Paying creators
Last updated: October 3, 2026
You pay creators from the feature you worked with them in: contests, retainers, Shopify + DTC programs, Creator Marketplace campaigns, and usage rights (permission to use a creator's video in your own ads). When you pay through Euka, the money goes to the creator's balance in the Euka creator app, and they withdraw it from there.
Where to find it
| What you owe | Where you pay it |
|---|---|
| Contest rewards | The contest's Payouts tab. The Pending payouts column in Campaigns > Contests shows what each contest still owes. |
| Retainer periods | The retainer's Payout tab, in Campaigns > Retainers, once you've added the payout from Periods. |
| Usage rights and Meta Ads commissions | Ads > Usage Rights > Pending Payment. See Usage rights and Automatic invoicing for usage rights. |
| Shopify + DTC commissions | The program's Payouts tab. See Shopify + DTC programs. |
| Creator Marketplace campaigns | You pay when you approve each creator, and we release the money once they deliver. See Creator Marketplace. |
The rest of this article covers contest and retainer payouts.
How to pay contest and retainer payouts
Contest payouts appear by themselves for each creator who qualifies for a reward. Retainer payouts are never added for you, so you add them first.
- Retainers only: open Periods, click Pay Creators, tick the creators, and click Add to Cart.
- Retainers only: check the amounts in Payment Cart, and click Add to Cart again.
- On Payouts (Payout on a retainer), click Pay Out Creators, and tick the creators you're paying.
- Click Pay via Euka.
- In Payment Breakdown, choose how to pay, and check the total.
- Click Pay … from balance or Continue to checkout. A saved card or bank account is charged straight away. US Bank Account and Credit/Debit Card open a Stripe checkout page where you enter the details.
Payment methods and fees
| Method | Processing fee | The creator can withdraw it |
|---|---|---|
| Euka Balance | None | As soon as you pay |
| US Bank Account | None | Once the transfer settles, in 3 to 5 business days |
| Credit/Debit Card | 5%, at least $1 | As soon as you pay |
- Euka Balance can pay only when it covers everything you selected. Add funds in Settings > Brand > Billing > Wallet. See Invoices, wallet, and payment methods.
- A payment must come to at least $1.
- Generate Share Link makes a Stripe checkout link for the payouts you selected, by card or by bank, whichever you picked. Anyone with the link can pay it, and the payouts are marked paid when they do. It can't use Euka Balance.
How to record a payment outside Euka
If you pay a creator yourself, by bank transfer or PayPal for example, record it so we stop counting it as owed.
- On Payouts, click Pay Out Creators, and tick the creators.
- Click Pay Outside Euka, and confirm. The payout shows Paid Outside Euka.
- No money goes through Euka, so there's nothing for the creator to withdraw.
- If the contest was set up to Pay via Euka, it switches to Pay outside Euka.
- To undo a payment you recorded, contact us at support@euka.ai.
- You can record a contest payout yourself only until its due date. After that, only we can record it, so contact us at support@euka.ai with proof of payment.
What creators see
Creators follow their money on the Earnings page of the Euka creator app:
- Upcoming: you haven't paid the payout yet.
- Available: your payment has reached us, and the creator can withdraw it.
- Paid by brand: you recorded the payment outside Euka.
Creators withdraw to their bank through Stripe only. PayPal payouts have been discontinued. See Earnings and withdrawals.
Due dates
- Contests: when you set up the contest, you choose the due date on Payments, under Set payout due date: 3, 7, 14, or 30 days after the contest ends. The Payouts tab shows it as Payment deadline. Winners are final 24 hours after the contest ends, or after each period of a recurring contest, and you can pay them from then.
- Retainers: a payout you've added to the cart is due 7 days after its period ends.
- A payout is overdue from midnight UTC at the start of its due date, so pay before that day.
- Usage rights invoices and Shopify + DTC bills have their own due dates. See their articles.
Overdue payouts lock new contests and retainers
- While a contest payout is overdue, you can't create a contest (New contest is locked) or make a private contest public with Make Public.
- While a retainer payout is overdue, you can't create a retainer.
- Contests and retainers you already have keep running.
- The lock lifts as soon as the overdue payouts are paid or recorded as paid. A bank payment counts from the moment it starts, before it settles.
- Payouts on hold, disqualified entries, and custom rewards (prizes you send yourself) never count as overdue.
The notice lists each overdue contest or retainer with the amount owed, its due date, and a Pay now button. If you need more time, use Contact support on the notice.
What we don't control
Stripe processes card and bank payments and checks bank accounts (as of September 2026). When you pay by bank with details you type in at checkout, Stripe may first send small deposits to that account, and the payment waits until you confirm them.
When something goes wrong
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You can't launch new contests or You can't create new retainers, or a message that new contests or retainers are paused | A contest or retainer payout is past its due date. | Click Pay now next to it on the notice. |
| These payouts are overdue, when you click Pay Outside Euka | The due date has passed, so you can't record an outside payment yourself. | Contact us at support@euka.ai with proof of payment. |
| Payouts on hold | A payout you selected isn't final yet. | Deselect it, and pay it once its period is final, 24 hours after it ends. If it's still on hold, contact us at support@euka.ai. |
| Action needed: verify your bank account | Stripe is waiting for you to confirm the deposits it sent to your bank. | Click Complete verification and enter the code or amounts from your statement by the date shown. |
| Payment Failed on a payout | The bank account's verification failed or expired, so the payment didn't go through. | Pay it again. |
| Minimum payout amount is $1.00 USD | The total is under $1. | Select more payouts. |
A creator says they weren't paid
- Open the contest's Payouts tab (Payout on a retainer), and find the creator.
- No row? A retainer payout appears only after you add it from Periods. A contest payout appears only for a creator who qualified for a reward.
- Check Payment Status:
- Unpaid or Payment Failed: you haven't paid it. Pay it.
- On Hold: the period isn't final yet.
- Bank Processing or Awaiting Verification: your bank payment is on its way, or waiting for you to verify your bank account.
- Paid Outside Euka: you recorded paying them yourself. Check that your payment reached them.
- Disqualified: the entry isn't paid. The creator can see the reason.
- Paid via Stripe: we have the money. Look at Creator Paid Out.
- Check Creator Paid Out:
- Withdrawal Pending: the money is in the creator's balance. They withdraw it in the Euka creator app, once they've set up payouts with Stripe.
- Paid Out: the creator has withdrawn it. Stripe usually takes a few business days to reach their bank, and about 7 days the first time.
- For usage rights, look in Pending Payment. Not payable yet means the creator hasn't joined Euka and connected TikTok.
- If it still doesn't add up, contact us at support@euka.ai with the contest or retainer and the creator's handle.
FAQs
Can someone else pay, such as our finance team or the brand we manage?
Yes. Select the payouts, click Pay via Euka, pick US Bank Account or Credit/Debit Card, and click Generate Share Link. Send them the link, and paying it settles those payouts.
I chose Pay outside Euka for a contest. Can its payouts still become overdue?
Yes. The due date applies whichever way you pay, so record each payment with Pay Outside Euka before the payment deadline.
Can I pay part of a payout from Euka Balance?
No. You can choose Euka Balance only when it covers the whole selection. Select fewer creators, or pay by bank or card.
Can creators be paid by PayPal?
Not through Euka, because creators withdraw through Stripe only. If you pay a creator by PayPal yourself, record it with Pay Outside Euka.
Why is New contest grayed out?
A contest payout is overdue. Hover over the button to see how much, and pay it from the notice on Campaigns > Contests.