Setting Up Stripe Connect for Payments

## Get Paid for Coaching and Replay Reviews Spaghetti Showdown uses **Stripe Connect** to handle all payments between students and coaches. Stripe Connect is a secure, industry-standard payment platform that lets you receive money directly into your bank account while the platform handles all the complex payment processing, tax reporting, and compliance requirements. ### Why Stripe Connect? Stripe Connect is used by platforms like Shopify, Lyft, and DoorDash to process billions of dollars in payments. By using Stripe Connect, Spaghetti Showdown ensures that your financial data is handled securely and that payouts are reliable and timely. You never have to share your bank details directly with the platform or with students. ### Onboarding Steps Setting up your Stripe Connect account is straightforward: 1. **Navigate to Profile Settings** and open the **Payments** section 2. **Click Connect with Stripe** to begin the onboarding process 3. **You will be redirected to Stripe** where you will need to provide: - Your legal name and date of birth - Your address and phone number - Your bank account or debit card details for receiving payouts - A government-issued ID for identity verification (required by financial regulations) 4. **Complete the verification** — Stripe may take a few minutes to verify your identity 5. **Return to Spaghetti Showdown** — once verified, your payment status will show as active The entire process typically takes 5 to 10 minutes. If Stripe needs additional verification, you will receive an email with instructions. ### Platform Fee Spaghetti Showdown charges a **10% platform fee** on all paid coaching sessions and replay reviews. This fee covers payment processing, platform maintenance, and continued development of coaching features. For example, if you charge 20 euros for a session, you will receive 18 euros and the platform retains 2 euros. The fee is automatically deducted before your payout. ### Receiving Payouts Once your Stripe Connect account is active, payouts are processed automatically. By default, Stripe sends payouts to your bank account on a rolling basis, typically within 2 to 7 business days depending on your country and bank. You can check your payout history and upcoming transfers directly in your Stripe Dashboard, which is accessible from your profile settings. ### Troubleshooting - **Verification pending**: If your identity verification is taking longer than expected, check your email for messages from Stripe requesting additional documents - **Payout delays**: Initial payouts may take longer as Stripe establishes your account history - **Currency**: All transactions on Spaghetti Showdown are processed in euros. Stripe handles currency conversion automatically if your bank account uses a different currency - **Updating bank details**: You can update your payout method at any time through the Stripe Dashboard link in your profile settings Setting up Stripe Connect is a one-time process that unlocks the full earning potential of your coaching profile on Spaghetti Showdown.