How the money works
One light costs 10¢. Always 10¢ - no bulk discount, no bonus tiers - so the number beside a creator's name is their money, and you can convert it in your head.
Where a dollar goes
| You pay | Lights | Creator gets |
|---|---|---|
| $3 | 30 | $2.10 |
| $10 | 100 | $7.00 |
| $30 | 300 | $21.00 |
Cheering is not money
A cheer is free, costs nobody anything, and never moves the ranking. It counts people rather than taps: one person can cheer a creator once per season, and can take it back. Ranking is money and only money, so the two can never be confused for each other.
How a creator gets paid
- It is credited immediately. The creator's 70% is set aside the moment a payment clears, whether or not they know Penlight exists yet.
- Nobody has to sign up first. Creators are listed from public profiles. The money waits for them.
- Payout is by request. Write from the account on the listed profile and we send it. There is no minimum during season 1.
- Being listed is free and reversible. Any creator can ask to come off the board and it happens the same day.
Payments are handled by Stripe; Penlight never sees a card number. Your card statement reads LUMINE with PENLIGHT beside it.
Refunds
Lights are delivered the moment a payment clears, so they are not generally refundable. If something went wrong - a double charge, a payment you did not make, lights that never appeared - write to hey@penlight.moe and it gets refunded.