Guide
How cashout works
Converting your keys into euros on your bank account — what you actually take home, why, and step by step.
1. The math: what you actually receive
When a reader pays for a key on Whatoon, it's worth €0.10. When you convert that same key into euros (cashout), it's worth €0.05. The 50% gap is what keeps Whatoon running: hosting, infrastructure, AI, salaries, taxes, marketing.
On that €0.05, we take a 20% service commission at cashout time (see section 2). So a cashable key earns you €0.04 net. (see section 2)
Concrete example
| You have accumulated | 2,000 yellow keys |
| Cashout value (× €0.05) | €100.00 |
| Whatoon commission (20%) | − €20.00 |
| Stripe fee (SEPA payout) | − €0.25 |
| Net transferred to your IBAN | €79.75 |
The balance shown on your dashboard already reflects the net after Whatoon commission (€80 here). Stripe fees (€0.25) are shown separately at request time because they're third-party fees (Stripe bills us, we bill you).
2. Why 20% Whatoon commission
20% is the market standard for creator platforms (Patreon: 5-12% + fees; Substack: 10%; Twitch: 50% on subs, 0% on tips, etc.). We picked a single, readable rate.
This commission pays for:
- Hosting and bandwidth (CDN, database)
- Moderation and support infrastructure
- Continuous platform development (PageComposer, atlas, etc.)
- Tax and GDPR compliance
- Work promotion (newsletters, recommendations, SEO)
You pay nothing until you cash out. Keeping your balance in keys is free. You can wait until you have €500 before touching a single euro — the commission only applies at transfer time.
3. Stripe fees (the bank transfer)
We use Stripe Connect to wire money to your IBAN. Stripe handles bank identity verification (KYC), anti-fraud compliance, and the SEPA transfer.
Stripe charges us €0.25 per SEPA payout. We bill you pass-through (no margin on top). It's a fixed per-transaction fee, so the more you cash out small amounts, the bigger the relative impact — better wait until you have at least a few dozen euros to amortize.
Your Stripe Express account
The first time you activate payouts, you fill a short Stripe form (~5 minutes): name, date of birth, address, IBAN, ID document. Stripe verifies everything (usually a few minutes, sometimes 1-2 days). Once validated, you never have to re-enter that info — Stripe keeps it.
4. Yellow keys vs green keys
On your dashboard you see two types of keys you received:
Yellow keys
Keys bought by a real reader (they paid €0.10 to get them). Cashable: this is your revenue.
Green keys
Keys gifted by Whatoon (daily grant, welcome bonus) that a reader spent on you. Non-cashable: this is your discovery audience.
The €100 threshold is computed on the net value of yellow keys only. Green keys show you your audience reach (how many readers discovered you), but generate no payout obligation.
5. Payout delays
- Request → Stripe: instant (triggers the transfer via their API).
- Stripe → your IBAN (SEPA): 1-2 business days usually. Sometimes 3 if your bank has a slower processing cycle.
- Receipt notification: you get an email when the transfer leaves Stripe, and a second one when your bank credits it.
If the transfer fails (wrong IBAN, closed account, etc.), Stripe notifies us and we automatically re-credit your balance. You can then fix your IBAN in your Stripe dashboard and submit a new request.
6. Taxes: what you must declare
⚠️ Important: Whatoon does NOT withhold income tax on your behalf. You receive 100% of the net amount (after our commissions). It's up to you to declare these revenues to your tax authority.
In France
Revenues from Whatoon are activity revenues. Depending on your status:
- Occasional individual: declare as BNC (box 5KU or equivalent) up to €305/year. Above that, auto-entrepreneur status recommended.
- Auto-entrepreneur: declare as BNC or BIC depending on your activity (artistic = BNC). URSSAF social contributions.
- Company (SARL, EURL…): standard accounting, VAT if applicable.
Whatoon transmits to tax authorities (DAS2 declaration or equivalent) every author who earned more than €1,200 in the year. It's a reporting obligation — it doesn't increase what you owe, just makes verification easier.
Outside France
Rules depend on your tax residency country. For EU residents, SEPA transfers remain possible and taxation follows the bilateral convention with France. Outside the EU, contact support — we look at each case.
7. FAQ
Why a €100 minimum threshold?
Below €100, Stripe fees represent too big a share of the transfer (e.g. €5 payout = 5% Stripe fees alone). The threshold amortizes those fixed fees. Once Stripe Connect is in place, we may lower it to €50 — we'll see.
How many times per month can I cash out?
No hard limit on Whatoon's side, but only one active request at a time (you must wait until the previous one is processed). Each cashout triggers €0.25 in Stripe fees — better to consolidate than to multiply small requests.
Does my key balance decrease over time?
No — your keys stay in your balance indefinitely, with no account maintenance fee. You can let them sit and cash out whenever you want.
What if the Whatoon commission changes one day?
Any change in the commission rate applies only to FUTURE cashouts. Keys you've already accumulated are processed at the rate in effect at cashout time. We'd announce any change at least 30 days in advance by email.
What about VAT?
Whatoon is currently VAT-exempt, so our commissions are VAT-free. If we cross the threshold one day, we'll add VAT and you'll be notified at that time. On your side, if you're an auto-entrepreneur under the VAT franchise, Whatoon revenues don't automatically push you over the threshold — your total revenue is what counts.
Question not covered here? Email support@whatoon.com — we reply within a few business days.