One of the first questions every athlete (and every parent of an athlete) asks us is simple: "How do I actually get paid?" This is the plain-English answer — no jargon, no fine print, just the full flow of a dollar from a backer's card to your bank account.
The model in one line
Backers fund the athlete's wallet in ralli Credits (USD). The athlete withdraws to their own bank via Stripe. Everything below is a consequence of that.
The full flow, step by step
1. A backer allocates ralli Credits
A member allocates ralli Credits to an athlete — from a membership subscription, a one-off top-up, or a guest (non-member) casual backing checkout. 1 Credit = $1 of backer value. What lands in the athlete's wallet depends on where the Credit came from:
- Member-allocated Credits: athlete receives $0.70 per Credit.
- Guest / casual-backer Credits: athlete receives $0.80 per Credit.
The remaining 20–30¢ per Credit covers the ralli rewards / Vault ecosystem, ralli operations, tech, marketing, ambassadors and growing the ralli community.
2. Funds sit in the athlete's wallet
Every athlete has their own wallet inside ralli, ring-fenced from every other athlete's balance. You can see incoming allocations in real time, which backer sent what, the exact USD credited to your wallet, and any ARP rewards triggered by verified milestones.
3. Athlete completes Stripe KYC
To withdraw, the athlete (or, for U18s, their guardian) completes Stripe identity verification (KYC) and nominates a bank account. This is standard "Know Your Customer" — a passport or driving licence and a selfie. It takes most people under 5 minutes.
4. Withdraw to your bank
Once KYC is verified, the athlete can request a withdrawal from their wallet at any time above the minimum threshold. Funds land in the nominated bank account, typically within 2–5 business days depending on your country and bank.
5. Paper trail, from backer to bank
Every allocation, every ARP reward and every withdrawal is logged. You (and ralli) can trace every dollar from the original backer, through the wallet, to the payout. That's the trust surface the whole platform is built on — see the live transparency page for the top-level view.
Fees — what ralli takes
ralli isn't a middleman skimming your funding — the split is fixed, transparent, and shown up-front:
- Member Credits → athlete gets $0.70 per Credit. The 30¢ covers the ralli rewards / Vault ecosystem, ralli operations, tech, marketing, ambassadors and growing the ralli community.
- Guest Credits → athlete gets $0.80 per Credit. Guest backers aren't subsidised by membership, so the athlete's share is higher.
- ralli payout fee → 0%. Standard Stripe payout fees may apply on the way out depending on your country/bank.
What that means in practice: the athlete's share is credited to their wallet net the moment payment clears — no surprise deductions at payout time.
Withdrawal rules
- Minimum withdrawal: a small floor to avoid nuisance micro-payouts and Stripe fees eating the balance.
- Timing: you decide when to withdraw. Funds don't expire.
- Currency: wallets are USD. Stripe converts to your local currency at payout.
- KYC required: no withdrawals before Stripe verification is complete — this protects both the athlete and their backers.
Guardian-managed athletes (U18)
For under-18 athletes, the wallet mechanics are the same — with one important difference. The athlete owns the profile, the guardian owns the wallet. Stripe KYC is completed by the parent/guardian in their own name, and payouts flow to the guardian's verified bank account, ring-fenced for the athlete.
When the athlete turns 18, the wallet, Stripe account and withdrawal rights transition to them automatically. Nothing about their public profile changes.
Full walk-through: Guardians & under-18 athletes on ralli.
Security & compliance
All payment processing, KYC and payouts are handled by Stripe — the same infrastructure trusted by Shopify, Amazon and thousands of major brands. ralli never sees or stores card numbers or bank details. Athlete identity verification meets the same regulatory bar as any Stripe-powered marketplace.
What happens if…
…an athlete never completes KYC?
Credits sit safely in the wallet. ralli nudges the athlete (and guardian, if U18) at 30, 60 and 90 days. If a wallet is never activated, ralli can reverse allocations so no backer is left out of pocket.
…a backer wants a refund?
Credit allocations to an athlete are final. Once a backer allocates Credits, the value moves into the athlete's wallet and cannot be reversed or refunded — this protects athletes from having promised funds pulled back. Unallocated top-ups (Credits sitting in a member's balance that have never been allocated) can be reviewed by our support team on request.
…the athlete forgets a payout was pending?
Nothing is lost. Wallet balances persist until withdrawn. You'll see reminders in your athlete dashboard.
…I'm outside the US?
Stripe supports payouts in most major countries. Wallets stay in USD; Stripe converts on payout at their standard FX rate.
Ready to get set up?
If you're an approved ralli athlete, head to your wallet and follow the Stripe onboarding prompts. If you're not on ralli yet, start with the application — approval usually lands within a few days and your profile can be live the moment you're approved.