Stripe Connect direct payouts
Stripe Connect is the fastest, lowest-fee payout method for affiliates in Stripe-supported countries. Affiliates onboard via Stripe Express (5 min, OAuth-based), and payouts settle direct to their connected Stripe account.
Why Stripe Connect over PayPal
| Stripe Connect | PayPal API | |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement | Direct to bank, 2-7 days | PayPal balance, instant |
| Fees (US/EU) | 0.25% + $0.25 / payout | 2% capped |
| Onboarding | Stripe Express (KYC handled by Stripe) | PayPal account required |
| Country coverage | 40+ countries | 200+ countries |
| Affiliate UX | One-time OAuth onboarding | Affiliate provides email |
If your affiliates are mostly in Stripe-supported countries (US/CA/UK/EU/AU/etc.), Stripe Connect is usually the better choice. For broad international payouts, PayPal still wins on country coverage.
Prerequisites
- Stripe Business account (free)
- Stripe Connect enabled on your account (dashboard.stripe.com/connect/accounts/overview)
- Your Stripe API keys (Live, not Test)
Connect in WordPress
Affiliates → Settings → Payouts → Stripe Connect:
- Paste your Stripe Secret key (
sk_live_...) - Paste your Stripe Publishable key (
pk_live_...) - Set Connect platform branding — name + logo shown to affiliates during Stripe Express onboarding
- Save + Test connection — confirms your keys are valid + Connect is enabled
Affiliate onboarding flow
When you enable Stripe Connect as a payout method, affiliates see a Connect Stripe button in their portal:
- Affiliate clicks Connect Stripe
- Redirected to Stripe Express (your branding)
- They provide business / personal details + ID for KYC
- Stripe approves (usually instant; up to 24h for some countries)
- Redirected back to their Asteris portal — Stripe Connect is now linked
Once connected, payouts go direct to their bank via their Stripe account.
Schedule batches
Same as PayPal API: Settings → Payouts → Schedule → frequency, day, minimum threshold.
When the batch runs, the plugin calls POST /v1/transfers per affiliate via your Stripe key, with their connected account as the destination.
Encryption + security
Stripe Secret key encrypted at rest (AES-256-CBC, same pattern as PayPal credentials). Never logged, never sent to our servers.
Failed transfers
If Stripe rejects a transfer (e.g. affiliate’s Stripe account suspended), the payout is marked failed in Payouts → Failed. The plugin doesn’t automatically retry — review and retry manually or switch the affiliate to another method.
Fees
Stripe Connect Express charges Stripe’s standard payout fee (typically 0.25% + $0.25/payout in US/EU). The fee is paid by you (the platform), not the affiliate.
Compare to PayPal: 2% capped per transaction. Stripe is cheaper for most batch sizes.
Refunds + chargebacks
If a referred order is refunded after the commission has been paid via Stripe Connect, the plugin queues a reversal against the affiliate’s next payout. See Refunds + chargebacks →.
When to use PayPal instead
- Your affiliates are in countries Stripe doesn’t support
- Your affiliates already have PayPal accounts and prefer not to onboard with Stripe
- You need instant settlement (PayPal balance shows immediately; Stripe takes 2-7 days to bank)