponsor pays £100

```
Gross: £100.00
- Stripe fee (2.9% + £0.30): £3.20
- Platform fee (10%): £9.68
= Your net: £87.12 ✓ added to balance
```

***

## Campaign Funding & Milestones

Campaigns have their own payout states:

### Campaign Milestone States

| State                | Meaning                              | Your action                     |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------- |
| **Pending**          | Deliverable waiting for approval     | Submit proof/content to sponsor |
| **Payable**          | Deliverable approved; payment queued | Payment coming soon             |
| **Payout initiated** | Payment on its way to Stripe         | Arrives in 1–3 business days    |
| **Payout completed** | Money in your bank                   | ✓ Check your account            |

***

## Referral & Reward Payments

If you refer other competitors and they join, you earn referral rewards.

### How Referral Payments Work

| Step                               | Timeline              | Status                              |
| ---------------------------------- | --------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| 1. Friend joins via your link      | Immediate             | "Pending" until they set up account |
| 2. Friend completes onboarding     | Within 24 hours       | Reward added to your balance        |
| 3. Money available in your balance | Next payout window    | Included in normal payouts          |
| 4. You request payout              | Same as normal payout | 1–3 business days to bank           |

### Troubleshooting Referrals

| Problem                                  | Solution                                                 |
| ---------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Friend joined but no reward              | Check they completed onboarding (all settings filled in) |
| Reward showing but balance didn't update | Refresh **Transactions** page; update can take 5 min     |
| Reward not showing after 48 hours        | Contact support with friend's profile slug               |

***

## Payment Method Details

### Credit Card

* Accepted worldwide
* Processing fee: 2.9% + £0.30
* Decline reason: Card limit, fraud detection, etc.

### Bank Transfer (BACS)

* UK only
* Processing fee: Usually none (direct bank transfer)
* Slower but no card fees

### BACS Debit

* Direct bank debit (recurring only)
* Fee: Typically £0.20 per debit
* Requires authorisation first

### Manual Payment

* For sponsor/competitor direct agreements
* No automatic processing
* Both parties must confirm manually

***

## Troubleshooting Common Payment Issues

### "My balance shows £0 but I received sponsorship payments"

| Check                        | Action                                                      |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Transactions page**        | Do you see the contributions listed as "Active"?            |
| **Processing vs. Available** | Is money stuck in "processing"? Wait 5 min and refresh      |
| **Payouts page**             | Did you already request a payout? Check **Pending balance** |
| **Negative balance**         | Did a refund make your balance negative?                    |

**Still not showing?** Contact support with transaction IDs.

### "I requested a payout but money hasn't arrived"

| Timeline      | What to check                                                        |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| < 5 min       | Refresh page; payout may still be processing                         |
| 5 min–2 hours | Stripe is processing; check status in **Transactions**               |
| 2–24 hours    | Check your bank's pending transactions (may show under "Processing") |
| 1–3 days      | Most payouts arrive by this point; contact your bank if missing      |
| 3+ days       | Contact support; check Stripe status in **Transactions** page        |

### "Money arrived in my bank but the app shows 'Pending'"

This is normal — Stripe and bank timings don't always sync. Refresh the **Payouts** page; it should update within an hour.

### "A sponsor refunded me but my balance went negative"

| Timeline        | What happens                          | What to do                          |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Immediately     | Balance goes negative (you owe back)  | Earn new revenue or manually settle |
| Within 24 hours | Refund fully processed                | Check **Transactions** for details  |
| 1–3 days        | If disputed, Stripe may reverse again | Wait for final resolution           |

### "Payout failed — what does the error mean?"

Check your **Transactions** page. Common errors:

| Error                | Meaning                       | Fix                                |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| "Invalid account"    | Bank details wrong            | Update account on **Payouts** page |
| "Account closed"     | Bank account no longer exists | Provide new bank details           |
| "Insufficient funds" | Your bank has daily limits    | Withdraw less, or try next day     |
| "Technical error"    | Stripe/bank system issue      | Wait 24 hours and retry            |

***

## When to Contact Support

Reach out to <support@sponsordriven.com> if:

* A payment is stuck in "Processing" for >5 minutes
* A payout failed and the error message isn't clear
* Your balance is negative and you don't know why
* A refund was unexpected or seems wrong
* A disputed payment has been ongoing >30 days
* You want to manually settle a negative balance

**Always include:**

* Your profile slug
* Transaction ID (from **Transactions** page)
* Date of transaction
* Screenshot of the issue

***

## Next Steps

* **Want to set up payouts?** Go to [Setting Up Your Bank Account](/reference-guides/receiving-payouts.md).
* **Ready to request your first payout?** See [How Payouts Work](/funding-and-payouts/how-funding-works.md).
* **Curious about fees?** Check [Fees and Processing](/funding-and-payouts/fees-processing-payouts.md).
* **Have questions about sponsorship deals?** Read [Sponsorship Deals Explained](/reference-guides/sponsorship-tiers-and-deals.md).


---

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