> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.hoopai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Affiliate payouts

> Review, approve, and process affiliate commission payouts. Pay affiliates manually via CSV export or automate disbursements using the PayPal integration.

The Payouts section of the Affiliate Manager handles the full commission payment workflow — from reviewing pending amounts to disbursing funds to affiliates. Commissions accumulate automatically as sales are recorded, and payouts are processed according to your configured schedule.

Navigate to **Marketing > Affiliate Manager > Payouts** to manage your payout pipeline.

***

## Payout tabs

The Payouts section is organized into three tabs corresponding to the stages of the payout lifecycle:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Pending" icon="clock">
    Commissions that have been earned but not yet reviewed. These accumulate throughout the month and appear here for your review and approval.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Approved for payout" icon="circle-check">
    Commissions you have reviewed and marked as approved. Ready to be paid out via CSV export or PayPal.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Paid" icon="check-double">
    Completed payouts that have been marked as paid. Provides a permanent record of all commission disbursements.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Understanding the payout cycle

Commissions are recorded in real time as sales occur. The payout cycle determines when those commissions become available for review and payment.

By default, pending payouts for a given month become available for review at the start of the following month — for example, commissions earned in March appear in the Pending tab on April 1. This gives time for any refunds or chargebacks to be processed before commissions are paid out.

You can configure the payout schedule and minimum payout threshold under **Affiliate Manager > Settings**.

***

## Reviewing and approving payouts

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Pending tab">
    Go to **Payouts > Pending** to see all commissions awaiting your review. The table shows each affiliate's name, email, campaign, payout month, and commission amount.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review commission details">
    Click the three-dot menu next to any affiliate's payout row and select **View Commissions** to see the full breakdown — individual sales, dates, amounts, and associated contacts.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve eligible payouts">
    For affiliates whose commissions are correct and ready to pay, click **Approve for Payout** (or check the box next to their name and use the bulk approval action). Approved payouts move to the **Approved for Payout** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deny payouts when needed">
    If a commission should not be paid (for example, due to a refund, dispute, or policy violation), click **Deny** from the three-dot menu. Denied commissions are removed from the payout queue and a record is kept in the affiliate's history.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Processing payments

Once payouts are in the Approved for Payout tab, you have two options for processing the actual payment.

### Manual payout via CSV export

<Steps>
  <Step title="Export the approved payouts">
    In the **Approved for Payout** tab, click **Export** to download a CSV file. The file includes each affiliate's name, email, commission amount, currency, and payout month.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Process payment externally">
    Upload the CSV to your payment gateway (PayPal Mass Pay, Stripe, bank transfer tool, or any other batch payment system you use).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Mark as paid">
    Return to the Approved for Payout tab, select the affiliates whose payments you have sent, and click **Mark as Paid**. These records move to the **Paid** tab and the affiliates' payout history is updated.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Automated PayPal payouts

For hands-free payment processing, connect a PayPal Business account to automate the disbursement step.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect PayPal">
    Go to **Affiliate Manager > Settings** and click **Connect PayPal**. Authorize the connection with your PayPal Business account credentials.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Ensure affiliates have PayPal accounts linked">
    For automated payouts to work, each affiliate must have their PayPal email address saved in their affiliate profile. Affiliates can add their PayPal details through their portal, or you can add it manually from the affiliate's record in the Affiliates section.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pay via PayPal">
    In the **Approved for Payout** tab, select the affiliates you want to pay (or select all), and click **Pay**. The platform initiates PayPal transfers to each affiliate simultaneously.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm and monitor">
    Successful PayPal transfers move to the **Paid** tab automatically. Transactions where PayPal is still processing show as "Pending" until the transfer clears — this is a PayPal processing delay, not an error.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  PayPal automated payouts can only be sent to affiliates who have a valid PayPal account linked. The platform will flag any approved affiliates without a PayPal account connected so you can follow up with them before processing the batch.
</Note>

***

## Payout settings

Configure your payout preferences under **Affiliate Manager > Settings**:

| Setting                | Description                                                                          |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Payout schedule        | How frequently payouts are processed (monthly, bi-monthly, custom)                   |
| Minimum threshold      | The minimum commission amount required before a payout is triggered for an affiliate |
| Default payment method | Set PayPal as the default payout method when available                               |

Setting a minimum threshold avoids processing small payouts that cost more in payment fees than the payout amount itself. Commissions below the threshold accumulate and are paid out once the affiliate reaches the minimum.

***

## Manual sales

If a sale occurred outside the platform's tracking (for example, a phone order, in-person sale, or third-party transaction), you can add it to an affiliate's record manually:

1. Go to the affiliate's profile in the **Affiliates** section
2. Click **Add Manual Sale**
3. Enter the sale amount and date
4. The manual sale generates a commission that will appear in the Pending tab on the next payout cycle

<Tip>
  Export your full paid payout history monthly and store it separately as an accounting record. The Paid tab in the Affiliate Manager provides a record of all completed payouts, but maintaining an external backup simplifies end-of-year reconciliation for tax and accounting purposes.
</Tip>

***

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="When do commissions appear in the Pending tab?">
    Commissions are recorded immediately when a sale is tracked. They appear in the Pending tab at the start of the following month (or per your custom payout schedule). This delay allows time for refund windows to close before commissions are paid out.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I process payouts more than once per month?">
    Yes. You can approve and process payouts at any time — the default monthly cycle is a guide, not a hard limit. If you want to run weekly or bi-monthly payouts, simply review and approve the Pending tab at your preferred frequency.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to commissions when a sale is refunded?">
    If a sale is refunded and the commission has not yet been paid out, the commission should be denied in the Pending tab before processing. If the commission has already been paid, you will need to handle the clawback manually outside the platform (for example, by deducting from the affiliate's next payout cycle).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can affiliates see the status of their pending payouts?">
    Yes. Affiliates can log in to their portal and view their commission history, including which commissions are pending, approved, or paid. They cannot approve or deny their own payouts — only the account admin can take those actions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a transaction fee for PayPal automated payouts?">
    PayPal charges transaction fees for business payments — typically a percentage of the transfer amount plus a flat fee, which varies by country and account type. Check PayPal's current fee schedule for mass payments. These fees are charged by PayPal, not by the HoopAI platform.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## PayPal auto payouts setup (detailed)

### Connecting PayPal for automated payouts

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get a PayPal Business account">
    Automated payouts require a PayPal Business account (not a personal account). If you do not have one, upgrade at business.paypal.com.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect in Affiliate Manager">
    Go to **Marketing > Affiliate Manager > Settings** and click **Connect PayPal**. Authorize the connection using your PayPal Business account credentials.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the connection">
    After connecting, the settings page shows your PayPal account status as "Connected." You can disconnect and reconnect at any time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Ensure affiliates have PayPal linked">
    For each affiliate to receive automated payments, they must have their PayPal email saved in their affiliate profile. Remind affiliates to set this up in their portal under the **Payout** section.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Processing automated payouts

1. Go to **Payouts > Approved for Payout**
2. Select the affiliates to pay (or select all)
3. Click **Pay** — the platform initiates PayPal transfers to each selected affiliate simultaneously
4. Successful transfers move to the **Paid** tab automatically
5. If a transfer fails (invalid PayPal email, account issue), it remains in the Approved tab with an error message

<Note>
  PayPal charges transaction fees for business payments (typically 2-3% plus a flat fee per transaction). These fees are charged by PayPal, not by the HoopAI platform. Check PayPal's current fee schedule for mass payments.
</Note>

***

## Bulk actions for commissions

Process multiple commission actions at once from the Payouts tab:

### Bulk approve

1. Go to **Payouts > Pending**
2. Check the boxes next to the affiliates you want to approve (or use the **Select All** checkbox)
3. Click **Approve Selected** — all checked affiliates' commissions move to the Approved tab

### Bulk deny

1. Select the commissions to deny
2. Click **Deny Selected**
3. Optionally add a reason for the denial (visible in the affiliate's commission history)

### Bulk mark as paid

1. Go to **Payouts > Approved for Payout**
2. Select all affiliates who have been paid externally (bank transfer, check, etc.)
3. Click **Mark as Paid** — records move to the Paid tab

<Tip>
  Process payouts at the same time each month for consistency. Affiliates who know when to expect payment stay more engaged and motivated. Set a calendar reminder for your payout processing day.
</Tip>