Stripe Connect Setup
Connect your Stripe account to AwardKit so you can charge entry fees. Onboarding takes about 5 minutes; entry fees flow directly to you with zero commission.
To accept entry fees on AwardKit, you connect your organization's Stripe account once at the workspace level. After that, every program in the workspace can charge entry fees that flow directly to your Stripe balance.
Before you start
You'll need:
- An existing Stripe account, or willingness to create one (free, takes ~5 minutes)
- Your organization's banking details for payouts (account number, routing number, etc.)
- Your organization's tax information (EIN for US companies, equivalent for other countries)
- An AwardKit workspace where you have Owner or Admin role
The connection happens at the workspace level, not the program level. All programs in your workspace will share the same Stripe Connect account.
Connecting your account
- Open Workspace settings → Payments
- Click Connect Stripe Account
- You'll be redirected to Stripe to either log in to an existing account or create a new one
- Stripe walks you through onboarding: business details, banking, tax info, identity verification
- When you finish, Stripe redirects you back to AwardKit
If your account passes Stripe's automated verification immediately, the Payments page will show a green "Active" badge and you're ready to charge fees. If Stripe needs more information (additional documents, verification calls), the page will show "Setup incomplete" with a link to resume onboarding.
AwardKit uses Stripe Connect to route entry fees directly to your account. You retain full access to the Stripe Dashboard and full ownership of the funds. AwardKit cannot make charges, refunds, or transfers on your behalf outside of the entry fee flow.
What gets stored
When you connect, AwardKit stores two things on your workspace:
- Stripe account ID: A reference to your Connect account so we can route payments to it
- Charges enabled flag: Whether your account is ready to accept charges (set automatically based on Stripe's verification)
We do not store your bank account details, tax information, or any other sensitive data. All of that lives in Stripe.
Connection states
Your workspace's Stripe Connect connection has three possible states:
| State | Meaning | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Not connected | No Stripe account linked yet | Click Connect Stripe Account to start |
| Setup incomplete | Account created but Stripe hasn't enabled charges yet | Click Continue setup to finish in Stripe |
| Active | Charges enabled. Ready to accept entry fees. | Configure entry fees on programs |
If your status changes (Stripe needs new info, your bank account needs to be updated, etc.), AwardKit syncs the new state automatically within seconds.
Where money goes
When an entrant pays a fee:
- The charge is created directly on your connected account (not on AwardKit's platform account)
- The full amount lands in your Stripe balance, minus Stripe's standard processing fee
- AwardKit takes nothing: zero commission, zero platform fee on the charge
- Stripe pays out to your bank account on your usual payout schedule (typically rolling 2 days for US accounts)
Multi-program workspaces
A workspace has one Stripe Connect account. If you run multiple programs in the same workspace (for example, "Marketing Excellence Awards 2026" and "40 Under 40"), entry fees from all of them flow to the same Stripe balance.
If you need separate Stripe accounts for separate programs (different legal entities, separate bank accounts), create a separate AwardKit workspace for each. Each workspace has its own Stripe Connect connection.
Disconnecting
There is no in-app disconnect button. To stop accepting payments through a connected account:
- Disable entry fees on each active program (open the Categories tab and toggle off Charge an entry fee)
- New entries will be free; existing paid entries are unaffected
If you want to fully disconnect from Stripe, contact support@awardkit.io.
Troubleshooting
"Setup incomplete" stays after I finish onboarding: Stripe verification can take a few minutes. Refresh the Payments page after 5 minutes. If the status doesn't update, click Sync status to manually pull the latest state from Stripe.
Entrants get an error trying to pay: Verify the workspace's Connect status is "Active" on the Payments page. If it shows "Setup incomplete" or "Not connected", entrants can't be charged. Disable entry fees on the program until you finish setup.
Payment status isn't updating after a Stripe action: AwardKit usually syncs Stripe state within seconds. If a payment, refund, or account-status change in Stripe isn't reflected in AwardKit after a few minutes, contact support@awardkit.io with your workspace name and we'll investigate.
Security and PCI compliance
AwardKit doesn't touch card data at any point. Card details are entered on Stripe's hosted Checkout page, processed by Stripe, and stored only on Stripe's servers.
This means:
- AwardKit is not in scope for PCI compliance (Stripe is)
- A breach of AwardKit cannot expose entrant card details
- Payment-related security responsibilities follow Stripe's posture, not ours
For Stripe's security and compliance documentation, see stripe.com/docs/security.