Sales and Payments

Apple Books payments

Payments are made no later than 45 days following the first Friday of each month. To receive payment, you must have provided all required banking and tax information and documentation, as well as meet the minimum payment threshold.

If you have not received a payment for a given month within 45 days after the end of the month, confirm that all documentation has been completed, and that the cumulative amount owed exceeds the minimum payment threshold for your country or region using current exchange rates.

Payment thresholds by country or region

Before payment can be sent to your bank, your account must meet the minimum payment threshold.

If your bank territory and bank account currency is listed in the minimum payment threshold section of the iTunes Connect Payments and Financial Reports Guide, you must exceed the minimum payment threshold listed. All other bank territories and bank account currencies must exceed a minimum payment threshold of US$40.

Payment dates and methods

The payment date is the date the payment leaves Apple’s bank. Your bank may or may not credit those funds to you on the same day. We present the payment date in Payments and Financial Reports. For past payments, we display the value as “Paid.” For any scheduled future payments, we display the date as the “Expected Payment Date.”

How payments are made

Where possible, payments are made by Electronic Funds Transfer. Apple’s bank will consolidate payments for different financial reports when possible, generally resulting in a single payment for all earnings each month the requirements for being paid have been met.

Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments

The term Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments is used in reference to low-value payments. You can view the payment method used on the Payment Page in Payments and Financial Reports.

Returned payments

When a payment made to you is returned to us, you will see the return at the top of the page, highlighted in red as an amount added to the cumulative balance of what you are owed. We will attempt to repay this amount, along with all other amounts owed, during the next monthly payment processing period.

Returned payment emails

If you receive a payment return notification email, review your bank account information in the Business module on iTunes Connect, and make updates to your bank information based on the return reason indicated in the email. Once you make any necessary updates, the system will automatically reattempt payment during the next monthly payment processing period.

Note: Payment return emails are sent to users who have opted in to receive “Payment” notifications from within Users and Roles.

Updating banking information

The return message presented on iTunes Connect is based on information from your bank. This is the best information we have on why your bank did not process a payment. The return message may provide an indication of the updates to your bank account information required. The return message on the iTunes Connect home page will stay until you update banking information or a payment is successfully made to you during the following month’s payment cycle.

If it appears that your bank account information is correct and the return reason doesn’t indicate what changes are required, try reaching out to your bank. Use the Bank Payment Reference Number presented with the returned payment to assist your bank in finding the returned payment. Once the return is found, your bank should be able to identify the action needed to allow you to be paid.

Payment troubleshooting

Can I get paid if my contract is not fully processed and activated?

No. If you haven’t completed all the required information in the Business module, you won’t have any earnings. Apple needs to process the information, so your agreement will not be activated immediately. We suggest taking these steps as soon as possible, even while in the process of preparing your books for submission.

Are payments made before my financial information is complete?

No. Payments can only be made after all required documentation has been received and your contract is In Effect. If the required banking and tax information is incomplete, or has not been received by Apple, payments cannot be made. You can review the processing status of your agreement in the Business module on iTunes Connect.

Can I split payments for my sales?

No. Apple accepts one bank account and makes one payment during each monthly cycle if all requirements for payment have been met.

What is the exchange rate applied to my payments?

The exchange rates used to convert report currency to your bank account currency is established by our bank and, due to Apple’s volume, is generally a more favorable rate. The rates are typically the spot rate on the date of payment and no more than three business days prior to the date the proceeds are received into your account. The exchange rate used to convert each report currency to the currency of your bank account is displayed on the Payments page in the “FX Rate” column.

Why does the bank account presented with a payment differ from the bank account I have set up to receive payments?

Payments are sent to the bank account on file at the time a payment is processed. Depending on the timing of your bank account update, a payment could have been in process at the time you updated your banking information. In such instances, the bank account a payment was made to will differ from the account you currently have on file.

How can I reconcile my financial reports to my payments?

Go to the Payments page in Payments and Financial Reports to reconcile financial report earnings to payment amounts. The reconciliation includes the following:

  • Beginning Balance: Any amounts unpaid (or returned) and carried over from prior periods.
  • Earned: Amounts earned in a given period which matches the financial report on the Earnings page.
  • Withholding Tax: Amounts withheld by Apple and remitted to tax authorities in accordance government requirements specific to the territory.
  • Input Tax: Amounts added to your payment to meet your tax requirements in certain countries.
  • Adjustments: Typically not applicable.
  • FX Rate: The exchange rate applied to the amount owed to convert the payment to the currency of your bank account.
  • Payment: All converted payment amounts are consolidated and paid to you by Apple’s bank as a single payment. The amount paid by Apple is presented as the sum of the converted amounts by financial report currency.

Why doesn’t the payment presented match the amount received in my bank account?

The amount paid on the Payments tab represents the amount our bank has sent to your bank. Payments can be subject to bank fees and transaction costs charged to you by your bank or intermediate financial institutions, reducing the amount when presented on your bank account. Payments indicated as wire transfers are generally be subject to bank fees and transaction costs.

What does the Balance Carried Forward amount represent?

Balance Carried Forward is made up of any prior period amounts unpaid (or returned) and carried over to the current period.

What does the withholding tax amount represent?

The withholding tax represents amounts withheld by Apple and remitted to taxing authorities in accordance with government requirements specific to the territory. Withholding tax is specific to particular stores where transactions occurred and/or where payments are being distributed by Apple. Withholding taxes can vary based on your location, the completion of any optional tax forms, and the tax treaties entered into by your country.

What does the input tax amount represent?

An input tax is the amount added to your payment to meet your tax requirements in certain countries or regions. For example, Goods and Services Tax (GST) generally applies if you are either based in Australia or based outside of Australia but registered for GST.

What is the Bank Payment Reference Number?

The Bank Payment Reference Number is a nine-digit payment identifier communicated by Apple’s bank to your bank at the time a payment is attempted. This is only displayed when a payment we’ve attempted to make to you is returned. You may be able to use the Bank Payment Reference Number to follow up with your bank to find out why a payment was returned and the corrective action necessary to successfully process payments to your account.

You should also review the return reason presented on iTunes Connect for further indication of the action you can take to ensure the next payment is successful.