FAQ: Payment Settings and Commissions
Ranked #108 in Tech & Geek, #1,806 overall | Donates to Squidoo Charity Fund
Get answers about your Squidoo-earned money
Are you confused about commissions? Experiencing donation snafus? Here are the most frequently asked questions about money and earnings on Squidoo.
If you were directed here by Tisha, our awesome bug sorter outer, and you still weren't able to find an answer, reply to Tisha's email, and she'll take a further look.
Image by crisderaud
If you were directed here by Tisha, our awesome bug sorter outer, and you still weren't able to find an answer, reply to Tisha's email, and she'll take a further look.
Image by crisderaud
View and change payment settings all at once at your Payment Settings Manager
Wait, I can make money from this?!
You bet. Lots of lensmasters are earning thousands of dollars a year.
Squidoo makes money from ads and affiliate links.
There are two ways YOU can make money.
#1 is to sell stuff on your lens from modules like Cafepress, Amazon, and eBay. The commission earned gets split directly with you.
#2 is from Google Ad and Glam ad revenue. This revenue goes into one giant pot, to prevent click fraud, and higher ranking lenses get a larger chunk to reward them for a job well done.
Read more about this on our Money FAQ page.
We give 5% of what we earn, right off the top, to charity. We keep 45% to cover our overhead and stuff.
That leaves 50%. That goes to charity or to the people who build the pages. And we leave it up to you to choose one or the other.
It's that simple. You can earn a dollar, a nickel or a dime at a time for your favorite cause or for you.
Did we mention that Squidoo is free? Always has been.
There are two ways YOU can make money.
#1 is to sell stuff on your lens from modules like Cafepress, Amazon, and eBay. The commission earned gets split directly with you.
#2 is from Google Ad and Glam ad revenue. This revenue goes into one giant pot, to prevent click fraud, and higher ranking lenses get a larger chunk to reward them for a job well done.
Read more about this on our Money FAQ page.
We give 5% of what we earn, right off the top, to charity. We keep 45% to cover our overhead and stuff.
That leaves 50%. That goes to charity or to the people who build the pages. And we leave it up to you to choose one or the other.
It's that simple. You can earn a dollar, a nickel or a dime at a time for your favorite cause or for you.
Did we mention that Squidoo is free? Always has been.
How do I get paid?
A quick overview
Squidoo uses PayPal to send you cash. And if you've selected to send your royalties to charity, we make a donation to them in your name. (Find out more about our growing charity choices below). PayPal serves over 96 million customers in 55 countries and is a trusted eBay company.
At the close of every Squidoo pay period, two things will happen.
1) Squidoo will post a note on your Dashboard with a report of total money earned across your account (for all lenses), and the breakdown of where you're sending it. For example, if you have 2 lenses that pay cash directly to you, but 10 lenses that pay the YMCA, this email report will confirm how much money is going where.
2) If you're to receive cash (and you've reached your Cash Payment Threshold), you'll also get an official email from PayPal with instructions for how to pick up your money. The PayPal email will go to whatever email address you use for Squidoo.
Tip: If you're already using PayPal, you might want to make sure you're using the same email address for both PayPal and Squidoo. It's not a requirement for getting paid, but it could help smooth the way. You can add your existing PayPal email address to our system here. But don't worry. If your royalties are sent to an email address that's different from your already registered PayPal address, you can always go into PayPal, to your Profile settings, and "add" your other email address to that account.
If you don't have a PayPal account yet, the payment email you get from them will include directions for how to claim your Squidoo money. It's fast and simple to sign up. Takes about 30 seconds.
At the close of every Squidoo pay period, two things will happen.
1) Squidoo will post a note on your Dashboard with a report of total money earned across your account (for all lenses), and the breakdown of where you're sending it. For example, if you have 2 lenses that pay cash directly to you, but 10 lenses that pay the YMCA, this email report will confirm how much money is going where.
2) If you're to receive cash (and you've reached your Cash Payment Threshold), you'll also get an official email from PayPal with instructions for how to pick up your money. The PayPal email will go to whatever email address you use for Squidoo.
Tip: If you're already using PayPal, you might want to make sure you're using the same email address for both PayPal and Squidoo. It's not a requirement for getting paid, but it could help smooth the way. You can add your existing PayPal email address to our system here. But don't worry. If your royalties are sent to an email address that's different from your already registered PayPal address, you can always go into PayPal, to your Profile settings, and "add" your other email address to that account.
If you don't have a PayPal account yet, the payment email you get from them will include directions for how to claim your Squidoo money. It's fast and simple to sign up. Takes about 30 seconds.
Important PayPal Points
For the short version, read on. For the long version, read this great blog post.
- We pay only through PayPal. No exceptions on this, sorry. If you can't use PayPal, you can try finding a friend who will help you send the money through their account. Get your free account at PayPal.com.
- Make sure your info is correct. Make sure all your email addresses are associated with your PayPal account, AND, check under PayPal Address on your My Profile tab to make sure we're sending your cash to the right address. If the info is incorrect, returned money defaults to our charity fund.
- Make sure your payment threshold is where you want it. Even if you've earned money, it won't be paid out until you've met your threshold. The default is $10 but we'll go as low as a buck, so check your My Profile tab for details on this.
How do I set up a PayPal account?
Get step-by-step instructions for setting up your PayPal account from one of our top lensmasters, kiwisoutback.-
How to Set Up a PayPal Account
-
PayPal is a checkout feature that allows you to pay for items you have won on eBay or elsewhere online using your own bank account, credit card, or debit card. PayPal conceals the numbers of your accounts so the merchants or other users cannot access...
When do I get paid?
Close to the beginning of every month! If your lenses have generated cash or money for charity, keep an eye on your My Lenses dashboard for a report of your earnings. If you're one of those people who refreshes your screen and keeps an eye on your money like a hawk, consider the 15th the deadline, and anything before that is a bonus!
Your earnings could buy you...
The World of Warcraft expansion pack!
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack
Amazon Price: $32.99 (as of 07/03/2009)
Why did my money go to charity?
Squidoo helps lensmasters support charities in many ways, and there are three main ways your lens might have been set to send its earnings to charity.
- Your global settings list a charity.
Under the My Profile tab of your dashboard, you can set a charity to be your default location to send payments. By changing this setting, you can reset all your lenses to go to cash or the charity of your choice. - You created a lens through a front door that supports a charity.
Several of our front doors (such as SquidWho) help you create a lens by plugging in modules and information. These lenses are often set to send your money to charity. You can change this at any time by editing the lens and changing your payment options in the right column. - The lens was individually set to a charity.
Most often, individual lenses have been set to a charity, and the lensmaster forgets! Check your lenses first to see if this is the case. - You haven't claimed your earnings in over a year.
Since it's hard for us to keep the books and owe many people just a few cents each, our policy is that if you haven't claimed your cash earnings in over a year, they'll go to charity. You can avoid this by changing your payment threshold settings to as little as $1, and earn cash early and often. Learn more about this policy here.
How do I change my payment settings?
If your lens has been set to go to cash and you want to set it to go to a charity OR it's set to go to a charity and you want it to go to cash OR you want to change the charity your money should go to:
1. Log in to your account and edit the lens you wish to change the settings on.
2. Scroll down to the Payment Options section in the right column.
3. Change the settings as per your preferences!
(BTW - if you're trying to change it and you see no drop down menus, file a bug report stating you have a Payment Options glitch, and be sure to include your username and the lens URL. Thanks!)
1. Log in to your account and edit the lens you wish to change the settings on.
2. Scroll down to the Payment Options section in the right column.
3. Change the settings as per your preferences!
(BTW - if you're trying to change it and you see no drop down menus, file a bug report stating you have a Payment Options glitch, and be sure to include your username and the lens URL. Thanks!)
My earnings went to the wrong PayPal address.
Ensuring your PayPal address is correct is important! You'll find several reminders about this in your profile and lens workshop. If your payment was sent to your Squidoo account address, instead of an alternate address, you can still collect your payment.If you have access to the address you received the payment at, just check the message for details on claiming the money. You'll see a link that looks like this:
Click it and follow the directions to add the new PayPal address to your account. You should then be able to collect the funds from that email to your account. You can contact PayPal direction with technical issues regarding their site.
Then, change your PayPal address in your Squidoo account. Click on the My Profile tab in your dashboard and scroll down to the PayPal Address line. Click edit, and enter your email address of choice. All future payments will go to the address you have selected in your account.
I've had a lens for a while but it hasn't earned any money.
Squidoo gives you the opportunity to earn money by selling products through modules and ranking well (LensRank) compared to other lenses. But just having a lens won't guarantee you money.
There is a lot of debate among lensmasters about how best to make money on Squidoo, and the top suggestions are these:
1. Give it time. As your lenses become more popular, their earnings will tend to increase. Our highest earning lensmasters have been working hard for a year or more, and things are always getting better.
2. Make sure your lenses are the best they can be. This will keep visitors coming back and give them incentive to link to you.
3. Promote your lens. Helping others find it will increase the chances that they'll buy from it and share it with others.
Squidoo is not and was never designed to be a get-rich-quick program, but through hard work and smart work, you can earn mega bucks for yourself and charity!
There is a lot of debate among lensmasters about how best to make money on Squidoo, and the top suggestions are these:
1. Give it time. As your lenses become more popular, their earnings will tend to increase. Our highest earning lensmasters have been working hard for a year or more, and things are always getting better.
2. Make sure your lenses are the best they can be. This will keep visitors coming back and give them incentive to link to you.
3. Promote your lens. Helping others find it will increase the chances that they'll buy from it and share it with others.
Squidoo is not and was never designed to be a get-rich-quick program, but through hard work and smart work, you can earn mega bucks for yourself and charity!
Your earnings could send you...
To New York for a weekend! (Home of Squidoo)
The money I made doesn't match my dashboard
Squidoo works with several partners to facilitate the earning process. This also means we work on their time frame for payments, and we pay you once we get paid.For most of our affiliates, there is about 45-day wait. This means that in July you'll get the money you earned in May. For some, there is a 60-day wait, so there's a two month lag.
Your dashboard only includes affiliates, and your stats page only includes eBay, Cafepress, and Amazon. It doesn't include revenue earned by AdSense or Glam ads. This is why your dashboard figures don't always add up to the money you were paid out.
We're working all the time to make our reporting systems better. Thanks for working with us!
Image by shuttermom
I referred a member - why haven't I earned my $5?
Squidoo offers a bounty on new referrals. Once your referred members earn $15 in commissions through their own lenses, you get $5. Neat! You can see how much they have earned by looking in the Stats tab of your dashboard.
Why not drop them a line and encourage them to create another lens?
Why not drop them a line and encourage them to create another lens?
It says I haven't reached my "cash threshold payout".
Each lensmaster starts with a default threshold of $10. That means you won't get paid until your cash earnings reach $10 or more. But you can change this any time in your My Profile tab of your dashboard.
It's actually to your benefit to collect earnings often and at low amounts. If you don't collect any payments for a year, your earnings will go to charity. Read more about our unclaimed earnings policy.
For a more detailed description of the threshold system, read the first point of our payment help section.
It's actually to your benefit to collect earnings often and at low amounts. If you don't collect any payments for a year, your earnings will go to charity. Read more about our unclaimed earnings policy.
For a more detailed description of the threshold system, read the first point of our payment help section.
Why don't my actual earnings match my stats?
At Squidoo we do our best to make sure you get accurate statistics reporting, but on the financial side that isn't always possible. The good news is that you should be receiving more than shows on your dashboard.
Why is that? Sometimes revenue from eBay, Amazon, Cafepress, etc., is underestimated. The biggest reason is that Google AdSense and Glam Ad revenue isn't counted on your stats page.
Since ad revenue is paid out on a prorated basis (the better your lens does in LensRank, the more you make), we don't know what you'll get until the end of the month, so it doesn't show up on your lens. This is good for you!
Why is that? Sometimes revenue from eBay, Amazon, Cafepress, etc., is underestimated. The biggest reason is that Google AdSense and Glam Ad revenue isn't counted on your stats page.
Since ad revenue is paid out on a prorated basis (the better your lens does in LensRank, the more you make), we don't know what you'll get until the end of the month, so it doesn't show up on your lens. This is good for you!
Can I use my own affiliate links and ads on Squidoo?
We offer several money-making modules through big-name affiliates (Cafepress, eBay, Amazon, etc). The total commission made from each sale is split up. Five percent off the top goes to our charity. Yay! The remainder is split 50-50. Squidoo gets 50% to run the site, and you get 50% to play with.
Several advanced users also become affiliates for websites and products not yet offered through one of our money making modules. This allows them to offer additional products that match their niche topics.
If you choose to do this, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Several advanced users also become affiliates for websites and products not yet offered through one of our money making modules. This allows them to offer additional products that match their niche topics.
If you choose to do this, here are some tips to keep in mind.
- Any third-party affiliates you wish to add are at your own risk.
- We can't offer assistance with link or coding problems that stem from these affiliates.
- Commissions don't show up on your dashboard, nor can we track them for you.
- Many modules allow you to add some HTML codes. We do not support iFrames or JavaScript or Flash.
- The same rules apply. See our Terms of Service for more details.
- Don't fall into the spam trap! See Squid Don't for rules. If you're not sure, don't do it.
- Need help? Ask a fellow lensmaster at the forum. (But check with your affiliate first. We might not have the answer!)
Your earnings could buy you...
an awesome Squidoo shirt!
Squidoo = w00t Sweatshirt
Price: 31.99
Kids Already Famous on Squidoo Kids Light T-Shirt
Price: 15.99
Squidoo Tote Bag
Price: 14.99
Why did the money disappear off my dashboard?
Each month we process payment sometime between the 1st and the 15th for everything you earned two months prior. (So money earned in January is paid in March.) When this happens your dashboard is cleared of everything paid in that month. (So January's earnings disappear.) If you haven't earned anything in the previous month, (February, for example), your dashboard will appear blank.
But the money isn't gone! Every time we process payment it either goes to you (your PayPal account), the charities you chose, or your reserve hopper.
But the money isn't gone! Every time we process payment it either goes to you (your PayPal account), the charities you chose, or your reserve hopper.
I've had lots of visitors but no earnings
Squidoo doesn't pay based on traffic, so it's possible a popular lens isn't making any cash yet. Try adding some moneymaking modules, such as Amazon, eBay, or Cafepress.
So what's this tiers thing all about?
For the official description on tiers, visit http://www.squidoo.com/pages/moneyfaq.
What is the deal with my reserve hopper?
You can choose the minimum limit that is paid out to you each month in cash. If your earnings don't reach that minimum, the money goes into your reserve hopper. It stays here until you change your limit, and/or we process payment again and you reach your limit.
The minimum we'll pay out is $1, so if you've earned less than that, you'll have to wait until you reach a buck to get paid. The default setting is $10, so if you've earned more than a dollar but haven't gotten paid, go to the My Account tab of your dashboard to change your settings.
If there is money in your reserve hopper, you'll see a small blue box on your dashboard. (And if not, there'll be no box.)
The minimum we'll pay out is $1, so if you've earned less than that, you'll have to wait until you reach a buck to get paid. The default setting is $10, so if you've earned more than a dollar but haven't gotten paid, go to the My Account tab of your dashboard to change your settings.
If there is money in your reserve hopper, you'll see a small blue box on your dashboard. (And if not, there'll be no box.)
Do I ever have to PAY Squidoo?
No!
Let me clarify.
When you earn money through your lenses, 5% off the top goes to charity. That's our mission. The remainder is split 50-50 between Squidoo and you, and that helps us run the site. So that's the only type of payment we take.
But, you never have to pay to use Squidoo or learn to use Squidoo. Some lensmasters have created guides for using Squidoo that cost money, or will build lenses for you for a fee. We don't endorse these services. But some of them are very good! Just keep in mind that if you buy them, you'll need to talk directly to the person you bought it from.
We provide free resources all over Squidoo to keep it free for you. The top two places to start? Our peer driven forum on SquidU and The Answer Deck.
Let me clarify.
When you earn money through your lenses, 5% off the top goes to charity. That's our mission. The remainder is split 50-50 between Squidoo and you, and that helps us run the site. So that's the only type of payment we take.
But, you never have to pay to use Squidoo or learn to use Squidoo. Some lensmasters have created guides for using Squidoo that cost money, or will build lenses for you for a fee. We don't endorse these services. But some of them are very good! Just keep in mind that if you buy them, you'll need to talk directly to the person you bought it from.
We provide free resources all over Squidoo to keep it free for you. The top two places to start? Our peer driven forum on SquidU and The Answer Deck.
How do I get paid with my AdSense account?
AdSense code is generated automatically by Squidoo, so there's nothing you need to do. (The code doesn't work in our modules.) Read #9 here to see how this gets divvied up.
How do the taxes work?
Since you're earning commission through Squidoo, and have the option to send it to charity, your earnings don't work the same as they do with your "normal" job.
- If you send your earnings to charity, you won't receive any income, and therefore won't claim the donation. In order to claim that you donated your earnings to charity, you must actually first take ownership of the funds, and then dispense them on your own. Since Squidoo does this on your behalf, it's a wash. You don't claim the earnings, and you don't claim the deduction.
- If you receive cash from Squidoo you must claim it as income. If you're in the US and earn less than $600, check with your accountant for advice on how to claim these earnings. If you are in the US and earn more than $600 in a year, we'll need your Tax ID info so we can send you a 1099, which you'll need to claim on your tax return. If you live outside the US, check with your country or state to find out what rules apply to this type of income.
- If you receive cash and give it to charity, you will claim both the cash as income AND the deduction. It's like any other money you earn.
Did this help?
As we add more ways to make money, payment can seem tricky. You can get help from peers at our SquidU Forum, or to contact us officially, leave a note at our feedback page.
For general questions, feel free to leave them here, but keep in mind it may be a few days before we're able to get back to you. (Or if you're not logged in, we won't be able to find you!) For best results, use our feedback page.
deredel wrote...
Good Clarity and transparency in business.. kudos Squidoo team :)
Posted June 18, 2009
SquidooKimberly wrote...
in reply to ProfessorBeach
You can visit http://www.squidoo.com/charity-sign-up for qualification details and application criteria. Thanks!
Posted June 05, 2009
ProfessorBeach wrote...
What if my favorite charity is not listed? How do I add a charity not on your list?
Posted June 04, 2009
More questions you've asked.
Do we earn for page impressions?
No. Simply loading a page doesn't earn you money.15 points
Are Amazon, Cafe Press and Ebay the only ways to make money THROUGH Squidoo?
We're always working on other money-making modules more...9 points
by SquidooKimberly
I'm Kimberly, your Community & Charity Organizer on Squidoo. Check out these lenses for more helpful tips on using your favorite internet service - Sq... (more)
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