Shelf Indulgence your books deserve to go places
Help — Troubleshooting

Payment Troubleshooting

Fixing payment and royalty issues.

Payment Not Received

Check Your Balance

  • Go to Dashboard and check Unpaid Revenue
  • Must be $5.00 or more to receive payment
  • Balance under $5 rolls over to next month

Payment Timeline

  • Processed at end of each month (if balance over $5)
  • Stripe processes payout: 2-3 business days
  • Bank deposit: additional 3-7 business days

Missing Payments (balance over $5)

  • Verify Stripe account is connected in Account Settings
  • Check your Stripe dashboard for payout status
  • Ensure Stripe identity verification is complete
  • Verify bank account details in Stripe are correct
  • Allow up to 10 business days for full processing
  • Contact support if missing after 10 business days

Stripe Connect Issues

"Stripe account not connected"

Go to Account Settings, click Connect Stripe Account, complete the onboarding process with bank details and identity verification.

"Stripe payout failed"

Common causes: incorrect bank info, closed bank account, incomplete identity verification. Log into your Stripe dashboard for detailed error information.

Sales Not Showing

Each retailer has significant reporting delays:

  • Apple Books: 30-45 days
  • Google Play: 30-60 days
  • Kobo: 45-60 days
  • OverDrive: 60-90 days

Learn more about sales reporting timelines

Incorrect Royalty Amount

Your payout is calculated: sale price minus retailer cut (30-48%), minus Shelf Indulgence fee (10% of net). The remaining amount is your royalty.

Detailed royalty calculation

Currency Conversion

  • Sales reported in USD, converted at time of sale by retailer
  • Your bank converts to local currency
  • Exchange rates affect final amount
  • Your bank may charge conversion/wire fees

Tax Withholding

  • US authors: No withholding with valid W-9
  • International: Submit W-8BEN to avoid 30% withholding
  • Update forms in Account Settings

If payment issues persist, contact support with your account email, expected amount, payment method, date expected, and dashboard screenshots.