How Does YouTube Send You Money? – Payment Schedule & Requirements

I’ve been writing a lot about YouTube ever since starting my channel earlier this year.

We’re approaching 8,000 subscribers, and all-in-all, learning how to make videos on YouTube has been a really enjoyable side hustle.

A snapshot of the YouTube channel’s earnings for the year.

Now, I’ve already written about how to make money on YouTube, as well as tips for getting your first 1,000 subscribers and growing a channel.

This post isn’t going to cover those details.

However, I’ve received a few questions (and seen others ask) how does YouTube send you money and what’s the actual mechanism for getting your payments.

This was honestly a tad confusing for my first month getting paid by YouTube, so I thought I’d write a short post on the topic.

So, if you’re wondering how does YouTube send money and when you can expect payments, this is the post for you!

Let’s get into it.

How Does YouTube Send Money To YouTubers?

If you’re brand new to YouTube, you might think that YouTube operates as their own entity and pays content creators in the Partner Program on a bi-weekly basis or something like that.

However, the reality is that Google owns YouTube, and YouTube uses AdSense, Google’s advertising platform, to pay out creators.

So, here’s how YouTube sends you money and what you should expect as a Partner Program member.

Note: all of these steps occur after you join the YouTube Partner Program and are eligible to get paid for your videos.

This requires having 1,000 subscribers, 4,000 hours of watchtime, and meeting YouTube’s content quality guidelines and passing their review.

1. Create An Adsense Account – What Is Google Adsense?

As mentioned, Adsense is Google’s advertising platform where publishers can earn money for displaying ads on their blogs, apps, and YouTube videos.

Over 2 million people user Adsense. In fact, This Online World used Adsense back in the day to help me make money blogging.

Now, getting approved for an Adsense account is the first step you need to follow for YouTube to send you money.

This is because, while YouTube has their own earnings dashboard, they rely on Adsense’s ecosystem to display ads, track revenue, and send payments.

Note, if you already have an approved Adsense account, don’t create another one, just link your existing account to YouTube (steps explained below).

However, if you have a blog or website that you want to join Adsense with but haven’t yet, you can create an Adsense account for that property to speed up things when you’re ready to monetize with YouTube.

To create an Adsense account, head to their website and begin the signup process by clicking “Get Started” on the start page.

From there, Adsense asks you for the URL of your website, email address. Google will review your website to make sure it complies with their policies and afterwards, you’re in!

Again, this option is for people who already have a website.

If you don’t have a website, you can still create a Adsense account for your YouTube channel.

To do this:

1. Sign into your YouTube account and go to the channel monetization page.
2. Sign up for Google Adsense on that page.
3. Enter your YouTube account password.
4. Select the email you want your Adsense account to be associated with. This can be the same or different from the email you use for YouTube.
5. Complete the Adsense application and enter all your contact info.

The reason I mention creating an Adsense account for a website you have is because it can speed up things if you’re still waiting to join the YouTube Partner Program (since you already have an active Adsense account when you hit 1,000 YouTube subs and the watchtime requirement).

If you don’t have a website, don’t sweat it: you can just create your first Adsense account through your YouTube channel as mentioned above.

The most important thing is to not create more than one Adsense account: Google only wants people to have one. If you already have an active account for a website, don’t create a new one…just link it as we’re about to explain.

2. Get Approved For Adsense & Link Account

After you apply, YouTube begins reviewing your Adsense application and YouTube channel a bit closer.

Now, if you get accepted into the program, YouTube will send a pin code via mail with a verification code once you earn $10 in advertisement revenue.

So, if your application is accepted, make sure you enter the correct mailing address for your account. You have 4 months to verify your account once they mail you or monetization is disabled.

Once you get the code, you can connect your Adsense account to your YouTube channel and actually get paid for the advertisements that appear on your videos.

3. Select Ad Placements & Earn Money For Views

Ah, now for everyone’s favorite part: actually generating revenue.

When you publish a video on YouTube, you get to choose the types of ad placements that appear before, during, and after your video.

Personally, I just let YouTube keep everything on/use default sessions because I want that YouTube moolah.

However, you’re free to tinker with this as you wish.

Once videos pass monetization review (which is very fast), they start earning money for advertisement views and clicks. Talk about sweet passive income!

4. Get Money From YouTube

Now, here’s the main part where people get confused about how YouTube sends you money.

Since YouTube uses Adsense, you get paid based on Adsense minimum payment thresholds and their payment schedule.

In other words, different regions require you to earn a certain amount in advertising revenue before YouTube pays you.

For Canada and the United States, this amount is $100.

So, the short answer is that YouTube sends you money when you reach at least $100 in your Adsense account.

However, the payment cycle is monthly, and payments issue between the 21st and 26th of each month.

Here’s an example of how it works and when YouTube pays you:

1. Payments from the previous month are verified around the start of a new month (the 3rd in this example).
2. Your minimum payment threshold must be met by the 20th for you to get paid by YouTube that month.
3. Payments process between the 21st and 26th.
4. You receive your money within seven business days after payment is issued.

So, if you earn at least $100 from YouTube one month, have the money verified, and hit that threshold before the 20th, you’re golden!

Note: Adsense can pay you through electronic funds transfer, check, wire transfer, and a few other options depending where you live, so keep this in mind when setting up Adsense payment options.

How Many Views On YouTube Until You Get Paid?

So, you need to earn $100 in your Adsense account for YouTube to send you money.

The question is: how many views is this?

Well, there’s no concrete answer to this unfortunately, only ranges.

See, YouTube RPMs, or how much you earn per thousand views, varies based on your niche, how long people watch your videos, and other factors.

For my finance channel, my historical RPM has been $9.50:

So, in my example, I can find out how many views I need for YouTube to pay me with this calculation: (100/YouTube RPM) * 1,000.

In this exaple, I need 10,526 views on average to earn $100 and ultimately get YouTube to send me money.

Of course, your RPM will vary based on your niche, and at the start, you won’t have much data to make an estimate.

Some estimates state that the average YouTube RPM is around $7, but whatever the case, make a guess based on your niche and early signs to gauge how many views you need for YouTube to pay you.

When Does YouTube Pay Out?

As mentioned, YouTube validates your earnings from the previous month at the start of a new month.

Then, you need to hit your payment threshold before the 20th.

As long as there isn’t massive fraud or anything weird in your account and you meet the threshold, you should get paid by YouTube around the 21st and then get the money in your account by the end of the month.

The first month can be wonky since it takes time for YouTube to validate your payments, but things speed up after that. As long as you always make more than $100 in a month, you’ll see steady payments.

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it!

I hope this article has helped you if you’ve been confused about when or how does YouTube pay YouTubers.

It can be confusing when you’re starting since you have to verify your Adsense account, make more than $100, set up payment, and wait for payments to process.

However, once you start making money, it all becomes normal and largely runs on autopilot!

That’s all for this one! Best of luck in your YouTubing journey!

If you want another post to checkout, I suggest reading my recent post on how to make money on YouTube without creating videos.

Catch you guys in the next one.