Switching to Stripe payouts
We're moving sellers onto Stripe payouts in stages. It helps us meet New Zealand and Australian anti-money-laundering requirements, and it brings the biggest change to selling on Fetch in a while: the money you earn here becomes money you can spend here, with no card surcharge. Here's everything that changes, and what stays the same.
At a glance
New
Spend your balance
Buy cards on Fetch straight from your balance. No card, and no card surcharge.
Faster
Sales land straight away
Your payout reaches your balance as soon as the buyer pays, and you can see it live.
Secure
Verified by Stripe
Stripe verifies your identity and bank details once, then pays your withdrawals into your bank account.
The reason
Why we're making the change
Anti-money-laundering rules in New Zealand and Australia mean a marketplace that pays sellers needs to know who it's paying and where the money goes. Until now we've handled that ourselves: checking documents by hand, holding your money in between, and paying it out in batches.
With Stripe payouts, Stripe, a regulated payment provider, verifies your identity and bank account once, as part of setting up payouts. It then holds your balance and pays your withdrawals directly. That gives us a stronger and simpler way to meet those requirements than doing it all by hand.
More building, less paperwork
We're a small team. Every hour we don't spend on compliance admin is an hour we can spend on the features you keep asking for. Moving payouts to Stripe frees up a lot of those hours.
The big one
Spend your balance on Fetch
On Stripe payouts, your balance isn't just money waiting to be withdrawn. When you buy cards on Fetch, choose Pay with your Fetch balance at checkout and the order is paid instantly from your balance.
No card surcharge when you pay from your balance
In New Zealand, paying by card adds a payment processing surcharge of 2.7% + $0.30. In Australia, the seller covers a 2.5% card processing fee instead. Paying from your balance skips it entirely: money moves from your balance to the seller without touching a card network, so there's no processing cost.
Worked example: buying a $50 card in New Zealand
- Pay by card$50.00 + $1.65 card surcharge
- $51.65
- Pay from your Fetch balance
- $50.00
- You save
- $1.65
Not quite enough in your balance?
Tick Use my Fetch balance and pay the rest by card. The surcharge is only charged on the part you pay by card, so every dollar from your balance is surcharge free. (The card part needs to be at least $0.50.)
Good to know
Works on any listing in your currency
You can pay any seller from your balance, whether or not they've switched to Stripe payouts yet.
Refunds go back to your balance
If an order you paid from your balance is refunded, the money returns to your balance, ready to spend again.
Selling fees don't change
Platform fees on your own sales work exactly as they do today.
Side by side
What changes
| Legacy payouts | Stripe payouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Spend your balance on Fetch | Not available | Yes, with no card surcharge |
| When a sale reaches you | In Future Funds, clearing 3–5 business days after the buyer pays | In your balance as soon as the buyer pays, settling within a few business days |
| When you can withdraw it | Once cleared, shipped with tracking, and no refund open | Once settled, shipped with tracking, and no refund open |
| Withdrawal fee | $2 per withdrawal | 0.25% + $0.25 per withdrawal |
| After you withdraw | Usually deposited within 24 hours | Reviewed by Fetch, then usually 1–2 business days |
| Changing your bank account | Contact us | Yourself, in Settings → Payouts |
Some things stay exactly the same: your platform fees, how buyers pay, and the rule that money for an order is only withdrawable once it's shipped with tracking and any refund on it is settled.
Cashing out
Withdrawing to your bank
Withdraw from My balance on your store dashboard. Fetch reviews each withdrawal, then Stripe sends it to your bank account. It usually arrives within 1–2 business days of approval.
Withdrawal fees
Stripe payouts charge 0.25% + $0.25 per withdrawal instead of the flat $2 on legacy payouts. That's cheaper for any withdrawal under $700; above that the flat fee is lower. The exact fee is always shown before you confirm.
Fee on a single withdrawal
- $100 withdrawalLegacy: $2.00
- $0.50
- $500 withdrawalLegacy: $2.00
- $1.50
- $1,000 withdrawalLegacy: $2.00
- $2.75
Why some of your balance can be on hold
Money from a sale lands in your balance as soon as the buyer pays, but it stays there until the order is shipped with tracking and any refund request on it is resolved. You'll see it under Future Funds with the reason. Until the order clears, that money can't be withdrawn or spent on Fetch; after that it's both.
Changing your bank account
Update it yourself any time in Settings → Payouts. No need to contact us.
How to switch
Switching & your legacy balance
We're inviting sellers in stages. When it's your turn, you'll see Switch to Stripe payouts on your store dashboard and in Settings → Payouts.
- 1
Start the switch.
The bank account we already have for you is passed to Stripe, so you only need to confirm it.
- 2
Verify your details with Stripe.
Stripe asks for photo ID and confirms your bank account. Until Stripe has approved you, nothing changes: you keep selling and withdrawing exactly as you do today.
- 3
You're switched automatically.
As soon as Stripe approves you, new sales go to your Stripe balance, and sales that were still clearing move across with you.
Your legacy balance
Money that had already cleared into your wallet before you switched stays where it is, as your legacy balance. It shows on your store dashboard, and you withdraw it the same way as before, with the $2 fee.
Want it in your Stripe balance instead, so you can spend it on Fetch? Get in touch and we'll move it across for you.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why is Fetch making this change?
Two reasons. Stripe verifying sellers and paying withdrawals directly helps us meet New Zealand and Australian anti-money-laundering requirements without the manual checks and batched payouts we do today. And it lets you spend the money you earn on Fetch with no card surcharge. Less compliance admin for us, more features for you.
Does switching cost anything?
No. There's no fee to switch, and your platform fees on sales don't change.
Can I pay from my balance before I switch?
No. Spending your balance on Fetch is part of Stripe payouts, so it becomes available once Stripe has approved you.
What happens to orders that are in progress when I switch?
Orders still waiting for the buyer to pay, and paid orders that are still clearing, move to Stripe payouts when you're approved. Money that had already cleared stays in your legacy balance.
What if Stripe needs more information from me?
You stay on legacy payouts until Stripe has everything it needs. If Stripe asks for more details later on, you'll see an "Action required" notice on your store dashboard with a link to finish it.
What if an order is refunded after I've been paid?
The refund comes out of your Stripe balance. That's why money for an order stays on hold until it's shipped and any refund request is resolved.
Can I switch back?
No. Once you're on Stripe payouts, new sales are paid there. Your legacy balance stays withdrawable until it's empty.
Who is Stripe?
Stripe is the payment provider that already processes card payments on Fetch. With Stripe payouts, it also holds your balance and pays your withdrawals.
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