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Tracking Your Earnings and Payouts

Tracking Your Earnings and Payouts

Learn how to monitor your income, view payment history, and understand your payout schedule.



Overview


Apprentice provides comprehensive tracking of all your earnings, whether collected through Stripe Connect or recorded manually. This article explains how to view your payment history, understand your earnings, and track payouts to your bank account.


Where to Find Your Earnings


Payment History Tab

Access your complete payment record:


  1. Go to your Dashboard
  2. Click on "Revenue" or "Earnings" in the navigation
  3. View your Payment History tab


Here you'll see:

  • All deposits received
  • All balance payments
  • Payment methods used
  • Transaction dates
  • Current balance owed by clients


Project-Level Payment Tracking

View earnings for a specific project:


  1. Navigate to Projects or Appointments
  2. Click to open a specific project
  3. Scroll to the "Payments" section
  4. See the complete payment timeline for that project


Client Payment History

See all payments from a specific client:


  1. Go to Clients in your dashboard
  2. Click on a client profile
  3. Open the "Payment History" tab
  4. View all projects and payments for that client


Understanding Your Payment Dashboard


Total Earned

The cumulative amount you've received across all projects:


  • Includes: All deposits and balance payments
  • Excludes: Pending/unpaid balances
  • Updates: Immediately when payments are recorded or received


Outstanding Balance

Money clients still owe you:


  • Shows total across all active projects
  • Updates when you record payments
  • Helps you track what's still due


Payment Breakdown

See earnings by method:


  • Stripe Connect: Automated card payments
  • Venmo: Manually recorded Venmo payments
  • Cash: Recorded cash payments
  • Other methods: Zelle, PayPal, Cash App, etc.


Stripe Payouts


If you have Stripe Connect enabled, payments are automatically deposited to your bank account.


Payout Schedule


Standard Payouts:

  • Frequency: Automatic, daily or weekly (depending on volume)
  • Timeline: 2-3 business days from when client pays
  • Minimum: No minimum payout amount


How it works:

  1. Client pays deposit/balance via Stripe
  2. Funds are held briefly for processing (1-2 days)
  3. Stripe automatically transfers to your bank account
  4. Money arrives 2-3 business days later


Example Timeline:

  • Monday: Client pays $100 deposit
  • Tuesday: Payment clears, payout initiated
  • Thursday/Friday: Funds arrive in your bank account


Viewing Stripe Payouts


In Apprentice:

  1. Go to Settings → Payments
  2. Click "View Stripe Dashboard"
  3. Navigate to "Payouts" in Stripe


In Stripe Dashboard:

  • See all upcoming payouts
  • View payout history
  • Check estimated arrival dates
  • Download payout reports


Understanding Payout Status


In Transit:

  • Payout has been initiated by Stripe
  • Funds are moving to your bank
  • Should arrive in 1-2 business days


Paid:

  • Payout has been completed
  • Funds are in your bank account
  • Check your bank statement to confirm


Failed:

  • Bank account issue (wrong account number, closed account)
  • Contact Stripe support to resolve
  • Update bank account details in Stripe Dashboard


First Payout Delay


Note: Your very first payout may have an extended hold:


  • Initial Hold: 7-14 days for first payout
  • Reason: Fraud prevention and risk assessment
  • After First: Normal 2-3 day schedule resumes


This is standard for all new Stripe accounts and protects both you and the platform.


Payment Status Tracking


By Project Status


Pending:

  • No payments received yet
  • Full amount still owed
  • Deposit required


Partial:

  • Deposit or partial payment received
  • Balance still due
  • Shows amount outstanding


Paid:

  • Full payment received
  • Nothing owed
  • Project financially complete


Refunded:

  • Payment returned to client
  • May need to restart payment collection
  • Audit trail maintained


Filtering Your Earnings


Use filters to analyze your income:


By Date Range:

  • This week, this month, this year
  • Custom date ranges
  • Compare periods


By Payment Method:

  • See all Stripe payments
  • See all Venmo payments
  • See all cash payments


By Client:

  • Total earned from specific clients
  • Identify your highest-value clients
  • Track client payment patterns


By Status:

  • View only paid projects
  • See outstanding balances
  • Track refunded payments


Manually Recorded Payment Tracking


When you manually record payments (Venmo, cash, etc.):


  • They appear in your Payment History immediately
  • They count toward your Total Earned
  • They update the project payment status
  • They're included in revenue reports


Important: Manually recorded payments don't trigger bank deposits—you've already received that money outside the platform. Recording them just keeps your records accurate.


Generating Reports


Monthly Revenue Report

Track your monthly income:


  1. Go to Revenue or Earnings
  2. Select "This Month" in the date filter
  3. View total earned
  4. Export as CSV if needed


Client Revenue Report

See earnings by client:


  1. Navigate to Clients
  2. Sort by "Total Paid" or "Lifetime Value"
  3. Identify your top-paying clients


Payment Method Report

Understand how clients prefer to pay:


  1. View Payment History
  2. Filter by payment method
  3. See breakdown by type


Tips for Accurate Tracking


Record Payments Immediately

  • Don't wait to record manual payments
  • Record within 24 hours of receiving money
  • Accuracy depends on timely recording


Reconcile Weekly

  • Compare Apprentice totals to your bank account
  • Verify all Stripe payouts arrived
  • Cross-check manually recorded payments


Use Consistent Methods

  • Be consistent with how you categorize payments
  • Always use the actual payment method
  • Add notes for clarity


Monitor Outstanding Balances

  • Review unpaid balances regularly
  • Follow up with clients on overdue payments
  • Update status when clients pay


Export for Taxes

  • Download payment reports monthly
  • Keep records for tax filing
  • Stripe provides 1099-K if you exceed thresholds


Understanding Fees (Stripe Connect)


When clients pay through Stripe Connect:


Client Pays:

  • Deposit amount (e.g., $50)
  • Plus platform fee (2%)
  • Plus Stripe processing fee (2.9% + $0.30)
  • Total: $52.84 for a $50 deposit


You Receive:

  • Exact deposit amount ($50)
  • Deposited to your bank account
  • No fees deducted from your portion


Fee Transparency:

  • Clients see the breakdown before paying
  • You receive the full amount you requested
  • Fees are added on top, not deducted


Troubleshooting Payout Issues


"My payout is late"


Check:

  1. Verify it's been 2-3 business days (weekends don't count)
  2. Check if there's a holiday affecting bank processing
  3. Review Stripe Dashboard for payout status
  4. Confirm bank account details are correct


If still delayed:

  • Contact Stripe support through your dashboard
  • Check for any account holds or verification requirements


"Payout amount seems wrong"


Verify:

  1. Check if multiple payments are in one payout
  2. Review the payout details in Stripe Dashboard
  3. Confirm no refunds were issued
  4. Look for any fees or adjustments


"Payout failed"


Common causes:

  • Incorrect bank account number
  • Closed bank account
  • Account name mismatch


Solution:

  1. Update bank details in Stripe Dashboard
  2. Verify routing and account numbers
  3. Confirm account is active
  4. Contact Stripe to retry payout


"I don't see recent payments in my Stripe payouts"


Explanation:

  • Payments take 2-3 days to process before payout
  • Check "Pending" or "In Transit" sections
  • Very recent payments won't be in payouts yet


Tax Considerations


1099-K Forms

Stripe will issue a 1099-K if you meet IRS thresholds:


  • Threshold: $20,000 in payments AND 200 transactions in a year
  • When Issued: January following the tax year
  • Access: Download from Stripe Dashboard


Tracking for Taxes

Keep records of:

  • All payments received (Stripe and manual)
  • Payment methods used
  • Dates of all transactions
  • Any refunds issued


Tip: Export monthly CSV files and keep them organized by year.


Manually Recorded Payments

These are income too:

  • Track all Venmo, cash, Zelle, etc.
  • Include in your tax reporting
  • Keep separate records outside Apprentice


Consult a tax professional for specific advice on reporting tattoo artist income.


Common Issues


  • Issue: Payment recorded but not showing in totals → Solution: Refresh the page. If still missing, check that the payment was successfully saved (look in payment history)
  • Issue: Stripe payout is less than I expected → Solution: Check if it includes multiple smaller payments, or if a refund was issued
  • Issue: Client says they paid but I don't see it → Solution: Check your payment app first, verify payment method, then check if manually recorded
  • Issue: I need to export my payment history → Solution: Go to Revenue > Payment History > Click "Export" for CSV download
  • Issue: My bank account changed, how do I update it? → Solution: Log into your Stripe Dashboard > Settings > Payouts > Update bank account

Updated on: 16/01/2026

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