Getting started as a creator

A 5-step walkthrough from signup to your first sale. Each step takes a few minutes; the whole flow is usually under 30 minutes including Stripe verification.

Create your account

Sign up with email or Google. The account you use becomes the owner of your creator profile, merch store, and any courses you publish.

Pick your handle + display name

Your handle is the URL slug people see in /c/{handle}. Lowercase, dashes only. Your display name is what shows in the header — change it any time. If you've signed up but haven't done this yet, the prompt appears the first time you visit your dashboard.

Connect Stripe to receive payments

We use urSynergy Payments to route every sale directly to your bank account. We never hold your money. Onboarding takes about 5 minutes — government ID and bank details. Until this step is complete, the "Support" button on your profile and the Buy buttons on your products stay hidden.

Add your first product or course

Merch: a t-shirt, print, or accessory you fulfill yourself. Stripe collects the shipping address; you ship the order. Course: lessons (video / text / quiz) sold individually or grouped. You can mark some lessons as a "free preview" so visitors can sample before they buy.

Share your storefront

Your URL is /c/{handle} — drop it on your social bios, your website footer, your video descriptions. Anyone who lands there sees your latest products, courses, and a Support button if Stripe is ready.

You're live. Now what?

Share /c/{handle} on social media — every visitor sees your products + can leave a tip.
Your products surface platform-wide on /shop for buyers browsing the marketplace.
Your courses surface on /courses/browse.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the platform take?

On merch and course sales, standard creators keep 55% and verified nonprofits keep 70%. Ad revenue is shared separately: creators keep 60%. These rates are set by the platform and may change with notice. There are no listing fees and no monthly fees.

When do I get paid?

Stripe transfers funds to your bank account on a rolling schedule — typically 2 business days after each sale clears. You can see pending + paid balances in your Stripe Express dashboard, linked from /dashboard/creator/payouts.

Do donations also unlock ad-free for the donor?

Yes. Any one-time donation of $5–$49 gives the donor 30 days ad-free across the platform. $50 or more grants 365 days. Active monthly recurring donors stay ad-free while subscribed.

Can I sell internationally?

Yes — urSynergy Payments supports buyers worldwide. Shipping address collection works in 8+ countries at MVP (US, CA, GB, AU, DE, FR, JP, MX). For other countries, contact support to expand the list.

What if I want to refund a buyer?

Refunds happen through your Stripe dashboard. Once processed, our system auto-updates the order/enrollment status — merch orders flip to "refunded" (you no longer need to ship), course enrollments revoke access.

What if a buyer disputes a charge?

You'll get an email from Stripe with a window to submit evidence. We flag the disputed order in your dashboard so you don't accidentally ship; the buyer keeps access pending the dispute resolution. If you lose the dispute, the order auto-refunds.

Stuck on something?

If Stripe rejected your onboarding, the dashboard banner shows what they need (usually a clearer government ID or bank statement). If a checkout button isn't appearing on your profile, that's the Stripe gate — onboarding isn't complete yet. For anything else, email us via the contact page.