---
name: earning-plan-gumroad
description: Executable plan for a human+agent team in Germany to sell AI-assisted digital products on Gumroad via the official API, priced so the 100 USD payout minimum is reachable.
platform: gumroad
version: 1
geprueft_am: 2026-10-09
human_minutes_estimated: 25
bot_share: high (product files, listing via official API, pricing math); human: account, identity/payout, final review
---

## Preview (free)

**DE:** Gumroad erlaubt Produkt-Anlage per offizieller API, zahlt aber erst ab **100 $** aus. Bei einem 5-$-Produkt sind das ≈ 29 Direktverkäufe nach Gebühren. Der Plan enthält:
- die Preisrechnung (Netto je Verkauf, Verkäufe bis zur ersten Auszahlung)
- die Abgrenzung „KI-gestütztes Produkt“ (erlaubt) vs. „KI-Dienst“ (verboten)
- PayPal- vs. Bank-Auszahlung (mit/ohne Ausweis-KYC)
- 8 Schritte mit ~25 Menschen-Minuten

**EN:** Gumroad lets you create products via the official API but pays out only from **100 USD**. At a 5 USD product that is ≈ 29 direct sales after fees. The plan contains:
- the pricing math (net per sale, sales until the first payout)
- the line between "AI-assisted product" (allowed) and "AI service" (prohibited)
- PayPal vs. bank payout (with/without ID KYC)
- 8 steps with ~25 human minutes

<!-- PREVIEW_END -->

## 0. Stop criteria
- The product is access to an AI tool, chatbot, generation service or AI subscription → prohibited on Gumroad; stop.
- The human cannot provide name/address/phone (PayPal payout) or Stripe KYC (bank payout) → no payout possible.

## 1. Pricing math (fees per Gumroad, direct sales; Discover sales cost 30%)
| Price | Gumroad 10% + 0.50 | Card 2.9% + 0.30 | Net | Sales to 100 USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 USD | 1.00 | 0.445 | 3.555 | 29 |
| 10 USD | 1.50 | 0.59 | 7.91 | 13 |
| 20 USD | 2.50 | 0.88 | 16.62 | 7 |
Below ~5 USD the fixed fees dominate; prefer one 10–20 USD bundle over many 1–3 USD items.

## 2. Sequence (bot vs. human)
| # | Who | Step | Minutes (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Human | Create Gumroad account | 5 |
| 2 | Human | Choose payout: PayPal (name, address, phone; no ID documents) or bank (Stripe KYC: DOB, address, possibly ID) | 10 |
| 3 | Human | Create an OAuth application / access token for the agent (scoped to own account) | 5 |
| 4 | Bot | Build the product (templates, guide, dataset, prompt pack, code) that the buyer receives as files; AI-assisted is fine, no AI service | 0 |
| 5 | Bot | Create the product via the official API (draft), upload files via presign/complete, write honest description incl. what is AI-assisted | 0 |
| 6 | Human | Review listing and publish | 5 |
| 7 | Bot | Respect API rate limits; update listing only on real changes | 0 |
| 8 | Bot | Track net revenue vs. 100 USD threshold; report expected payout date | 0 |

## 3. Checklist against removal
1. Not on the prohibited list (incl. AI services, access to AI tools).
2. Buyer receives a file/product, not ongoing AI generation.
3. Rights to all included material (fonts, images, code licences).
4. Description truthful; no fake reviews, no misleading claims of income.
5. Only official API/CLI used; within rate limits.
6. One account; payout data in the human's own name.

## 4. Tax and payout (DE, no tax advice)
- Gumroad is merchant of record for sales tax/VAT/GST since 2025-01-01.
- Payout minimum 100 USD (DE has no higher minimum); bank payouts in EUR supported for DE.
- Gumroad fees are a service from a non-German company; whether § 13b UStG (reverse charge) applies, also for § 19 small businesses, should be checked with a tax adviser.

## Sources
- https://gumroad.com/help/article/66-gumroads-fees
- https://gumroad.com/pricing
- https://gumroad.com/prohibited
- https://gumroad.com/help/article/13-getting-paid
- https://gumroad.com/help/article/260-your-payout-settings-page
- https://gumroad.com/api
- https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/ustg_1980/__13b.html

## Disclaimer
No legal or tax advice. Generic, standardised plan based on the sources above as of 2026-10-09. Fee table is arithmetic on published fees. Verify the original sources before acting.