ou expressly agree and acknowledge that the terms and conditions contained in this Accounting Policy are incorporated within the Creator Contract for Sphere and you expressly acknowledge that you have read this Accounting Policy and agree to comply with and be bound by all of its terms and conditions as a requirement of creating and maintaining an account on the Sphere Platform. If at any time you do not agree with any part of this Accounting Policy, you agree that your sole remedy is to cease any further use of the Sphere Services and terminate your account, in which case You agree that any activity that transpired prior to the date of such termination shall be governed in full by this Accounting Policy.
NOTE: All references to amounts and use of the "$" sign refer to amounts in U.S. dollars.
NOTE: Sphere paycheck fees are $5.00, and wire transfer fees are $45.00.
For information about specific terms of the Sphere Accounting Policy refer to the appropriate section below:
· Payment Method and Payment Frequency
· Pay Period End Time
· Payment Distribution
· Direct Deposit (United States)
· Payment Change Deadlines
· Payment Threshold
· Returned Direct Deposits
· Currencies
· Sales Tax
· VAT Tax
· Return and Subscription Cancellation
· Account Closure
· Customer Distribution Requirement
· Taxpayer ID Number Requirement
· Legal Limitations
Payment Method and Payment Frequency
Sphere offers Direct Deposit0 as payment methods for clients to receive their funds. Accounts receiving direct deposit and wire payments (US or International) are eligible for once per week or once per two-week payments.
Pay Period End Time
Pay period end times and payment send dates are dependent upon your selected Payment Frequency. For accounts receiving payments weekly, pay periods end at 12:00:00 a.m. Pacific time every Wednesday. For accounts receiving payments once every two weeks, pay periods end at 12:00:00 a.m. Pacific time every other Wednesday. Changes to your selected Payment Frequency will go into effect in accordance with the Payment Change Deadline.
Changing your Payment Frequency from once per week to once every two weeks (or vice-versa) may result in overlap between pay periods and the amount settled. Due to the overlap the first pay period on your new schedule could be longer or shorter than standard. In the case of overlap, Sphere always settles your open sales since your last pay period ended.
Payment Distribution
Payments are distributed to clients two days after period-end.
Direct Deposit (United States)
Sphere offers Direct Deposit (ACH) of your Sphere Platform account payment to U.S. bank accounts. This is the fastest and easiest way to receive your funds. Direct deposits may take 1-2 business days to reach your account.
Payment Change Deadlines
All changes to payment details, including address or payee changes, and changes between payment methods, must be made prior to the payment period end date (“Payment Change Deadline”).
Payment Threshold
The "Payment Threshold" is a predetermined minimum amount of money you must have in your account before we generate a payment. You may select an amount from $50 to $1,000,000 as your Payment Threshold amount. The default setting is $100. Wires must be in an amount of at least $50. A $5.00 processing charge is assessed against each payment we issue. To change your Payment Threshold, login to your account and select the "Settings" tab. Click "Edit" to the right of the "Payment Information" section. Select the "Payment Threshold" of your choice, then click the "Save Changes" button.
Returned Direct Deposits
Payments that are sent via direct deposit that are returned to us due to invalid banking information are re-sent to you via check. Additionally, your account payment method will be switched to check until you provide accurate banking information. You may contact Sphere Accounting to inquire about the details of your returned direct deposits. Please send your request to [email protected] with the period ending date, the amount, and your nickname.
Currencies
All transactions are applied to your account in U.S. Dollars. For products priced in U.S. Dollars, the amount applied to your account will always be based on the U.S. Dollar price - the currency the customer chooses to purchase in does not affect the U.S. Dollar amount applied to your account.
Sales Tax
As the retailer of record, Sphere is responsible for collecting and remitting tax on sales to end customers. These taxes are assessed based on the location of the end customer and the laws of the jurisdiction in which they reside.
VAT Tax
Under European laws, Sphere is required to collect and remit Value Added Tax (VAT) on sales of electronic services and electronic intangible products. For more information on where Sphere collects and remits VAT on sales, please email us at [email protected].
Return and Subscription Cancellation
As part of our commitment to quality customer service and satisfaction, Sphere may approve a return in accordance with our Subscription Cancellation Policy. When a sale is returned the customer receives a 100% refund and payouts from that sale are debited back out of the corresponding Creator account. Product returns are evidence of customer dissatisfaction with product quality or lack of support and Sphere wants to encourage Creators to identify and fix any problems to minimize the number of returned sales. In addition, Sphere incurs direct processing costs and other costs in connection with returned sales. Therefore, Sphere assesses the following return fees: $1.00 for each returned sale where the product price equals or exceeds $10.00; $0.50 for each returned sale where the product price plus shipping is less than $10.00. This fee is assessed only on returned initial sales and not on upsells, rebills, or other partial returns. This fee also is not assessed on returns processed on the same calendar date as the sale. Creators that maintain a refund rate in excess of 20% may also be subject to Sphere retaining its transaction processing margin and may be subject to additional fees.
Refunds and chargebacks may also result in a negative balance in your account. If your account experiences a negative balance for any reason, Sphere may withdraw funds from any other accounts you control, may seize any available funds to cover the deficiency, and/or may invoice you for the deficiency. All of these remedies are in addition to Sphere’s other rights under the Creator Contract for Sphere, which are fully reserved.
Account Closure
You may close your account at any time. Any closing balance under $10 will be forfeited. To close your account, please contact us at [email protected].
Customer Distribution Requirement
This requirement is in place to help prevent Creators from abusing the Sphere program by using their accounts for the sole purpose of fraudulently collecting rebates and/or discounts on their own purchases. Sphere’s internal criteria are determined in its sole discretion and will be revised and updated as needed.
Once you have met the Customer Distribution Requirement, your account will begin issuing payments normally, in accordance with our Accounting Policy, beginning on the next payment issuing date. If Sphere identifies any conduct by a Creator demonstrating refund abuse or conduct like that referenced in this policy, Sphere reserves the right to suspend or cancel the Creator account in question.
Taxpayer ID Number Requirement
Creators are required to have a taxpayer ID number linked to their account.
The taxpayer ID number input in the account must match the payee listed on the account.
This means:
· If you have a business name as the payee, you must input the EIN into your account that matches the payee. Be sure to use the proper 9-digit format including dashes: 12-3456789
· If you have an individual name as the payee, you must input the SSN into your account that matches the payee. Be sure to use the proper 9-digit format including dashes: 123-456-789
· If you are utilizing a business name but reporting under an individual SSN, you will need to provide an IRS form W-9 to us.
· If you are a foreign citizen utilizing a US address, but a beneficial resident of a different country, you will need to provide us with an IRS form W-8BEN.
W-9 and W-8BEN forms may be faxed to 559-210-0502 or may be submitted by email to our accounting department. Be sure to note your account nickname on the form.
Legal Limitations
This document is not a warranty. For more details please consult the Creator Contract for Sphere, which governs this Accounting Policy and of which this Accounting Policy is a fully incorporated part.