Fee and payment rules in Esano's terms

Esano's terms set the same payment rules for everyone: buyers pay through Stripe in US dollars, and sellers pay a 20% fee when they sell. This article summarizes those rules. The binding text is at esano.com/terms-of-use. For step-by-step help, see What fees does Esano charge sellers?.

Rules for buyers

• Stripe processes every payment.
• Checkout is in USD and accepts only US-issued cards at launch.
• Paid items across all shops must total at least $3 before tax and checkout fees. Free items don't count toward the minimum and can be claimed separately. Free-only downloads need no card payment.
• Prices are set by shops. You pay the price in effect when you order, and posted prices don't include tax. Tax is added at checkout.

See buyer terms for online purchases.

Seller fees

• Opening and running a shop: free. There is no monthly subscription, listing fee, expiry or renewal fee.
• Esano fee: 20% of each item price. Esano pays card processing and sales-tax calculation fees out of it.
• Stripe payout fees: $2 for each calendar month in which you receive a payout, plus 0.25% + 25¢ per payout. They are deducted from that payout at Stripe's cost, with no markup, and itemized. See Stripe payout fees explained.
• Failed payouts: a Stripe fee for a failed or returned payout is deducted only when incorrect bank details you provided caused it. Otherwise Esano pays it.
• Annual tax form: the actual cost of filing your Form 1099-K is deducted from your next payout, without taking that payout below zero. Any remainder carries to later payouts until it is recovered.

Esano gives sellers at least 14 days' notice before any platform fee changes.

Listing prices

A listing license can be free ($0) or at least $1. Personal licenses are capped at $1,000, commercial at $5,000 and extended at $10,000. A commercial license can't cost less than a personal one.

When sellers get paid

• Hold: earnings have a rolling 14-day hold after payment for ready-made downloads, or after accessible final delivery for custom work. Buyer approval never shortens it. See How the 14-day payout hold works.
• Schedule: bank payouts run every other Friday, starting October 23, 2026, then November 6, 2026, November 20, 2026 and every 14 days after. Earnings that are eligible by 12:00 a.m. Central time on a payout Friday are included.
• Minimum: a payout needs at least $25 after deductions, including the payment provider fees for that payout, with exceptions for closed or inactive shops.
• Late payouts: if a payout can't go out on its Friday, it goes out on the first later day it can, before the next payout Friday.
• Not a bank payout: a transfer to a Stripe balance isn't a bank payout.

Holds on money

An open refund request, dispute, unresolved refund made outside Esano or open review of an order holds only the affected amounts. That means the amount at stake on the order, plus any dispute fee allocated to the shop. The rest of the balance is paid on schedule. A review of a whole shop, or an unexplained movement of funds out of Esano's payment account, may pause payouts until it is resolved.

Refunds, disputes and money owed

• On an approved refund, Esano keeps its 20% fee. The shop funds the refunded purchase price, and Esano absorbs card processing fees it can't get back.
• If a dispute is lost, the shop covers the disputed amount and its share of the dispute fee. If it is won, Esano covers the dispute fee.
• If refunds, lost disputes or fees are more than your balance, the difference is recorded as an amount you owe. Esano tells you the amount and the reason, and takes it out of future earnings before any bank payout. Esano doesn't debit your bank account for it. See Negative balances and amounts you owe.
• If an amount is still owed after 30 days, new paid sales are paused until it is repaid or a payment plan is agreed. Buyers keep access to files they already bought.
• Separately, if a payment to you was made by mistake, or you keep money that should be refunded to a customer, Esano can refund the customer and recover the money from you, even after paying you.

Taxes

Sellers provide a tax ID for 1099-K reporting. See Form 1099-K and your Esano sales.