Creator Payments FAQ

How does Lumanu's Payment feature work?

Lumanu makes it easier, faster, and cheaper to invoice and collect payment from your brand partners. 

How to get started:

1. Simply connect your bank account and request payment from your brand partners following these easy steps.  
2. Lumanu uses the information that you provide during the “request payment” process to automatically create and send a professional invoice to your brand partner via email. 
3.  You will be CC’d on the email containing the invoice for visibility.  
4. Lumanu sends you and your brand partner automatic reminder emails.
5. Once Lumanu receives payment from your brand partner, funds will be deposited directly into your bank account within 24 hours. You will be notified once the payment has been completed.
6. At any time, you can login to Lumanu to view the status of your payment in our dashboard.

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How quickly will I be paid through Lumanu? 

Lumanu deposits funds directly into your bank account as your brand partner remits funds. (Payment available within 24 hours) With Lumanu, you will not be required to transfer funds to your bank or pay additional transfer fees to gain access to your money. 

Additionally, Lumanu helps streamline the process of creating, sending, and processing invoices which can help accelerate the payment process and get you paid quicker than other traditional invoicing solutions. 

How is my personal and banking information kept secure?

Lumanu’s secure integration with Plaid ensures all of your personal and payment information is fully encrypted so that no one (including Lumanu) has access to your account or routing number. When connecting via Plaid, Lumanu sets you up as a “receive only” user. This means that Lumanu does not have access to withdraw funds from your account, Lumanu can only deposit money into your account. You can learn more about how Plaid keeps your data secure here.

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How do I create a payment request? 

Please follow our step by step guide in this help article to create your first payment request.

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How does Lumanu compare to PayPal or other payment options?

• Lumanu charges no fees per transaction and no monthly cost. PayPal charges an uncapped 2.9% + $0.30 on every transaction between a brand and creator.
• Lumanu sends payment directly to your bank account.  We do not store your balance in an account like PayPal or Venmo which requires an extra step to get the money in your hands. 
• Lumanu manages the invoicing and follow up with your brand partner to ensure you get paid as soon as possible. 
• Lumanu will never lock you out of your account or limit your ability to collect funds. 

How does tax paperwork work on Lumanu? Do I still need to file tax forms with each brand?

Lumanu is designated as a third party settlement organization. This means we are responsible for handling tax reporting requirements. Because payments are sent to you via Lumanu, you do not need to submit W-9s to your brand partners and they will not be required to issue a 1099-MISC. 

You will be required to file a W-9 with Lumanu in the event that you use Lumanu for 200 transactions AND a total of $20,000 (or more) in a calendar year. Lumanu will issue a 1099-K at the end of the year if you meet these requirements. If not, your annual earnings will be available in Lumanu to assist with income reporting and tax preparation.

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What if I need to cancel my payment request or if I made a mistake?

Lumanu’s lets you view and manage all your payment requests in an easy to use dashboard. If you need to cancel a request, simply cancel in your Lumanu dashboard. If you need to edit a payment request after it is sent you will need to cancel the sent request and send a new payment request with the correct information.

Once you cancel a payment request we will let your brand partner know the request has been canceled.

How do I connect my bank?

Connecting your bank is fast and easy. Simply navigate to your profile within your Lumanu account and select “add payment”. This will prompt Plaid to pop up with a step by step guided process on how to select the bank that you prefer to have the funds deposited in once you are paid.  

Once you have selected your bank, you will be prompted to log in to your bank with your banking credentials. This process is entirely tokenized and encrypted for your security, Lumanu never has access to your account information. Plaid supports over 4,500 U.S. based financial institutions, however, if you do not see your bank within Plaid’s list of options, please reach out to creators@lumanu.com.

What is Plaid and why does Lumanu use Plaid?

Lumanu integrates with Plaid to ensure that we can collect your banking information safely and simply. Plaid is technology made for apps and used by top brands like American Express, Venmo, and Acorns as the most trusted technology in the space. To learn more about Plaid, you can visit their website here.

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Does Lumanu support payments to creators with an international bank account?

No. Lumanu currently supports depositing funds to U.S. based financial institutions in US dollars.

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What if I am not comfortable adding my banking information to Lumanu?

Remember that you are NOT adding your banking information to Lumanu. You are granting access to a Plaid token (a Visa company which is used by Venmo) which allows Lumanu to deposit funds into your account. We never see your account information and cannot withdraw funds. That being said, we do require you connect an account (or we can’t pay you).

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When should I bring up Lumanu to my brand partner?

We recommend informing your brand partner during the contract/negotiation process that you will be invoicing them using Lumanu. You can send them this FAQ to help answer any questions they may have.

Lumanu is a third party settlement organization that processes your payments. If you would like, you can insert this Lumanu clause into your contract to clarify expectations.

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What does it cost to use Lumanu? 

Lumanu is free to use for creators. There is no charge for using Lumanu to help manage your payment requests. Lumanu charges no transaction fees or monthly service fees to use our payments solution and gives you the benefits of an easier, faster, and more secure way to get paid directly to your bank account.

Standard Fees:

Lumanu is the cheapest option in the industry for getting paid and charges no fees on your total payment.  We are the only payment solution for creators that charges no fees to ensure that you can take home as much of your money as possible.

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What if my payment terms are 50% upfront and 50% later?

No problem! You can invoice a brand for 50% with a more immediate due date and then send a second payment request with net terms. 

Lumanu makes it really easy to submit multiple payment requests for a single collaboration and ensures you get paid on time for each and every payment request. Lumanu also supports setting up payment requests up front and saving as drafts so you can send out as you complete deliverables.

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When is the best time to send a payment request?

Sending a payment request via Lumanu is the same as sending them an invoice. Most creators send the invoice once the contract has been signed OR as soon as they post/have gotten approval on their deliverables from the brand.

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What do I need to know before sending a payment request?

We recommend checking with your brand partner to clarify the following before you send a payment request:

- Who to send the invoice to

- What due date to include on the invoice

- If they require a PO#

- When to send the invoice

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What if the brand pays an agency, talent firm, or my manager first.  How do I get paid?   

If you are paid by your agency or manager then you would request the payment from your agency or manager through Lumanu instead of your brand partner directly. 

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Does Lumanu have other creator benefits?

Yes! Lumanu has several other amazing features that creators can take advantage of free of charge.  Visit our site at lumanu.com for an overview of how you can get the most out of Lumanu as a creator.