# How Payments Work

### Stage 1: Customer Makes a Purchase

When a customer completes a payment:

* Any **automatic delivery actions** are triggered immediately (e.g., game server commands, webhooks, RCON commands—based on your setup).
* You’ll receive an **email notification** confirming the purchase.
* **Gateway fees** and **platform fees** are deducted automatically.

#### Fee Details

* **Gateway Fees**: Charged by the payment provider. Varies by method (e.g., PayPal, iDEAL, card).\
  ➤ [View gateway fees by payment method](https://creator.tebex.io/payment-methods)
* **Platform Fees**: Charged by Tebex to support development, platform maintenance, and fraud protection.\
  ➤ [View platform fees by game/store type](https://www.tebex.io/pricing-for-game-servers)

***

### Stage 2: Funds Settle in Your Tebex Wallet

After the purchase, funds enter a **settlement period** before becoming available for withdrawal.

* **Average settlement time**: 14 days (can vary by payment method)\
  ➤ [See settlement times](https://creator.tebex.io/payment-methods)
* During settlement, your funds remain in your **Tebex Wallet**.

#### Wallet Setup

* Ensure your **withdrawal methods** (PayPal, bank account, wire transfer) are correctly added.
* Updating withdrawal info may require additional verification.\
  ➤ [How to manage your wallet and withdrawal methods](https://docs.tebex.io/creators/tebex-checkout/broken-reference)

***

### 🧾 Stage 3: Requesting a Payout

Once funds appear in your **settled balance**, you can request a withdrawal:

* **Minimum payout**: Starts at USD $5 (varies by method)
* **Withdrawal fees**: Start from approximately USD $0.50\
  ➤ [View withdrawal fees by method](https://wallet.tebex.io/withdraw)

> **Tip**: PayPal is usually the cheapest withdrawal option.

***

### Stage 4: Money Received

After your payout is approved:

* Funds are transferred to your **PayPal or bank account**
* Transfer times depend on method, ranging from **instant to 7 working days**

***

### Summary

| Stage                 | Description                                         |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| 1. Customer Purchase  | Payment is received; fees deducted; items delivered |
| 2. Wallet Settlement  | Funds settle in your Tebex Wallet                   |
| 3. Withdrawal Request | You request a payout after settlement               |
| 4. Money Received     | Funds arrive in your PayPal or bank account         |


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.tebex.io/creators/tebex-checkout/how-payments-work.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.