Managing your payment settings
This article covers how upgraded accounts from ShareASale can manage payment settings on the Awin platform. You’ll learn how to enable auto-deposit, add funds manually, change payment method, and understand how the account balance impacts your affiliate links.
Important
Only account owners and admins with two-step verification (2SV) enabled can manage payment settings.
How to set up auto-deposit
We strongly recommend setting up auto-deposit as your default payment method. This ensures top-ups are processed automatically, preventing your balance from falling below $0, which would otherwise result in your affiliate links going offline and redirecting to fallback URLs. Learn more about how this works in Link Status for advertisers.
To enable auto-deposit:
Go to Account > Billing > Pre-payment settings.
Select the Auto-deposit tab.
If auto-deposit is turned off, click Set up Auto-deposit.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete setup.
Each time your balance drops below the defined threshold, a top-up payment will be taken automatically, and a corresponding pre-payment invoice will be generated and added to your Invoice History.
To reduce the number of invoice emails you receive, avoid setting your threshold balance too low. A higher threshold means fewer, larger top-ups helping minimize admin and notifications.
How to add funds manually
If you prefer to fund your account manually:
Go to Account > Billing > Pre-payment settings.
Select the Manual deposit tab.
Choose the Deposit Amount to add to your account.
Make payment via credit card or ACH Debit/Credit (if enabled).
Once processed, an invoice is generated and all balances are updated.
How to change your payment method
To update your deposit method or change your credit card:
Go to Account > Billing > Pre-payment settings.
Click on Add Payment Method and select or add a new credit card or ACH account: To ensure your links stay online if we can’t take payment with your primary payment method, we recommend also adding a secondary payment method in the next step.
Note
Only credit cards can be selected as a secondary payment method.
Choose either Auto-deposit or Manual payment and click Save changes.
Changes take effect immediately.
Supported payment methods
You can use the following payment types on the Awin platform:
Auto-deposit: credit card or ACH.
Manual deposit: credit card, ACH, or wire transfer.
PayPal is not supported on the Awin platform.
Where to check the account balance
You can view your Available Account Balance at any time on the Awin platform. This is a real-time, forecasted balance that updates as transactions are tracked, and deposits are added.
For a full transaction record, use the Account Balance page under Account > Billing (previously known as the Ledger Report in SAS).
Why the account balance could be negative
A negative balance may occur due to:
Pending transactions: Tracked commissions reduce your balance in real time.
Platform fees: Minimum monthly fees, tech bundles, and manual adjustments may impact the balance.
Timing gaps: Delays in payment processing may briefly show a negative balance, especially during the upgrade process.
If your balance drops below $0, your Link Status will switch to Offline.
When Link Status is offline
Your affiliate links stop tracking and instead redirect to publishers-defined fallback URLs (e.g. their homepage or promo pages).
The account owner and admin will receive an email alert prompting you to add funds. Your program’s Traffic Light Status will switch to amber if funds are not added.
As soon as funds are added and your Available Account Balance is above $0, your Link Status will automatically switch back to Online and the links will reactivate - no manual action required.
Why auto-deposit might fail
Common reason is an expired, invalid, or declined credit card or ACH details.
Awin will retry failed payments on the following schedule:
1 day after the initial failure.
3 days after the second attempt.
7 days after the third attempt.
Note
No retry payment attempts are made for ACH debit/credit.
If all three attempts fail, auto-deposit will be turned off automatically, and you’ll need to manually re-enable it in your Pre-payment settings.
A failure notification email will be sent with the reason for the failed payment. Please make sure your payment details are up to date and monitor alerts to avoid disruptions to your tracking.
Adjusting the deposit amounts for peak sales period
Adjusting your deposit amounts ahead of peak sales periods ensures your affiliate program remains active and uninterrupted. When sales volumes rise, your account balance can deplete quickly.
If you know a flash sale, promotion, or seasonal surge is coming, it’s best to fund your account with more than your usual deposit. This proactive step ensures you can handle higher transaction volumes without disruption.
During these times, closely monitor both your Transactions report and account balance to stay on top of funding needs and avoid downtime.
By increasing your deposit amount, you create more buffer in your account, which:
Reduces how often deposits are triggered.
Minimizes the risk of falling below a $0 balance.
Keeps affiliates continuously supported during busy times.
To adjust your deposits or add more funds to your account, navigate to Account > Billing > Pre-payment settings.
How much should you deposit
We recommend depositing at least 50% of your program’s average monthly costs at a time. This helps limit prepayment requests to fewer than two per month.
Example:
Monthly program costs: $5,000.
Recommended deposit: $2,500.
Minimum balance to maintain: $1,250.
To check your monthly program costs, you can refer to the Transactions report.
Requesting a refund
You can request a refund at any time from the Balance History page. Select the Request a refund button and your request will be sent to our finance team.
Important
Refunds can only be requested within 120 days. We are unable to process any requests submitted after this period.
FAQ
Who can manage payment settings?
Only account owners and admins with two-step verification (2SV) enabled can update payment settings.
What happens if my balance goes below $0?
Your Link Status will switch to Offline and your publisher links will redirect to fallback URLs. Once funds are added and your balance is above $0, your links reactivate automatically.
How can I change my payment method?
You can update or add a payment method in your Account > Billing > Prepayment settings area. We recommend adding both a primary and secondary credit card to avoid disruptions.
How much should I deposit at a time?
We recommend depositing at least 50% of your average monthly program costs to reduce the number of prepayment requests.
Can I easily request a refund?
Yes. Go to your Balance history page and select Request a refund.
What happens after I request a refund?
When you submit a refund request:
It’s sent directly to Awin’s Finance team for review.
The team checks your request in line with card network rules.
They’ll contact you if they need any extra information.
Is there a time limit for requesting a refund?
Yes. Refunds must be requested within 120 days, as required by card network guidelines. We’re unable to process requests submitted after this period.
Can I track the status of my refund request?
Once your request is submitted, the Finance team will manage it. If they need anything from you or have an update, they’ll contact you directly.