Stripe Connect Setup
Connect your Stripe account to AwardKit once per organization to charge entry fees. Onboarding takes about 5 minutes; fees flow directly to you with zero commission.
To accept entry fees, you connect your organization's Stripe account once. Every program in the organization can then charge fees that land directly in your Stripe balance.
Before you start
You need:
- An active subscription for your organization (see Plans and billing). Subscribing is its own step, before you go live; until then the Payments page explains the order and offers a Subscribe link instead of the button
- An organization in one of the countries Stripe supports. Stripe decides whether to approve the account
- A Stripe account, or the willingness to create one during onboarding (free, about 5 minutes)
- Your organization's banking details for payouts
- Your organization's tax information (EIN for US companies, the equivalent elsewhere)
- The Owner or Admin role in the AwardKit organization
The connection is organization-level. All programs in the organization share the same Stripe account; if different programs need different bank accounts or legal entities, create a separate organization for each.
Connecting your account
Before the organization subscribes, the Connect Stripe card reads "Connecting it needs an active subscription: once your organization subscribes, the Connect Stripe Account button appears here." Fees can be set and displayed in the meantime; only checkout waits. Once the subscription is active:
- Open Settings > Payments.
- Click Connect Stripe Account ("You will be redirected to Stripe to complete account setup.").
- Log in to an existing Stripe account or create one.
- Stripe walks you through business details, banking, tax information, and identity verification.
- Stripe brings you back to AwardKit.
You can also start the same onboarding from inside a program: Fees > Payouts shows the Stripe status, and the program sidebar shows a Connect Stripe button whenever the program charges a fee without a connected account ("Entry fees need Stripe"). Before the organization subscribes, that button reads Stripe with Subscribe first ("Stripe connects after you subscribe") and opens the Subscribe to connect Stripe dialog, which adds "Subscribing unlocks Stripe Connect, so you can collect entry fees." Fees > Payouts offers Subscribe, which opens the same dialog. On a live program whose plan has lapsed, the dialog reads "Your organization's plan isn't active. Subscribe to connect Stripe and collect entry fees for this program." Subscribe there, and once the plan is active the button turns into Connect Stripe. Only owners and admins can subscribe; members are asked to reach an admin.
During onboarding Stripe may offer Stripe Tax, its own paid product. Answer however fits your wider business: AwardKit checkouts do not use it. To charge VAT, GST, or sales tax on entry fees, add your registration in AwardKit under Fees > Tax instead (see Payments).
Stripe Connect routes entry fees directly to your account. You keep full access to your Stripe Dashboard and full ownership of the funds.
Account states
The Stripe Account card on the Payments page shows one of these states, derived from what Stripe reports about the account:
| Badge | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| (no subscription) | "Connect Stripe": the organization has not subscribed yet, so no account can be created | Subscribe (or go live from a program) |
| (no account) | "Connect Stripe": nothing linked yet | Connect Stripe Account |
| Verifying | "Checking your Stripe account status..." right after you return from Stripe | Wait a moment |
| Setup incomplete | The account exists but onboarding was not finished | Complete Stripe Setup |
| Under review | Stripe is reviewing your information; usually a few business days | Nothing; paid entries pause until the review completes |
| Action needed | Stripe needs more information to keep payments running, with a "Provide it by {date}" deadline when Stripe sets one | Update Information |
| Payouts paused | Payments are still accepted, but payouts to your bank are paused until Stripe gets more information | Update Information |
| Rejected | Stripe has rejected the account; it cannot process payments | Contact Stripe support |
| Connected | Ready to receive entry fee payments, with a Stripe Dashboard link to your account | Price your programs |
The state updates on its own. If the account moves to Action needed, Payouts paused, Under review, or Rejected, your billing contact gets an email and every program that charges fees shows a badge in its sidebar. Click the badge to open the account status.
Where money goes
When an entrant pays:
- The full amount lands in your Stripe balance, minus Stripe's processing fee.
- AwardKit takes nothing: zero commission, zero platform fee.
- Stripe pays out to your bank on your usual payout schedule.
Which payment methods Checkout offers (cards, wallets, iDEAL, SEPA, bank transfer) follows your connected account's Stripe settings for the currency; see Payments. Programs can be priced in any of 23 currencies, chosen per program on the Fees page.
Fees without a connected account
You can price a program before connecting Stripe: fees display on the program page and entry form, and Fees > Prices reads "Entrants can see these prices, but checkout needs Stripe before anyone can pay." with a Set up payouts button. What Stripe gates is checkout: entrants cannot pay a fee-bearing program until the account is connected, and Go live refuses a paid program without one ("Connect Stripe to collect entry fees before going live.").
Disconnecting
There is no disconnect button in AwardKit. To stop charging, remove the fees from your programs (a program with no fee is free to enter). If you remove AwardKit from your Stripe account in the Stripe Dashboard, the connection ends. For anything else, contact support@awardkit.io.
Troubleshooting
"Setup incomplete" after finishing onboarding: Stripe can take a few minutes to enable charges. Reload the Payments page; if the badge has not changed after a few minutes, click Complete Stripe Setup to see what Stripe still needs.
Entrants cannot pay: check the badge on the Payments page. Only Connected (and Payouts paused, where charges still work) accept payments. Under review, Action needed with a passed deadline, Setup incomplete, and Rejected all block checkout until resolved in Stripe.
A payment or refund is not reflected in AwardKit: changes normally land within seconds of the Stripe event. If something is still missing after a few minutes, email support@awardkit.io with your organization name.
Card details
Entrants type their card details on Stripe's checkout page. They never reach AwardKit. Your bank details, tax information, and identity documents also stay with Stripe.
Overview
How AwardKit handles entry fee payments. Stripe Connect, the entry balance, payment methods, refunds, failed payments, payment statuses, emails, and tax.
Organizations
Your organization holds your programs, your team, your public handle, and your branding. Invite teammates, manage roles, set your handle and brand, and duplicate, archive, or delete programs.