> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.rafflex.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.rafflex.io/drawing-winners/managing-payouts.md).

# Paying Winners

An overview of how every kind of winner gets paid on RaffleX: instant win prizes you send by hand, site credit and Winlink prizes that pay themselves, main draw winners, and customer withdrawals.

***

Paying winners quickly is one of the best ways to build trust in your site. RaffleX keeps all the details you need in your admin panel, whether that is a customer's bank details for a cash prize or their address for posting an item.

Some prizes are paid for you automatically. Others need you to send the prize yourself and then record that you have done so. This page explains which is which, and where to go for each one.

***

### At a glance

| What the customer won                                                  | Who pays it                                               | Where you manage it                                                                                                        |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| An instant win **cash or physical prize**                              | You, by bank transfer or by posting the item              | [Managing Instant Winners](/drawing-winners/managing-instant-winners.md)                                                   |
| An instant win **site credit** prize                                   | Paid automatically into the customer's wallet             | Nothing to do. See [Site Credit Instant Win Payouts](/drawing-winners/managing-payouts/instant-win-site-credit-payouts.md) |
| An instant win **Winlink** prize (free tickets in another competition) | Delivered automatically                                   | Nothing to do. See [What Happens to a Winlink Prize](/create-your-first-raffle/add-instant-wins/winlink-explained.md)      |
| A **main draw** prize                                                  | You, by bank transfer or by posting the item              | [Managing Draw Winners](/drawing-winners/managing-draw-winners.md)                                                         |
| A customer **withdrawal** of their wallet balance                      | You, or your payout provider if you use automatic payouts | [Processing Withdrawals](/essential-settings/wallet-and-withdrawals/processing-withdrawals.md)                             |

{% hint style="danger" %}
Marking a prize as paid in RaffleX does **not** send money or post anything to the customer. It only records that you have done it. It is your responsibility to send the prize or make the payment first.
{% endhint %}

***

### How customers add their bank details

Before you can pay a cash prize, the winner needs to tell you where to send it. Customers do this on the **Payouts** page in their account. The instant win email they receive can also point them there if you add claim steps in **Instant Win Email Payout Instructions** (see [Email Setup](/essential-settings/email-setup.md#instant-win-email-payout-instructions)).

The customer:

1. Logs in to your website.
2. Opens **My Account**.
3. Clicks **Payouts** in the account menu. This opens the **Payout Information** page.
4. Fills in their **First Name** and **Last Name**, then their **Bank Sort Code** and **Bank Account Number**. On sites that use euros, they can enter an **IBAN** instead.
5. Uploads a **Photo ID**, if you ask for one.
6. Clicks **Save**.

Once saved, their details appear in your admin panel next to their wins, on their customer account and on any withdrawal requests they make.

If your site uses [automatic payouts](/additional-settings/payouts.md) with bank verification, the **Payout Information** page looks a little different. Customers verify their bank account with your payout provider instead of typing their details in. The payout guides for your provider explain what customers see.

{% embed url="<https://vimeo.com/1071802746/168d09d819?share=copy&ts=0>" %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Winner has not added their details?** Their bank columns will be empty. Contact them using the phone number or email shown next to their win and ask them to log in, open **My Account** and click **Payouts**. For more on the customer side, see [Wallet & Withdrawals](/essential-settings/wallet-and-withdrawals.md#add-their-payout-details).
{% endhint %}

***

### Paying instant win prizes

Cash and physical instant win prizes wait for you on the **Instant Winners** page, and on your Dashboard under **Latest Unpaid Instant Wins**.

1. In the left hand menu, under **Management**, click **Instant Winners**. The list only shows unpaid wins to start with.
2. Use the bank details in the list to make the payment, or post the prize.
3. Tick the checkbox next to each winner you have paid.
4. Click **Bulk actions** above the list.
5. Click **Mark as paid**.
6. Click **Confirm**.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Bulk marking does not email the winner.** The **Mark as paid** bulk action on the **Instant Winners** page updates the status but does not send the "your prize has been paid" email. A single **Mark paid** button, or **Mark all as paid** on your Dashboard, does send it (if **Enable Payout Confirmation Email** is switched on). See [Which Actions Email the Winner](/drawing-winners/managing-payouts/which-actions-email-the-winner.md) for the full list.
{% endhint %}

You can also mark a single win as paid with the **Mark paid** button on its Dashboard card, on the competition's **Instant Winners** tab, or on the customer's **Instant Wins** tab. The full guide covers all of these:

{% content-ref url="/pages/Frx9AvROcbznuZAAjksI" %}
[Managing Instant Winners](/drawing-winners/managing-instant-winners.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

### Site credit and Winlink prizes

If an instant win prize is set up as **site credit**, the amount goes straight into the winner's wallet the moment they win, and the win is marked as paid for you. **Winlink** prizes work the same way: the free tickets are added to the linked competition automatically and the win is marked as paid.

Because these are already paid, they never appear in your unpaid list or on the Dashboard's **Latest Unpaid Instant Wins** cards. Never send a bank transfer for one, or you will pay the customer twice.

{% content-ref url="/pages/SqPnkGH72409bXFz2ntW" %}
[Site Credit Instant Win Payouts](/drawing-winners/managing-payouts/instant-win-site-credit-payouts.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

### Paying main draw winners

When a competition is drawn, whether automatically or by you with **Add Winners**, the winner is saved on the **Draw Winners** page and emailed to tell them they have won. You then send the prize and mark them as paid.

1. In the left hand menu, under **Management**, click **Draw Winners**.
2. Click the winner to see their details, and use **View user** to find their bank details or address.
3. Send the prize.
4. Back on the **Draw Winners** list, tick the winner, click **Bulk actions**, then **Mark as paid**, and click **Confirm**.

Marking a draw winner as paid does not send them an email.

{% content-ref url="/pages/aVbTKBGNRwXYAkwVukWr" %}
[Managing Draw Winners](/drawing-winners/managing-draw-winners.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

### Paying withdrawals

Customers can build up a balance in their wallet, for example from site credit prizes or cashback, and ask to withdraw it to their bank. Each request appears on your **Withdrawals** page with their bank details. You send the money and click **Mark as Paid**, or click **Reject** to return the money to their wallet. The customer is always emailed either way.

{% content-ref url="/pages/vZxnYoSVQU0o9GICuAWR" %}
[Processing Withdrawals](/essential-settings/wallet-and-withdrawals/processing-withdrawals.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

#### Automatic payouts

If your site uses automatic payouts, approved withdrawals can be sent straight to the customer's bank by your payout provider instead of you paying each one by hand. Automatic payouts only cover withdrawals. Instant win and draw prizes are still paid by you as described above.

{% content-ref url="/pages/wYAL402EWezNQqHRmuVn" %}
[Payouts](/additional-settings/payouts.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

### Tips for paying winners smoothly

* **Check your Dashboard every day.** The **Latest Unpaid Instant Wins** cards show what is waiting, with bank details ready to copy.
* **Copy, do not retype.** Click a sort code, account number or IBAN in the admin panel to copy it. This avoids sending money to the wrong account.
* **Pay first, then mark as paid.** If you mark a prize as paid before the money has left your bank, the winner may get a "your prize has been paid" email too early.
* **Physical prizes need an address.** Open the winning order (the **Order** or **View order** button) to see the address the customer entered at checkout.
* **Decide whether you want winners emailed** before you choose which button to use. [Which Actions Email the Winner](/drawing-winners/managing-payouts/which-actions-email-the-winner.md) has a quick guide.