How to Fill Out Your W-8BEN for Zazzle and CafePress

Before you (meaning, non-US affiliates such as those from the Philippines and India) can get paid at Zazzle and CafePress, you need to fill out and submit an accomplished W-8BEN. In this article, we'll show you how we did it.

Make sure to accomplish "Part III: Claim of Tax Treaty Benefits." If you don't, Zazzle and CafePress will automatically deduct 30% from your royalties for withholding tax. If you do, deduction will only be 15%.

When you're done, you can scan or take a high quality image of the form and send it to Zazzle and CafePress.



After a few days, you should receive an e-mail from Zazzle like this (see below). If the e-mail says "Attention Required," you'll have to make some corrections and re-submit.

How Non-US Amazon Associates Can Get Paid via Direct Deposit

Are you an Amazon associate NOT based in the United States? As you know, Amazon pays non-US associates via checks. As discussed in one of our posts, checks consume much of your time - from receipt to clearing.

Now, what if you can get paid via direct deposit?

Yup, you can. Through Payoneer, you can receive your earnings and transfer it to your bank account within the same day.

Here's how it works. At Payoneer, you can open a virtual US (or EU) account through their US/EU Payment Service. All you have to do is to sign up, provide your details, and type in your local bank account number.

Allow a few days to get accepted. Once done, you'll be provided with the details you can use so Amazon can pay you by direct deposit. Look at the image below.

Learn more about Payoneer here.



With these details, you can now update your Amazon payment settings. Note that these changes will take effect on the following month.

Checks vs Direct Deposit: Which is Better?

By now, you've already know that you can be paid either through USD checks, direct deposit, or through an online payment system such as Paypal. Which one is better?

To decide, here are some things to consider.

1. Checks are time-consuming.

You'll have to wait at most one month for the check to arrive at your doorstep. If there's a problem with the post office, you'll have to wait more days. Or worse, if the check is lost in the mail, you'll have to request another check and will have to wait for another month.

In our experience, checks arrive two weeks after they're sent. If your check isn't at your doorstep after a month, at least in Amazon's case, you can request for a new one. If this happens to you, you'll have to wait for another two weeks for delivery.

When you have your check, you'll need to deposit that in the bank. Clearing can take 40 days.

2. If you choose to be paid through checks, you'll have to open a USD account.

READ: How to Encash Your USD Checks

The advantage of this is that when your money becomes withdrawable, you can choose which money changer to go to. For better rates, go to Villarica.

3. Direct Deposit is hassle-free but can be expensive.

Clickbank and Amazon (through Payoneer) offers a direct deposit option. This is fast and hassle-free. Check your bank account in the afternoon or the following day and you'll be smiling to see your earnings already converted to pesos.

The disadvantage of this is that the exchange rates are lower by approximately $0.5. And if you get paid via Payoneer, Payoneer automatically makes a 1% deduction from your earnings.

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- Payment Methods
- How to Encash Your USD Checks

Payment Methods

How will you get paid as an affiliate marketer who is a citizen of the Philippines?

There are three types of payment methods for Filipino (and non-US) affiliates - either through USD checks, direct deposit, or an online payment system such as Paypal and Payoneer, depending on the affiliate program you signed up for.

An example of a program that pays through checks is Amazon. No, they DO NOT have the option to pay you via Paypal. But through Payoneer, you can receive your Amazon earnings faster through direct deposit.

An example of a program that pays Filipinos through direct deposit is Clickbank.

If you want to get paid via Paypal, you might want to look for another program such as those offered by Viglink, Zazzle, or an affiliate network with a similar payment method.

When can you receive your checks?

An affiliate program has a minimum payout amount before they can release your paychecks. For Amazon, it's $100.

It's also worth remembering that there is a security hold to give way for refunds or product returns. For Amazon, checks will be released after two months.

For instance, your December 2013 check -- assuming that it has reached $100 -- will be sent to you after two months. It will come to you via regular mail, so you'll have it at your doorstep by the second week of March 2014.

In comparison with Amazon's releasing of checks, Clickbank's is faster, and it has a lower minimum payout.

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- How to Encash Your USD Checks

How to Encash Your USD Checks

To encash your USD checks, you need to open a dollar account with your bank. I suggest opening one at any Landbank branch because the initial deposit is only $100 as compared with other banks such as BDO and Unionbank.

Plus, I never had any problem with my transactions with them. I heard that one affiliate had a pretty hard time transacting with BDO over her Clickbank checks.

To open a dollar account at Landbank, you need to bring the following with you:

- Proof of billing with your name on it (telecom, credit card, Meralco)
- $100 bill
- 2 copies of 1X1 ID picture
- 2 government-issued ID
- photocopy of your government-issued IDs (front and back)
- photocopy of your proof of billing (front and back)

When you're done, you can now deposit your dollar check. At Landbank, it takes 15 working days for one check to clear.

Continue reading...

- Payment Methods