This article explains how upgraded ShareASale programs manage payment settings on Awin, including auto-deposit, manual funding, payment methods, and how your account balance affects link status.
Important:
Only account owners and admins with two-step verification (2SV) enabled can manage payment settings.
Managing your payment settings
An optimized payment structure helps keep your account funded and reduces the risk of failed payments or links going offline.
We recommend setting up auto-deposit with a secondary payment method to minimize manual intervention.
How to set up auto-deposit
Auto-deposit automatically tops up your balance when it drops below a set threshold, helping prevent your balance from falling below $0 and your affiliate links from going offline. Learn more about offline links in Link Status for advertisers.
To enable auto-deposit:
Go to Account > Billing > Pre-payment settings.
Select Make payment.
Select Auto-deposit.
Each top-up generates a pre-payment invoice in your Invoice History.
Note:
To reduce invoice emails and admin, set a higher threshold to trigger fewer, larger top-ups.
How to set up a secondary payment method
You can add a secondary payment method as a fallback if the primary payment attempt is unsuccessful. This helps recover payments automatically and reduces the risk of service disruption caused by issues like expired cards or temporary bank errors.
To add a secondary payment method:
Go to Account > Billing > Pre-payment settings.
Select Add secondary method and add another credit card or select an existing one.
Note
Only credit cards can be used as a secondary payment method.
How to add funds manually
If you prefer to fund your account manually:
Go to Account > Billing > Pre-payment settings.
Select Make payment now.
Choose the Manual payment.
Select the payment method you would like to use/or add one.
Select/enter the deposit amount and then continue to payment.
Once processed, an invoice is generated and all balances are updated.
Warning
Manual funding does not auto‑top up. If your balance drops below $0, your program links will go offline until funds are added.
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 help keep your links online if a payment attempt fails, we recommend adding a secondary payment method as a fallback.
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:
Auto-deposit: credit card or ACH.
Manual deposit: credit card or ACH.
Note
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 Classic 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) within Awin Classic.
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.
Warning
If your balance drops below $0, your Link Status will switch to Offline.
What happens once Link Status is offline
If your available Account Balance drops below $0, your Link Status switches to Offline. When this happens, affiliate links immediately go Offline and stop tracking and redirect to publisher-defined fallback URLs, such as a homepage or promotional page.
The account owner and admins are notified by email and prompted to add funds as soon as possible. If the balance is not restored, your program’s Traffic Light Status changes to amber, signaling an active funding risk.
Link tracking does not resume until funds are added and your available Account Balance is above $0. Once this happens, your Link Status automatically returns to Online, links reactivate, and your Traffic Light Status switches back to green - no manual reactivation required.
Why auto-deposit might fail
Common reason is an expired, invalid, or declined credit card or ACH details.
Awin will retry failed card on the following schedule:
1 day after the initial failure.
3 days after the second attempt.
7 days after the third attempt.
Important
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.
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.
Refunds may take up to 7 days to process. The status of your refund will appear in your Account Balance History, and you’ll also receive a confirmation email once your request has been successfully received.
Refunds are always issued to the same payment method used for the original deposit.
If a refund can’t be completed for any reason, our Accounts Receivable team will contact you directly.
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?
In Awin Classic, 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. In Awin Classic, 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.