There are two dates you’re waiting for: the day your videos start earning, and the day that money reaches your bank account. They can be weeks or months apart.
You start earning after YouTube approves your channel for monetization and you switch on the relevant earning features. Your first payment follows once your earnings reach the payout minimum and your payment account is ready. For a US dollar account, that minimum is $100. Payments are normally sent between the 21st and 26th of the month, using earnings finalized from earlier months.
If you’re still working toward monetization, open YouTube Studio → Earn. It shows your progress toward the requirements and lets you apply when you qualify. Here’s what happens from there to the first deposit.
Do you need 500 or 1,000 subscribers?
Both numbers appear in YouTube’s rules because they unlock different ways to earn.
In countries with the expanded YouTube Partner Program, 500 subscribers can open access to fan funding, such as memberships and Super Thanks, and Shopping for your own products. You earn when viewers choose to support you or buy something.
For a share of advertising and YouTube Premium revenue, you need 1,000 subscribers. Subscriber counts are only part of the application requirements:
| What you want to earn from | Current requirements |
|---|---|
| Fan funding and Shopping | 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days, and either 3,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days |
| Ads and YouTube Premium | 1,000 subscribers, and either 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days |
You only need to reach one viewing target: watch hours or Shorts views. Watching Shorts in the feed doesn’t add to the watch-hours total.
Check YouTube Studio → Earn for your progress. Its totals leave out private videos and views from ad campaigns.
Higher entry requirements from February 2027
YouTube has announced that from 1 February 2027, new ad and Premium applicants will need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days. The earlier fan-funding and Shopping thresholds stay the same.
Already in the Partner Program? The higher entry targets won’t remove your membership, but check Studio for updated terms to accept by 31 January 2027. Shorts creators also face a new ongoing requirement from February: 10 million qualified Shorts views over 90 days to earn from the Shorts Creator Pool each month. Missing that target doesn’t remove your Partner Program status or stop other Partner Program earnings.
Apply, get approved, then turn on earnings
Once you qualify, apply through YouTube Studio → Earn. You’ll accept the program terms and link an AdSense for YouTube account, Google’s system for paying creators. Start that setup from Studio’s prompt; if you already have an AdSense account, link that one. If you’re under 18, you’ll need an approved parent or guardian’s AdSense account.
YouTube also checks that the program is available in your country, your channel follows its monetization policies, you have no active Community Guidelines strikes, and your account has two-step verification and advanced features enabled.
The channel review typically takes about a month. Reaching the numbers gets you into that review; YouTube still needs to approve the channel.
After approval, return to Earn and accept the terms for the features you want. For regular-video ads, that’s the Watch Page Monetization Module; for Shorts, the Shorts Monetization Module; for fan funding, the Commerce Product Module. Turn on ads for your eligible regular videos too, including older uploads you want to monetize.
Those older uploads can keep earning from new viewers. But seeing an ad on one of your videos before joining the program doesn’t mean you’ve already earned money: YouTube can show ads without sharing that revenue with you.
How long after approval does the first payment arrive?
Your wait depends on how quickly your earnings reach the payout minimum and whether your account setup is complete. Two creators’ first payments show how different that can be.
Pilar Newman started sharing ad revenue on 26 April 2021. Her channel earned $109.13 in the five remaining days of April, enough to pass the US dollar minimum. She received that money on 21 May.
Geologist Jess Scanlan had a longer wait. Her channel, The Rock Record, was monetized on 4 February 2025. In a July post about her first paycheck, she reported receiving $126.21 that week. She had put more than 257 hours into researching, filming and editing her videos by then.
Approval opens the door to earning. How much comes through it depends on the videos and their audience. Our YouTube pay-per-view guide explains why the same view count can produce very different earnings.
The minimum balance depends on your account currency
Ad revenue, Premium revenue and fan funding such as memberships are paid through AdSense for YouTube. Sales of your own products through YouTube Shopping are paid by your store’s retailer or platform. The payment calendar here covers the AdSense route.
AdSense payment thresholds include $100 for US dollar accounts, €70 for euro accounts, £60 for pound accounts and 700 kr for Swedish krona accounts.
If you finish a month below your minimum, the money carries over. Earn $80 one month and $50 the next in a US dollar account, and you have $130 toward your first payment.
The calendar: when earned money gets paid
YouTube Studio shows estimated earnings while your videos earn. The final amount is posted to AdSense for YouTube → Payments between the 7th and 12th of the following month.
By the 20th, your balance needs to meet the minimum and any payment holds must be cleared. AdSense then sends payments between the 21st and 26th. Your bank takes additional time to process the transfer. YouTube’s payment guide says to allow up to seven business days for electronic funds transfers, or 15 for wire transfers.
Here’s how that works if your first two months produce $80 and $50 in finalized earnings, your account uses US dollars, and you’ve completed the payment setup:
- November: earn $80Too little for the $100 minimum. It carries over, so there's no December payment.
- December: earn another $50Your accumulated earnings are now $130.
- 7–12 January: balance updatedDecember's $50 is added to the $80 already in AdSense.
- 20 January: payment cutoffThe $130 balance qualifies. Payment details and any holds must be resolved by this date.
- 21–26 January: $130 sentAdSense issues the payment. The bank transfer follows.
The extra month matters. Reaching $100 in Studio’s estimates halfway through December doesn’t unlock an immediate withdrawal. December’s earnings go through January’s payment cycle.
Already earning, but still waiting for payment?
Open AdSense for YouTube → Payments and check the finalized balance and any outstanding tasks. A balance above the minimum can still be held up by:
- Tax information: submit the forms requested in your account.
- Identity or address verification: complete the checks Google asks for, including entering the PIN if Google sends one to your mailing address.
- Payment method: add and verify the method available to your account.
- Other holds: follow the account’s instructions to resolve a hold or review a payment schedule you’ve set yourself.
Google explains these payment holds in its help center. Deal with the prompts as they appear. Clearing a hold after the 20th can mean waiting for the following month’s cycle.
Can you earn before joining the Partner Program?
Yes. Brands can pay you for sponsorships, and affiliate programs can pay you when viewers buy through your links. Those payments come from the brand or program, so they have their own requirements and schedules.
If you already recommend products in your videos, our guide to getting started with YouTube affiliate marketing shows where to find programs and how to create your first link. If a brand would be a good fit for your audience, start with finding your first YouTube sponsorship.
For money paid by YouTube itself, follow the screen that matches your stage: Studio → Earn while qualifying and applying; AdSense → Payments once you’re waiting for a deposit.
