Musk’s salary is getting bigger and bigger! This is no joke, as long as your X account meets the conditions, you can receive real money every month – creator income.

At present, I have seen that some friends who have been promoted have even achieved $4,000 in creator income in half a month.

For example, SOL brother who can’t understand, such as AB Kuai Dong…

But I have seen too many X users fail to collect money or delay it for several weeks because of a small detail during the setup process – all the steps have been taken, but they are stuck in seemingly trivial areas such as name inconsistency, wrong region selection, and missing tax forms.

What’s even more frustrating is that X’s tutorial is either an old version from 2025 (the policy has changed), or it only talks about the big framework and big steps without going into details. The implementation process still cannot be carried out, and you have to ask friends.

After it was launched, I successively helped some friends from Zhongtong to open and set up payment collection. In the process, I also collected hundreds of real cases from X friends-successful, failed, stuck, and risk-controlled, and compiled all the pitfalls into this nanny-level tutorial. As a creator who has successfully received payment, I can confidently say: If you want to get Musk’s salary in the future, this article is a must-read and a must-collect.

This is not an ordinary tutorial, but a pit avoidance guide + practical manual:

• ✅ Each step is equipped with real operation screenshots (my own payment process)
• ✅ Marked 10 fatal details that are most likely to go wrong
• ✅ Integrated solutions to 15 high-frequency problems
• ✅ All information is based on the latest policy as of February 2026

My goal is simple: let everyone who reads this article get their first income smoothly without stepping into any pitfalls. It is recommended to collect it first, then follow the steps, and check back anytime if you encounter any problems!

📋 Preparation checklist before starting

Before setting up, please make sure you have the following materials ready:

Necessary materials

• ✅ Chinese passport (strongly recommended) or mainland ID card
• ✅ Stable network proxy (US or Hong Kong node)
• ✅ Hong Kong card or Wise account (for collection, supports mainland ID card registration)
• ✅ X Premium Subscription (Blue V Certified)

Preconditions

Your X account needs to meet the following conditions to activate creator income:

• Account age ≥ 3 months
• Number of fans ≥ 500 (reciprocal fans are also counted, but there are risks)
• Number of tweet impressions in the past 3 months ≥ 5 million
• The account has passed identity authentication

Step 1: Complete X account identity authentication

This is the most critical step in the entire process. The authentication process in 2026 has been optimized. Mainland users can quickly pass through the Stripe channel and just use their ID cards. This is how I authenticated.

This is my previously certified tweet:

https://x.com/AI_Jasonyu/status/2004438992151073203

Operation steps

1. Adjust the device environment

• Change the phone system language to English (United States)
• Also change the X App language to English (US)
• Proxy to connect US nodes (this step is important!)

2. Enter the authentication entrance

Open X App and follow the following path:

Personal avatar → Creator Studio → Verify your identity → Identity Verification

3. Select the document type

The system will ask you to choose an identity document:

• Region: Choose China [my choice]. Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States also have a chance of passing, but they are unstable and not suitable for most people.
• Choose: ID card – it can be completed in a few minutes [my choice]. If you choose Hong Kong, your passport can also be passed quickly.

4. Upload ID photo

Follow the prompts to shoot or upload:

Take photos and upload photos of the front and back of your ID card separately to ensure they are clear and free of reflections

The authentication here uses the Stripe channel (instead of Persona). If Persona pops up and cannot pass → Change the mobile phone region + language to the United States and try again.

5. Selfie verification

The system will ask you to perform facial recognition:

• keep it well lit
• Turn your head as prompted
• Make sure the face is completely within the frame

6. Waiting for review

After submission, you will usually receive the review results within 5-30 minutes, and you will be notified if you pass.

Step 2: Register and configure a Wise account [If you have a Hong Kong card, you can skip this step]

Wise is currently the best solution for mainland users to collect payments. It supports ID card registration, has low handling fees and is easy to register.

1. Why choose Wise?

• ✅Supports mainland ID card registration (no Hong Kong and Macau pass required)
• ✅ You can open a Hong Kong account to collect money
• ✅ Withdraw money directly to Alipay/WeChat/UnionPay card
• ✅ Transparent exchange rates and low handling fees

2. Register a Wise account

Visit the Wise official website to register a personal account and use the link below to waive part of the remittance fee.

https://wise.com/invite/ihpc/zhikuiy

1. It is recommended to use Gmail email address
2. Account type: Select “Personal”
3. Country: Select “China”
4. Bind mobile phone number for verification, just use +86
5. Set password: letters + numbers, no less than 9 digits
6. Fill in personal information: Please use pinyin for your name, and keep your name and address consistent with your ID card
7. Open an account ID card + face recognition (key points)
8. Add USD and HKD accounts

3. Open a Hong Kong (HKD) account

In the Wise backend:

Add balance → Select currency → Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) → Get account details

The system will generate a Hong Kong bank account information, including:

• Account Number
• Bank Code
• Branch Code
• bank address

4. Wise account maintenance suggestions

In order to avoid subsequent risk control, it is recommended to:

• When registering, select “salary/salary” as the source of funds.
• Choose a higher level of annual income ($100,000+)
• After receiving X earnings for the first time, keep them for 24 hours before withdrawing them.
• Don’t enter and exit every second, keep a certain balance

For more detailed activation information, I recommend watching @MotongDAO’s top tutorial.

Step 3: Register and configure a Stripe account [the core of this tutorial]

Stripe is the official payment channel designated by X. All creator income must be transferred through Stripe, and the Stripe Express service is used in the Creator Center.

Similarly, before applying for creator income, switch the phone language to English, and then switch the VPN to the United States.

1. Enter Stripe settings

In X App:

Profile picture → Revenue Sharing → Set up payments (configure payment information) → Connect Stripe Account

After clicking, it will automatically jump to the Stripe registration page.

2. Fill in Stripe account information

⚠️ Important reminder: All the following information must be completely consistent with the Hong Kong Card/Wise account!

1. Enter your email address

It is best to use a new email address (Gmail is best) to register a Stripe personal account

If you have used this card to apply for a business before, it does not matter. The income from X is just transferred to your card through this transfer. I used a Stripe account that I had previously applied for for a US company. After the application failed, there was no impact.

2. Enter your mobile phone number and verification code

The mobile phone number here can be bound to a +86 mobile phone number, but to be on the safe side, I bound a Hong Kong mobile phone number.

After entering your mobile phone number, you need to receive a verification code. After filling it in, you will proceed to the next step.

If you need a Hong Kong mobile phone number, you can check out my previous tweets about these two Hong Kong mobile phone numbers and register a backup one.

https://x.com/AI_Jasonyu/status/2008172557233692753?s=20

https://x.com/AI_Jasonyu/status/2007432863525015973?s=20

3. Create a new business

My screenshot shows a subject that my account previously registered with Stripe, but this subject was not approved, so it has been left here (this is a company’s subject)

We don’t need to worry about it here, just click “Create a new business”. Never use your own business account to collect payments. This is inconsistent with your previous authentication, and there must be pitfalls.

4. Select region and account type

• Region must be selected: Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
• Business type: Select Individual
• Don’t choose the United States or other regions – if you have a U card or other cards, or are certified for the second time, and want to increase the income of creators, you can try to choose the United States or Singapore.

5. Fill in personal information [I will explain to you one by one]

• Legal first name: Fill in the name, connect the pinyin, and fill it in all capital letters [I use Zhongan, which is consistent with Zhongan’s card name]
• Legal last name: Fill in the last name, also in all capital letters [I use Zhongan, which is consistent with the Zhongan card name]
• Date of birth: fill in according to the date in the passport

6. Fill in the address Home Address

Most people probably don’t have a Hong Kong address, so they can directly use the bank address provided by Hong Kong Card/Wise:

• View HKD account details in Wise backend
• Copy Bank Address
• Paste into Stripe’s address bar

I use the address provided by ZhongAn’s bank, which can be seen in the APP. The same applies if you use Wise.

7. Bind bank account

Here is a note. Currently, the most recommended one by friend

If you spend directly in US dollars, you can try HSBC. Otherwise, you can refer to mine directly. There is no problem in using Zhongan.

This step is to bind your Hong Kong account to Stripe:

• Account holder name: The pinyin of the name, last name first, first name last [all in capital letters, just keep it consistent with what is displayed on the bank APP]
• Choose your bank [Bank]: For example, ZA BANK LIMITED [387], for example, you can find it according to your own bank by pulling down the search
• Choose your branch【Branch】: Bring it in automatically, don’t worry about it
• Account number [Account number]: Fill in the Account Number provided by Zhongan/Wise [Fill it in completely, don’t just fill in 9 digits]
• Confirm account number [Confirm account number]: Fill in the account number again Account Number

⚠️ Common mistakes:

• The number of digits in the account number is wrong: the example account number is 9 digits, don’t worry, just enter it according to your real account number. My Zhongan account number is 12 digits, just fill in all the digits and it will be OK.
• Inconsistent names: The names of Stripe and Hong Kong Card/Wise must be exactly the same
• Wrong address format: Use Hong Kong Card or the standard address format provided by Wise

Step 4: Confirm the information and fill out the tax form (W-8BEN)

1. First, confirm the information previously filled in

Business type Confirm that this is what you filled in before, make sure it is correct

Your website: Here is your own X homepage link

Personal details: Check to make sure they are correct

Payout details: If you fill in the wrong information here, you can also click Edit to edit it.

2. W-8/W-9 tax treaty

This is a U.S. tax requirement. It must be filled in to reduce withholding tax. If not filled in, 30% should be deducted directly. After filled in, it should be 10%.

Click Update directly here to update.

🔔 Fill in the key points

1. Tax resident status

Are you considered a U. S. Person for Federal Tax Purposes?

• Select: Non-US tax resident, that is, select “No”

2. Mailing address

Is your mailing address the same as the permanent residence address above?

Is your mailing address the same as your permanent residential address above? ————Select Yes.

3. U.S. taxpayer identification number

U. S. Taxpayer ldentification number

Just be empty, we don’t have any

4. Non-U.S. taxpayer identification number

Non-U. S. Taxpayer ldentification number

If you have a passport, fill in your passport number, and if you don’t have a passport, fill in your ID number [it’s best to fill it in, I didn’t fill it in myself, you can also go to the next step]

5. Tax treaty claims

Tax Treaty Claims, just select “No” for this.

6. Then check the Agree box and fill in your full English name in Signature.

Note that the English names here should be in the same order as the names on the confirmation information page just now. When I put it in front, it became, first name first, last name last! !

After confirmation, return to the Review page.

7. Then click “Agree and submit” and wait for review.

Step 5: Waiting for review and first payment

1. Stripe review time

Once all information is submitted, Stripe will review it:

• Usual time: a few hours to 2-3 days
• Review content: identity information, bank accounts, business compliance

After passing the review, you will see the “Active” status on the Revenue Sharing page of X’s Creator Studio.

2. Income distribution rules

• Distribution threshold: cumulative revenue reaches $30 USD
• Distribution time: Automatically issued twice a month, that is, once every 2 weeks (usually the 17th and 31st)

– Arrival time:
X → Stripe: Instant
Stripe → Hong Kong Card/Wise: 2-7 working days
Wise → Alipay/WeChat: Payment will arrive in a few minutes

3. Things to note if it is the first time Wise collects money.

Wise risk control audit

The first large deposit (X income) will trigger Wise’s review, which is normal:

1. Prepare instructions in advance
Funding source: Fill in “X platform creator revenue” or “Social media advertising share”
Occupation: Fill in “Freelancer” or “Content Creator”

1. Account maintenance strategy
After receiving the money, keep it for 24-48 hours before withdrawing it.
Don’t move in and out every second to avoid triggering risk control
Keep a small balance in your account (a few hundred HKD is enough)

1. Review time
Usually 24-72 hours
If it is frozen, email customer service can provide a screenshot of X income to unfreeze it.

Withdraw money to China

After Wise receives the money, you can withdraw it directly to:

Recommended method: Alipay