Builder Payouts & Fees

Builder Tiers

RodSmith uses a three-tier system that rewards builders with faster payouts as they build their track record. Every new builder starts at the New tier and automatically advances as they meet the criteria.

New Builder (default)

As a new builder, your earnings transfer to your Stripe balance as soon as the buyer is charged. Stripe holds them for 7 days, and payouts run weekly on Fridays. RodSmith marks the order’s payout eligible once the buyer receives the rod.

Verified Builder

To qualify for Verified, you need:

• 5 or more delivered orders
• 0 open disputes
• Account age of 30+ days
• Stripe verification complete
• Fulfillment address on file

As a Verified builder, your earnings transfer to your Stripe balance as soon as the buyer is charged. Stripe holds them for 3 days, and payouts run daily. RodSmith marks the order’s payout eligible once the carrier scans the package.

Trusted Builder

To qualify for Trusted, you need:

• 15 or more delivered orders
• 0 disputes in the last 90 days
• Account age of 90+ days
• Stripe verification complete

As a Trusted builder, your earnings transfer to your Stripe balance as soon as the buyer is charged. Stripe holds them for 2 days, and payouts run daily. RodSmith marks the order’s payout eligible as soon as the buyer pays.

Tier comparison

Your earnings transfer to your Stripe balance as soon as the buyer is charged — that is the same at every tier. What the tier changes is how long Stripe holds them before a payout and how often payouts run.

Can I lose my tier?

If a dispute is filed against you, your tier is demoted by one level (e.g., Trusted → Verified). Your tier is not dropped straight to New — demotion is always one step at a time.

After a dispute is resolved in your favor, a 90-day recovery window begins. Once 90 days pass with no new disputes, you’re re-eligible for your previous tier. Tier evaluation happens automatically each day.

Platform Fees

RodSmith charges a platform fee on accepted orders. The fee is calculated on the rod price only — never on tax or shipping.

• First 5 accepted orders: 0% platform fee — a free tier to help new builders get started
• After 5 orders: 3% of the rod price

Card processing (~2.9% + $0.30 of the buyer's charge) is deducted from your payout on every order, including your first five. It is taken together with the platform fee when the buyer pays, so the payout shown on the order is what you receive. The buyer never sees either fee — they pay the listed price plus shipping and tax, and the shipping they pay buys the label.

Example breakdown

For a $500 in-stock rod with $25 shipping (after the free tier):

• Buyer pays: $525 + tax
• Platform fee (3% of the $500 rod): $15.00
• Card processing (~2.9% + $0.30 of $525): ~$15.53
• Shipping ($25): buys the label
• Builder receives: ~$469.47

Order Lifecycle

Every made-to-order commission follows this lifecycle:

1. Pending — Buyer pays the rod price + tax upfront and submits an order request
2. Accepted — Builder accepts the commission (72-hour deadline; auto-declines with full refund if no response)
3. Building — Builder marks the rod as in-progress
4. Ready to Ship — Builder enters package dimensions and selects a shipping rate
5. Paid — Buyer pays shipping + tax
6. Label Created — Builder purchases the shipping label
7. Dropped Off — Builder drops off the package at the carrier
8. Shipped — Carrier scans the package (first transit scan)
9. Delivered — Carrier confirms delivery (or buyer manually confirms)

Stock orders skip the building phase and are auto-accepted immediately. Buyers pay upfront, and the builder ships the rod directly.

Getting Started

To start receiving commissions, connect your Stripe account in Account Settings. Once your Stripe account is connected and your charges are enabled, you’re ready to list specs for sale and accept orders.