How to Pay WooCommerce Affiliate Commissions via Stripe (Manual + Automatic Payouts)

Running an affiliate program is easy. Paying affiliates on time is where things get messy.

If you’re currently using PayPal or manual bank transfers, you already know how confusing payouts can become once your affiliate network grows.

With Affiliate for WooCommerce, you can now set up WooCommerce Stripe payouts and pay affiliates directly to their Stripe account. You can either send payouts manually (after reviewing referrals) or automate commission payments on a schedule.

In this guide, you’ll learn the complete WooCommerce Stripe Connect setup and how to use Stripe for both manual and automatic affiliate commission payouts.

WooCommerce Stripe Connect setup for affiliate payouts

Affiliate for WooCommerce helps you run and manage your affiliate program directly from WooCommerce. You can track referrals, calculate commissions, and handle payouts without relying on external tools.

Along with PayPal automated commission payouts, you can also pay affiliates using Stripe payouts. This makes it easier to send commission payments securely and keep your payout workflow organized.

Stripe payouts are especially useful if you want a smoother payout process and faster commission transfers for affiliates.

Just like PayPal payouts, Stripe payouts can be managed directly from Affiliate for WooCommerce.

Note: Affiliates can choose Stripe or PayPal as their default payout method from their Affiliate dashboard.

Pay directly or set up automated commission payouts

There are two methods to pay affiliate commissions using Stripe:

1. Pay directly or manually from within Affiliate for WooCommerce plugin
2. Set up automated payouts within Affiliate for WooCommerce plugin

Let’s dive into both these methods.

Pay directly (Pay and record)

This method is ideal for businesses that want more control over their payouts. It allows the store owners to double-check everything before the affiliate is paid.

Make sure you have installed and activated the Affiliate for WooCommerce plugin.

Now, for the affiliates to receive commissions via Stripe, directly or automated, they need to have an active Stripe account connected. Here are the steps for them to folow:

1. Go to My Account > Affiliate > Profile tab.
2. Under Payout setting, click on the dropdown next to Select payout method and choose Stripe.
3. Click on the Connect with Stripe link next to the Connect with your Stripe account.



4. Follow the step-by-step process of Stripe.
5. Once successfully connected, it will show Disconnect from Stripe.

This means, the affiliates have successfully set Stripe as their default payout method to receive commissions.

Next, the store admin has to follow these steps to set up Stripe payouts:

1. Go to your WordPress admin > WooCommerce > Settings > Affiliate.
2. Click on the Payouts tab.
3. Enable the Payout via Stripe option.
4. It will open up four more options:
   1. Stripe Publishable Key
   2. Stripe Secret Key
   3. Stripe Client ID
   4. Add redirect URIs
5. To find Stripe Publishable Key, go to Stripe Dashboard > Developers > API keys > Standard keys > Publishable key. More about it here. Click to copy the key and enter it in the box provided.
6. To find Stripe Secret Key, go to Stripe Dashboard > Developers > API keys > Standard keys > Secret key. More about it here. Click to ‘Reveal live key‘ to reveal the key, copy it, and enter it in the box provided.
7. To find the Stripe Client ID, go to Stripe Dashboard > Settings > Connect > Onboarding options > OAuths > Live mode client ID. More about it here. Enter the ID in the box provided.
8. The redirection URI is required when users connect their account to your site. It is mandatory to set this in your Stripe account to process commission payouts. Otherwise, payouts won’t be processed. Go to Stripe Dashboard > Settings > Connect > Onboarding options > OAuths > Redirects section and add the redirect URI.



9. Save the changes.
10. Now go to your WordPress admin > WooCommerce > Affiliates > Referrals tab.
11. Mark the required orders with ‘Unpaid’ commission status to make the payouts.
12. You’ll see the total amount to be paid. Click on Send Payouts.



13. Under the Payout method, select Stripe: Pay & Record from the dropdown.
14. Enter the notes for reference.
15. Click on Send.

That’s it.

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Automatic payouts (Pay & record)

Once you set it up, the system takes care of everything – it automatically calculates and transfers affiliate commissions directly to affiliates’ Stripe account.

This is a huge time-saver, especially for businesses with a large number of affiliates.

Automatic payouts work on predefined schedules, which ensures timely, accurate payments for your affiliates without any manual effort from your end.

Configuring automatic payouts via Stripe and other options

First, the affiliate should set Stripe as the payout method under their My Account > Affiliate > Profile > Payout setting as mentioned earlier.

Next, the store admin has to follow these steps:

1. Go to the WordPress admin > WooCommerce > Settings > Affiliate > Payouts.
2. Make sure that the Payout via Stripe option is enabled and all Stripe settings are configured as mentioned earlier.
3. Enable the Automatic payouts option. It will open up more options:
   1. Automatic payouts include affiliates – Select the affiliates (max 25 for now) to whom you want to send the automatic payouts.
   2. Maximum commission to pay an affiliate – the maximum amount to be sent to each affiliate during the automatic payout.
   3. Commission payout day – payouts will be automatically sent on the day you enter in the box. If left blank, it will be the 15th of the month by default. For dates between the 28th and 31st, payouts are sent on the last day of the month. Payouts are processed in UTC, so the date you see in your time zone may vary.
4. You can also set
   1. a minimum threshold value under ‘Minimum affiliate commission for payout’ to qualify for an automatic payout
   2. your store’s refund period. For automatic payouts, referrals made during the refund period will not be included.
5. Save your changes

That’s it. The selected affiliates will qualify for automatic payouts and will receive the desired commission on the set date.

The affiliate manager will receive the Automatic Payouts Reminder email twice before the payout.

Benefits of Stripe payouts for your affiliate program

As per the stats, Stripe recently processed 300 million transactions, totaling $18.6 billion in payment volume, all while maintaining an amazing uptime of over 99.999%.

So, it’s quite evident from Stripe’s impressive track record that it is a major player in the payments sector.

• With Stripe, payments are real quick and easy. Affiliates no longer need to wait days for their earnings to reflect in their accounts. Stripe’s rapid processing ensures your partners get their commissions in no time, which increases affiliate satisfaction and trust in your program.
• Stripe is already well-known for its low transaction fees, worldwide reach and high-level security, which means your affiliate payouts go smoothly and without any issues.
• Stripe supports payments in multiple currencies, allowing you to seamlessly manage international affiliates.

Concluding it

With the new Stripe payout power in Affiliate for WooCommerce, StoreApps demonstrates why it’s the preferred plugin for handling affiliate programs straight from your WooCommerce store.

Stripe provides the speed, security and flexibility you need to handle affiliate payments quickly and efficiently, whether you’re managing a small network or a large one.

It’s quick, dependable and most importantly, it works flawlessly with Affiliate for WooCommerce, making it a win-win for both you and your affiliates.

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FAQs

How do Stripe affiliate payouts work in WooCommerce?
Affiliates connect their Stripe account using Stripe Connect, and store admins can send payouts manually or automatically through Affiliate for WooCommerce.

Can I automate Stripe payouts for affiliate commissions?
Yes. You can enable automatic payouts and schedule commission payments on a specific day of the month.

Can I pay multiple affiliates at once using Stripe?
Yes. You can select multiple unpaid referrals and send payouts in bulk using the Stripe: Pay & Record method.

Do affiliates need a Stripe account to receive payouts?
Yes. Affiliates must connect their Stripe account from the Affiliate dashboard before they can receive Stripe payouts.

Are Stripe payouts recorded in Affiliate for WooCommerce?
Yes. Stripe payouts are recorded so you can track payout history and payment notes inside WooCommerce.

Is Stripe payout supported for international affiliates?
Yes. Stripe supports multiple countries and currencies, making it a good option for paying global affiliates.