How to Get Your Twitch Payout: A Step-by-Step Guide
Unlock your earnings. This guide simplifies the entire Twitch payout process, from meeting requirements to receiving your funds reliably.
Twitch payouts are the earnings streamers receive from their content. Understanding this process is key for monetizing efforts. This guide outlines the steps to successfully obtain your Twitch payout.
Meeting Payout Eligibility
Streamers must meet specific eligibility criteria before receiving funds. The first milestone for most streamers is achieving Twitch Affiliate status. To qualify, a streamer must accumulate at least 50 followers, stream for eight hours across seven days, and maintain an average of three concurrent viewers within 30 days. Meeting these benchmarks unlocks monetization features through the Affiliate program.
Advancing beyond Affiliate status, streamers can aim for Twitch Partner status, which requires greater commitment and audience reach. Partner eligibility requires sustained performance: 25 hours over 12 unique broadcast days within 30 days, maintaining an average of 75 concurrent viewers, after achieving Affiliate status. After reaching Affiliate or Partner status, a minimum earnings threshold must be met. This threshold is generally $50 for most payout methods, including ACH/direct deposit, eCheck/local bank, PayPal, and traditional checks. Wire transfers require a higher minimum of $100 due to associated fees.
Providing Payout Information
Once eligibility for payouts is established, streamers must provide accurate financial and tax information to Twitch. This involves a tax information interview for U.S. and international reporting. U.S. residents typically complete an IRS Form W-9, while non-U.S. residents complete an IRS Form W-8BEN.
During this interview, streamers must provide their full legal name, permanent address, and a valid Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), such as a Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN). This information must precisely match official legal documentation to prevent processing delays or potential tax withholding of up to 30% on earnings. The tax interview is accessed within the Creator Dashboard’s Affiliate or Partner section. Tax forms can take several days to validate, sometimes up to two to three weeks.
Following the tax information submission, streamers must set up their preferred payout method. Twitch offers several options, including ACH/direct deposit, PayPal, wire transfer, check, or the option to hold payments.
For direct deposit (ACH), which is available for U.S. residents, providing the bank account number and routing number (ABA number) is necessary. If PayPal is chosen, only the associated PayPal email address is required. Wire transfers, often used for larger international payouts, necessitate comprehensive bank details such as the bank name, SWIFT/BIC code, and potentially an International Bank Account Number (IBAN).
Streamers can select or change their payout method within the Affiliate/Partner settings in their Creator Dashboard. Any changes made to the payout method take effect immediately but may not apply to the upcoming payment cycle if submitted less than seven days before payment processing begins.
Receiving Your Payout
After meeting eligibility and setting up payout information, streamers receive earnings according to Twitch’s standard payment schedule. Payouts are generally processed around the 15th of each month, covering revenue from the previous calendar month. This “net 15” basis means funds are released about 15 days after the month’s close. Streamers must ensure accumulated earnings surpass the minimum payout threshold ($50 for most methods, $100 for wire transfers); if not, the balance rolls over.
Once Twitch initiates the payout, the time it takes for funds to appear in a streamer’s account varies by the chosen method. Direct deposits (ACH) typically process within one to four business days, while PayPal transfers usually complete in one to two business days. E-checks or local bank payouts generally take one to two business days, and wire transfers can take one to three business days, depending on the recipient’s bank. Traditional checks tend to have the longest delivery times.
The total processing time from when Twitch marks a payment as “Submitted” or “Paid” can extend up to 10 business days, with weekends and public holidays potentially prolonging the process. Streamers can monitor the status of their payouts and review detailed breakdowns of their earnings within the Payout History dashboard in their Creator Dashboard.
Addressing Payout Delays
Despite careful preparation, payout delays can occasionally occur, disrupting the expected flow of funds. Common reasons for these delays include incorrect or outdated payment information, bank holidays, or issues with tax documentation. A payout might also be held if the minimum earnings threshold was not met for the processing cycle. Twitch does not re-send payments between monthly cycles if an issue caused a rejection.
To investigate a delayed payout, streamers should consult their Payout History dashboard for status updates or rejection messages. Verify that all entered payment details, such as bank account numbers, routing numbers, or PayPal email addresses, are accurate and current. Additionally, confirming that the tax information interview was completed correctly and has been fully validated can resolve many issues. If a payout remains delayed beyond the typical 10 business days after submission, and no clear reason is apparent, streamers can then contact Twitch Support for further assistance. When reaching out to support, providing detailed information about the expected payout and any observed status in the dashboard can help expedite the inquiry.