Creator help
Straight answers on getting paid, ID checks, fees, shipping and refunds.
How does Prefire work for a creator?
You list a product and share your Prefire link. Fans pre-order it and pay in full up front. Prefire holds that money while you make the product. When you ship and send us your tracking numbers, we check them and send you the money. If you don't ship by your deadline, every backer is refunded automatically.
Why does Stripe ask for my ID and bank details?
Prefire pays creators through Stripe, the same company that processes the cards. The law requires Stripe to confirm who is being paid, so it asks for your legal name, date of birth, address and a bank account, and sometimes a photo of an ID. Stripe collects and stores this. Prefire never sees your bank numbers or your ID.
You need to finish this before you can list a product, so it is the first thing to do after you sign up. If you run a business, you can set up payouts as a business instead of an individual.
How and when do I get paid?
You are paid after you ship. Open your item in the dashboard, enter the tracking number for each package, and submit. We review the tracking, and once it is approved we send your share of the money to your Stripe account. You pay for production yourself first, then get paid once the product is on its way to the backer.
From there Stripe pays out to your bank on its normal schedule. Your first payout can take longer than later ones while Stripe verifies your account.
What does Prefire cost?
$5 a month keeps your page live. Listing items is free. When a backer pays, a small percentage comes out of your payout, and it gets smaller as the item price goes up. The lowest price you can set for an item is $10.00. The Fees page has the full table.
How long do I have to ship?
You choose a ship-by date for each item, from 7 to 120 days after you publish the item. The date is fixed when you publish, and it is shown to backers before they pay, so pick a date you can meet. Backers agree to it when they pay.
What if I can't ship in time?
Before your deadline you can ask for one extension of about 14 days by showing that your order is really in progress, like production photos or a supplier invoice. We review it, and backers are told the new date.
If you can't make it at all, you can cancel the item and every backer is refunded right away. If the deadline passes with no tracking submitted, backers are refunded automatically. Backers always get their item price and shipping back. The service fee is not refunded.
How do I enter tracking numbers?
Open the item in your dashboard. There is one row per package. If a backer bought more than one item from you in the same checkout, those items go in one package with one tracking number, and the other items show "same package as". If you have many orders, you can paste a list of tracking numbers and we match them to the orders.
What if postage costs more than the backer paid?
Backers pay the shipping price you set when you list the item, so set it with care. If the real postage ends up higher, you cover the difference.
What happens if a backer disputes the charge with their bank?
The backer's bank can reverse a card payment. If that happens, we may take that amount back from your payout or balance. Keep your tracking numbers and any proof of delivery, since they are what we send to defend the charge.
Do I have to charge sales tax?
You are responsible for your own income taxes. We may collect and remit sales tax on sales where the law requires us to. Prefire can't give you tax advice, so ask an accountant if you are unsure what applies to you.
How do I delete my account?
On your dashboard, click Account settings, choose Security, and delete your account there. We hide your page, refund any orders that have not shipped, cancel your subscription, and remove your name, email, bio and photo. Orders that already have tracking carry on to payout, and payment records are kept for the period in the Privacy Policy.