Selling issues through VerseDB Studio runs on Stripe. You connect a Stripe account to your publisher, VerseDB collects the payment from the buyer, and your share transfers to you on each sale.
Setting up payouts#
Payouts are set up per publisher, and only that publisher's owner can set them up. If your publisher isn't linked to your account yet, claim it at studio.versedb.com/claim-publisher — we verify every claim by hand to confirm you hold the rights to the publisher before granting access.
Turn on two-factor authentication on your VerseDB account before you start — Studio blocks payout setup without it. It's under Two-Factor Auth in your account settings.
Then open Payouts in Studio and click Set up payouts. Stripe takes it from there: business details, identity verification, and the bank account you want paid into. Back in Studio, each publisher shows one of three states.
- Not connected — nothing started yet.
- Onboarding started, not finished — Stripe still needs something from you. Click Continue in Stripe to pick up where you left off.
- Ready — charges enabled — you can sell. If it also reads payouts pending, Stripe is still verifying something before money can move to your bank. Sales still work in the meantime.
Until a publisher reaches Ready, its paid issues can't be bought.
How sales pay out#
Buyers pay VerseDB through Stripe Checkout, and your share transfers to your connected Stripe account as part of that same payment. There's no invoicing step, no payout request, and no monthly minimum.
VerseDB's platform fee is 20% of the sale price. We're waiving it during launch, so you currently receive the full amount the buyer paid.
The launch waiver is temporary. We'll tell publishers before the 20% fee starts applying.
Everything after the transfer is yours to manage in the Stripe Express Dashboard: payout schedule, bank details, tax forms, and 1099s. Stripe pays out on its own schedule rather than one VerseDB sets.
Refunds#
When VerseDB refunds a buyer, the transfer for that sale is reversed. Your share comes back out of your Stripe balance and the buyer loses access to the edition.
A reversal can land after the money has already paid out to your bank. If your Stripe balance doesn't cover it, Stripe carries the amount against your next payout.
Refunds are issued by VerseDB support, so there's no refund control in your Studio dashboard. If a buyer contacts you directly about one, send them to our support page.
Disputes and chargebacks#
If a buyer disputes a charge with their bank, the purchase is marked disputed and their access to the edition is suspended while it's open.
- Dispute won — access is restored and the sale stands.
- Dispute lost — the purchase is treated as refunded and the buyer's access stays revoked.
VerseDB handles the dispute with Stripe. We may ask you for details about the edition — what the buyer received, when it was published, how many pages — to put the response together. Banks give short windows, so a quick reply matters.
Questions about a payment#
Payment and risk questions come to VerseDB, not Stripe. Use the contact form on our support page and include the publisher name and the issue involved.
For bank details, payout timing, or tax documents, go to the Stripe Express Dashboard instead — Stripe emails you the link when you finish onboarding.
