Cashing out credits on VestaVids

What you receive

When a buyer spends credits in your store, the credits are added to your balance. A buyer pays one dollar per credit; you cash out at 75 cents per credit. A clip priced at 20 credits brings you $15 when cashed out. The difference covers the cost of running the credit system and the instant unlock it gives buyers.

Direct payments through your own links are different: VestaVids takes nothing, and the whole amount reaches you through your processor, subject to that processor's own fees. Both routes have a place, and most creators offer both.

Cashing out

Your balance accumulates until you request a cash-out. Check the current minimums, methods and timing in your account before you plan around a date; these details can change and the account page is the authority. The general shape is that you request a payout and it is sent by the method you have set up.

Keep your payout details current and your email verified. A stale payout method is the most common reason a cash-out is delayed.

Deciding how to steer buyers

Because direct payment pays you more per dollar and credits convert faster, think about which you want to encourage:

• If most of your sales are small, credits may bring you more buyers than you lose to the rate, because the friction of a separate payment stops impulse purchases.
• If your sales are larger, or you have regulars who already pay you directly, nudge those buyers toward your links and keep credits for new buyers.
• Set one price that works for either route, and state your preference on your profile. Many buyers will pay direct if asked plainly.

Records, tax and problems

Keep your own ledger of credit sales, cash-outs received, and direct payments, with dates. Your VestaVids account shows credit activity, but your processors show direct payments separately, and only you can see the whole picture. This matters for knowing what sells, for noticing a missing payout, and for tax.

Income from selling clips is income, whether it arrives as a credit cash-out or a direct payment. How it is taxed, what you must report, what you can deduct and whether you need to register as a business depend on where you live and how much you earn. Set aside a portion of everything you cash out from the start, keep the ledger above, and ask an accountant who works with self-employed people about your situation. It is far cheaper than finding out at the end of the year.

If a cash-out does not arrive in the expected time, check your payout details first, then contact support through the site and keep the request reference. If you believe a buyer's credit purchase was fraudulent or a review is abusive, use the report function; reports are read by a person.