Creator Payouts

The coin economy

Boughly readers buy coins in bundles via Stripe (web) or Apple/Google in-app purchase (mobile, when launched). For accounting and payout purposes, coins are referenced at approximately 100 coins = $1.00 USD; regional pricing and mobile pricing may vary. Readers then spend coins to unlock individual stories the creator has set a coin price on.

When a reader spends coins on your story:

1. The story is unlocked for that reader with ongoing access through the Platform subject to the Terms (a snapshot is taken, and an EPUB is generated where available).
2. 70% of the face value of the spent coins is added to your earnings balance.
3. The transaction is recorded in your earnings dashboard immediately.
4. At the next monthly payout, your accrued earnings are transferred to your bank.

The 70% creator share

You earn a flat 70% of the face value of every eligible paid coin spent on your story unlocks and tips. Boughly retains a 30% gross platform share and pays ordinary web payment-processing and creator-payout costs out of that share — so, unlike a “net” model, nothing is deducted from your 70% for fees. The rate is fixed and applies to the coin face value (100 coins = $1.00), not to what the reader originally paid for the bundle. Earnings are tracked in exact fractional cents and carried forward, never rounded down.

Worked examples (web-funded paid coins):

The 70% rate is a genuine, fixed launch rate — not a temporary teaser. Boughly may review increasing it prospectively after real transaction data proves a higher rate sustainable; any future change is policy-versioned, takes effect only from its effective date, and never restates earnings you have already accrued. Buyer-paid sales tax is outside this basis. Your creator dashboard reflects the calculation actually applied to your specific spends (net of any refunds or chargebacks).

Tips

Readers can optionally tip you by spending coins beyond a story unlock. Tips use the same calculation as paid-story unlocks — you earn 70% of the face value of the tipped coins — and appear in your earnings dashboard and monthly payout alongside unlock earnings. A tip confers no additional access or obligation on your part; it is a voluntary reader contribution.

Mobile (when iOS / Android launch)

Apple App Store and Google Play take their own cut off the top of every coin bundle bought through their stores before Boughly sees the money:

• 15% if Boughly is enrolled in the App Store Small Business Program (annual proceeds under $1M).
• 30% otherwise.

The 70% creator share described above applies to web-funded paid coins. Because Apple and Google take a cut off the top of in-app purchases, the creator rate for coins purchased through mobile in-app channels will be modeled and disclosed separately before the iOS and Android apps launch, and may differ from the web rate. Coins are attributed to the platform they were purchased on.

Mobile in-app purchases are subject to the policies and pricing of the relevant store (Apple App Store or Google Play). Store fees are reflected in the net calculation. Mobile in-app commerce details, including any platform-specific compliance requirements, will be confirmed before the iOS and Android apps launch and disclosed at that time.

Some Mature content categories may not be available on iOS or Android applications due to platform policies; creators whose stories are limited to web distribution will continue to be paid for unlocks through any available channel.

Onboarding (Stripe Connect Express)

To receive payouts on Boughly, you must complete Stripe Connect Express onboarding. This is a hosted flow on Stripe's site, separate from your Boughly account, and Boughly never sees the underlying KYC details:

1. Click "Connect Stripe" from your creator dashboard or the publish modal.
2. Stripe asks for: legal name, date of birth, address, government ID (driver's license / passport), tax ID (SSN for US individuals; EIN for businesses; W-8BEN for non-US individuals).
3. Stripe asks you to link a bank account for payouts.
4. Stripe verifies the documents (typically a few minutes; sometimes 1-2 business days).
5. Stripe redirects you back to Boughly. Boughly receives the Stripe Connect account ID and a small set of status flags returned by Stripe (e.g., onboarding completion, charges-enabled, payouts-enabled). Boughly does not receive the underlying identity documents or verification data, which Stripe collects and retains directly.

Until onboarding is complete, you cannot publish a Paid Story (the publish modal will block submission with a “Connect Stripe to receive payouts” CTA).

Payout schedule

• Monthly batch. Boughly runs a payout job on a regular cycle that aggregates eligible paid-coin spends across the creator's stories, computes your earnings (70% of face value per the section above), and issues a single payout via Stripe Connect.
• $10 minimum threshold. If your earnings for the month don't reach $10, the payout is skipped and the balance rolls over into the next month. Your accumulated earnings are visible on the dashboard regardless.
• Carry-over math. Suppose you earn $5 in April (skipped) and $7 in May. On the May payout run, your unpaid earnings balance is $12 and you generally receive a single $12 payout. Earnings are generally deferred rather than lost, subject to the Terms and to any holds for fraud, chargebacks, sanctions, legal compliance, or account termination as described elsewhere on this page and in the Terms of Service.
• Currency. USD. International creators receive USD via Stripe Connect; conversion to your local currency is handled by your bank at their rate.
• Early-payout cap. As an anti-fraud measure on new creators, each of a creator's first three payouts is capped at $200; any earnings above that roll into the next cycle and release, uncapped, once those first three payouts are behind you. This limits exposure to buy-and-chargeback abuse across the window when card disputes can still land. These parameters may be adjusted from time to time.
• First-payout review. Stripe may also hold an initial payout for a short review period as part of standard new-account fraud prevention. Timing varies and is determined by Stripe; subsequent payouts generally run on the regular cycle.

Refunds & chargebacks

• If a reader requests a refund of a coin bundle within the 7-day window, Boughly recovers the unspent portion of their coins and reverses the earnings attributed to the spent portion, so you are paid on net (post-refund) revenue. The reader keeps access to anything they already unlocked.
• If a reader files a chargeback on a coin bundle, Boughly is debited by Stripe (plus a $15 dispute fee). We claw back unspent coins and reverse the creator earnings for the spent portion. This protects against buy-spend-chargeback abuse — the reader keeps access, but those earnings are removed from your payable balance.
• Where delivered story content materially differs from the preview or description, Boughly may, at its discretion, reverse the specific coin spend and apply a corresponding adjustment to the creator's earnings balance. Rare; case-by-case.

Taxes (US creators)

• 1099-K forms. If your annual Stripe Connect earnings exceed the applicable IRS reporting threshold, Stripe generally generates and delivers a 1099-K form. Boughly does not separately issue tax forms.
• Sales tax on coin bundles. Boughly handles sales tax on coin bundle purchases via Stripe Tax — collected from buyers and remitted to the applicable jurisdiction. Creators generally do not need to track or remit sales tax on Boughly earnings.
• Income tax. Boughly earnings may constitute taxable income, with treatment depending on your individual circumstances, entity type, and jurisdiction. You are responsible for any applicable federal, state, and local tax obligations and for filing the relevant returns. We strongly recommend consulting a tax professional, especially for your first year of meaningful earnings.

Taxes (non-US creators)

Stripe Connect collects W-8BEN (or equivalent) forms from non-US creators during onboarding. US tax withholding, if any, depends on the creator's country of residence, the applicable US tax treaty (where one exists), and the information provided to Stripe. Local income tax obligations are the creator's responsibility — please consult a tax professional in your country.

Account holds & suspensions

• If your Boughly account is banned or suspended for Terms violations, payouts are held automatically — the payout job skips your account and your earnings keep accruing and carry forward rather than being lost.
• If the action is lifted, your accumulated unpaid earnings become payable again on the next regular cycle. Unpaid earnings for a permanently banned account may be forfeited as set out in the Terms of Service.
• In all cases, existing readers retain access to previously unlocked stories — your readers are never punished for a creator's account status.

Earnings dashboard

Your creator dashboard surfaces:

• Total lifetime earnings across all stories (in USD, derived from paid coins spent).
• This-month and last-month earnings.
• Per-story breakdown (paid coins spent, USD value, your share).
• Pending payout amount and next scheduled payout date.
• Direct link to your Stripe Express dashboard for the underlying transactions, payout history, and tax forms.

Contact

For questions about earnings, payouts, or onboarding issues, email support@boughly.com. For specific transaction or banking issues, your Stripe Express dashboard usually has the answer faster — check there first.