How seller payouts work: PayPal, monthly by the 15th
You make the resources, teachers buy them, and once a month the money arrives in your PayPal account. Here is exactly how that works and what you'll see on your statement.
Short answer: TeachLessons pays sellers once a month, by the 15th, for the previous month's sales. Payouts go to your PayPal account in US dollars, with a statement listing every sale. You keep 70% of net revenue, which works out to 67.9% of the price the customer paid. Refunded sales are not paid out, and you should report any statement error within 6 weeks.
When are teacher seller payouts made?
Once a month. All sales from one calendar month are paid out by the 15th of the following month. A resource sold on March 3 and one sold on March 29 are both paid by April 15.
| Sales made in | Paid by |
|---|---|
| January | February 15 |
| February | March 15 |
| September | October 15 |
| December | January 15 |
There is no fee for receiving payouts from us: no membership, sign-up, annual, listing or per-resource fee. PayPal's own terms for your account still apply on their side.
How much of each sale do I get?
You keep 70% of net revenue. Net revenue is the price the customer actually paid for your resource (after any discount, without sales tax or VAT) minus a 3% payment processing cost. In one line: payout per sale = price x 0.97 x 0.70, which is 67.9% of the price.
| Price paid | Your payout per sale |
|---|---|
| $3.00 | $2.04 |
| $4.99 | $3.39 |
| $10.00 | $6.79 |
| $20.00 | $13.58 |
| $50.00 | $33.95 |
For a $10.00 sale: the payment cost is $0.30, net revenue is $9.70, you get $6.79 and TeachLessons keeps $2.91. Try your own prices in the payout calculator.
What does a payout month look like in practice?
Here is a made-up example to show the arithmetic, not a forecast. Say that in May you sell twelve copies of a $4.99 worksheet pack and three copies of a $10.00 unit, and one of the $4.99 orders is refunded.
| Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| $4.99 pack, 11 paid sales | 11 x $3.39 | $37.29 |
| $10.00 unit, 3 sales | 3 x $6.79 | $20.37 |
| Refunded $4.99 order | No payout | $0.00 |
| Paid by June 15 | Total | $57.66 |
Your statement shows each of those sales individually, so you can trace every line back to an order. We can't promise any number of sales. The point of the example is that you can always check the result yourself with one multiplication.
Why PayPal, and what do I need to set it up?
PayPal lets us pay teacher-authors in many countries in the same way, in US dollars. To sell with us, you need to be able to receive PayPal payments in US dollars. Your PayPal email address goes on the Seller Details & Payout Form you get after you apply.
- Use a PayPal account in your own name (or your business's name, if you sell as a business).
- Double-check the email address on the form. A typo can delay a payout or send it to the wrong account.
- If your PayPal account holds a currency other than US dollars, check PayPal's own terms for receiving and converting USD.
What is on my monthly statement?
Each payout comes with a statement that lists every sale. Use it to check what sold, at what price, and how the payout was calculated.
A simple monthly routine from experienced sellers: save the statement as a PDF in a folder for that year, match the total to the PayPal payment, and glance down the list for anything unexpected. If something looks wrong, report it within 6 weeks to support@stifo.de so it can be checked while the records are fresh.
Statements are also the backbone of your tax records. See records and taxes for teacher-sellers.
What happens to payouts when a sale is refunded?
If an order is refunded, there is no payout for that sale. If the payout for that sale was already made, the amount is deducted from your next payout and will show on your statement.
Refunds are less likely when buyers know exactly what they're getting. Honest previews, the correct grade level and an answer key that is right all help. Our guide on previews and thumbnails covers this.
The TeachLessons Guarantee is different from a refund: if a customer reports within 30 days that a resource doesn't fit the curriculum or standards they teach, they can get an adapted version for their own use. The original sale stays paid out unless it is refunded.
How are bundles and store-wide sales paid?
Bundles only happen with your approval. Bundle revenue is shared in proportion to the regular prices of the resources inside. Store-wide sales use the price the customer actually paid, so a discounted sale pays 67.9% of the discounted price. You can opt out of store-wide sales by email at any time.
Are taxes taken out of my payouts?
You are responsible for taxes on your own income from sales. If the law requires TeachLessons to withhold tax from a payout, for example German withholding tax on payments to sellers outside Germany, it is deducted and you get a confirmation. Keep that confirmation with your records.
Whether and how you can use such a confirmation depends on your country. We can't give tax advice, so check with a tax advisor in your country.
What if my PayPal email address changes?
Email us at support@stifo.de from the address you signed up with, give the new PayPal email address and say from which payout it should apply. Send the change as early as possible before the 15th, and keep the old PayPal account open until you see a payout arrive at the new one.
Frequently asked questions
When do teacher sellers get paid?
Once a month, by the 15th, for the previous month's sales. Sales made in March are paid by April 15.
How are seller payouts sent?
Via PayPal, in US dollars, with a statement listing every sale.
How much do I get from a $4.99 sale?
$3.39. Your payout per sale is 67.9% of the price: price x 0.97 x 0.70.
What happens if a buyer gets a refund?
There is no payout for that sale. If it was already paid, the amount is deducted from your next payout.
What if my statement looks wrong?
Report it to support@stifo.de within 6 weeks so it can be checked.
Does TeachLessons deduct tax from payouts?
Only if the law requires it, for example German withholding tax on payments to sellers outside Germany. You then get a confirmation. Ask a tax advisor in your country about your own taxes.
Are there any fees on payouts from TeachLessons?
We charge no membership, sign-up, annual, listing or per-resource fee. PayPal's own account terms still apply.
Ready to sell your teaching resources?
Apply with the short form. We email you the seller documents, you send your final files with previews and thumbnails, and we set up your product pages, your author page and landing pages. You keep 70% of net revenue, with no fees and no exclusivity.
Keep reading
General information about the TeachLessons Seller Program, not legal, tax or financial advice. The signed Seller Agreement sets out the binding terms. Questions: support@stifo.de.