Understanding Your Payouts

Everything you need to know about how TripEngine handles payments and what you'll receive for each booking.

How your payout is calculated

When a buyer pays a milestone, the full amount goes to TripEngine's platform account. Your payout is that amount minus TripEngine's platform fee.

Example: Buyer pays $5,000 deposit → TripEngine fee (8%) = $400 → Your payout = $4,600

The platform fee covers marketplace access, client matching, order management tools, and all Stripe payment processing costs. There are no additional payment processing fees deducted from your payout.

Setting your prices

Your milestone amounts are what your client pays — not what you receive. When building your payment plan, make sure each milestone amount reflects what you actually need to collect from this client to cover your obligations.

How you structure your pricing is entirely your business. Whether you build in margin, pass through supplier costs, earn commissions from suppliers, or charge a planning fee — TripEngine doesn't prescribe how you price. What matters is that your milestones cover what you need to collect.

The math to keep in mind: If you need $4,600 to cover a supplier deposit, you need to set your milestone at $5,000 (to receive $4,600 after the 8% fee). Price your milestones to reflect what you need to collect, not just what you're paying out.

The payout process

Payment processing fees

All Stripe payment processing fees on buyer payments are covered by TripEngine and included in the platform fee. You receive the clean payout amount shown — no surprises.

Withdrawing from your Stripe account

Once funds arrive in your connected Stripe Express account, Stripe handles the payout to your bank automatically on your configured schedule.

These bank payout fees are charged by Stripe to your connected account, not by TripEngine.

Connecting your bank account

To receive payouts, you need to connect a bank account through Stripe's secure onboarding. Go to **Dashboard → Payouts** and click "Connect Bank Account." You'll be guided through Stripe's verification process.

Stripe requires identity verification before enabling payouts. This is a regulatory requirement and typically takes a few minutes.

Payout timing and planning

Plan your cashflow around payout timing. A typical flow:

If you have supplier payment deadlines, build in enough lead time when scheduling your milestone due dates.

Questions about a specific payout

Contact support@tripengine.net with your order number and we'll look into it.