A breakdown of Amazon's payment schedule for self-publishers
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When can you expect to get paid through Amazon’s KDP platform, and what happens if you don't elect to receive direct deposits? Here's the short story: It might take up to two months for you to get your first royalty check, but once they start rolling in, you can expect monthly distributions. All the other nitty-gritty pay details are down below.
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All your Amazon KDP payment FAQs right here!
KDP operates on a monthly payment system. Once your book starts generating sales, you'll receive your royalties approximately 60 days following the end of the month in which those sales occurred. For example, if your book sold during March, you could expect your first royalties to arrive by the end of May.
Here's the full year's schedule:
January - End of March
February - End of April
March - End of May
April - End of June
May - End of July
June - End of August
July - End of September
August - End of October
September - End of November
October - End of December
November - End of January
December - End of February
Waiting sucks, but it's not something you'll have to worry about forever. As you grow, you can start getting paid even during the months you weren't publishing anything new at all! Just like Fred, who didn't touch his publishing business for two years and was still raking in thousands a month:
You have three options for getting paid: Direct Deposit, Check, and Wire Payment.
This is definitely the most common payment method, and it’s also Amazon’s recommended payment method. All you have to do to set up direct deposit is provide your bank account information in the KDP account settings.
Advantages include:
If you prefer not to use Direct Deposit, or if it's not available in your country, you can opt for receiving your KDP royalty payments by check. Keep in mind, though, that there are some drawbacks:
For some countries, KDP offers the option of receiving royalty payments via wire transfer. This electronic payment method involves transferring funds directly to your bank account from KDP.
Pros/Cons include:
KDP sets payment thresholds to determine when to release book royalties. These thresholds depend on your chosen payment method as well as the currency of your royalties.
For EFT Payments, the threshold varies depending on the currency.
For check payments, the threshold is higher and currency-specific.
Check your earnings quickly and understand payment rules with our Amazon KDP royalty calculator.
If your royalties do not meet these thresholds, your earnings will be carried over to the following month until the minimum is reached. You can read Amazon's full terms of service here.
The KDP dashboard was built with pretty much everything you need to grow your self-publishing business, including sales and marketing reports.
Here's a brief overview of the different sections available on the dashboard:
Payment issues don't happen too often, but here's what to do if you ever find Amazon is not paying your royalties:
If you notice any discrepancies in your KDP royalty payments, start by reviewing your sales reports within your KDP account to ensure all your sales have been recorded accurately. If you still find any discrepancies, follow these steps:
If you need to update your payment information, follow these steps:
Note: If you change your bank account to another country, KDP may require additional tax information.
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