Difference between revisions of "KB2/Account balance"

Revision as of 13:24, 25 October 2010

How can I use my US dollar balance?

You can put your US dollar balance to work in several ways:

Pay for Second Life expenses

When you pay your Premium membership fee, land use fees, Private Estate fees, buy Linden dollars or buy a Private Region, Linden Lab charges your US dollar balance. If your US dollar balance does not cover your expenses, we charge the remainder via your preferred payment method. If you make enough Linden dollars, you can sell them on the LindeX to increase your US dollar balance. Some Residents' Premium accounts pay for themselves!

Process credit (withdrawal)

You may choose to withdraw your US dollar balance via PayPal or bank wire.

Note: You should only use the bank wire option under the following circumstances:

PayPal will not permit payments to your country
You're expecting payment of $10,000 or more

For instructions on setting up wire transfer payments, see "Instructions for setting up Process Credit payments through wire transfer".

PayPal will not permit payments to your country
You're expecting payment of $10,000 or more

For instructions on setting up wire transfer payments, see Instructions for setting up Process Credit payments through wire transfer. |}

Depending on which withdrawal option you choose, you may be subject to fees and minimum withdrawal amounts. For current information on Process Credit requests, check out the Process Credit page on the Second Life website. To view a full history of your Process Credit transactions, view the Process Credit History page.

Important: You must be in full compliance with the Second Life Terms of Service to receive any payment through the credit payment process. This includes, without limitation, the requirement to have accurate and complete registration information, including verifiable billing information.

Buy account credit

You can add funds to your US dollar balance on the Buy Account Credit page. When using this feature, you must add at least US$25 at a time.

How do I get my Linden dollar (L$) stipend?

Stipends are paid out every week by an automated process that runs on Tuesdays. Payments are based on information gathered from the database as of the preceding Monday. For example:

Bob Avatar creates a Premium account on Monday, April 14. He receives his first stipend on Tuesday, April 15.
Ekaterina Avatar creates a Premium account on Tuesday, April 15. She receives her first stipend on Tuesday, April 22.

Premium subscribers receive their stipend every week, whether they log in or not. Basic subscribers who qualify for a stipend receive one every week that they log in (that is, they are paid Tuesday provided they logged in sometime the week before).

Note: While the automated process begins paying out stipends on Tuesday mornings, Second Life's population continues to grow, which means stipend payments will take longer to deliver. Payouts may be expected to appear later in the day on Tuesdays, or possibly even Wednesdays.

Depending on what type of account you have and its age, the amount you receive each week may vary.

Premium accounts created or upgraded from Basic on or after November 1, 2006 receive L$300 per week.
Premium accounts created or upgraded between July 21, 2006 and November 1, 2006 receive L$400 per week.
Premium accounts created or upgraded prior to July 21, 2006 receive L$500 per week.
Basic accounts created prior to June 6, 2006 receive a stipend of L$50 per week.
Basic accounts created after June 6, 2006 do not receive a weekly stipend.

Upgrading your Basic account to Premium allows you to receive a stipend at the current rate -- L$300 per week.

How long does it take to process credits?

LindeX processing can take 0-5 business days (Monday-Friday, not including holidays) if they're through PayPal. Bank wire payout request processing time is 15 business days. We strive for quick turnaround; however, holidays and the volume of transactions can affect processing times.

Wire transfers

Anyone can put money on account by sending Linden Lab a bank wire. This article explains how to set up wire transfers. Please read and follow these instructions carefully.If you are wiring money to pay for a Private Region (island), you should wire the money before ordering through our Land Store, or place a special order through our invoicing system. Delivery time for islands ordered through our invoicing system is longer than through the Land Store. If you choose to use our invoicing system, you will need your invoice number in order to complete the wire transfer. To transfer funds into your Second Life account by wire transfer, you must transfer the funds to Linden Lab's bank. Once you submit a ticket for a wire transfer (explained below), we will provide you with the information necessary to make the wire transfer. You should initiate the transfer with your bank promptly. Delays in initiating your transfer will delay delivery of your funds and processing of any island orders. Because of the high fees we incur in receiving funds by wire, there is a US$25.00 fee to put money on account with us via wire. There is also a minimum amount (US$100.00) required to credit your account.

If, for example, you want to put US$100.00 on account with us, you'll need to wire us US$125.00. Wires can take up to five (5) business days to post to your account -- possibly more for international wires. For wires from European Union VAT jurisdictions, if you are or will conduct any revenue-generating activity with this purchase, please include the applicable VAT amount in addition to the net wire amount and wire fees. Please also kindly provide us with your VAT registration number.

Funds transferred must be in US$ currency.To submit a request for a wire transfer:

Go to the Second Life Support Portal and make sure you're logged in.
Click Submit a Ticket.
From the Ticket Type dropdown, select Billing and L$.
From the Billing type dropdown, select Real world payment.
From the Billing issue dropdown, select Wire Transfer Request.
Fill in the rest of the resulting fields and click Finish.

Instructions for completing wire transfers

This article contains instructions on making a bank wire transfer between your bank and Linden Lab's account at Wells Fargo. In order to actually make a wire transfer, you must first submit a wire transfer request to get the necessary Linden Lab account information. See this article on wire transfers before attempting a wire transfer.

Department Hours (Monday - Friday)

Same day wire initiation hours 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 PM Central Time (CT) Future dated wire initiation hours 7:30 A.M. to 7:00 PM (CT) Customer service hours 7:30 A.M. to 8:00 PM (CT) Spanish language hours 7:30 A.M. to 7:00 PM (CT)

Voice Activated Wires

To initiate a voice activated wire, call Wells Fargo Wire Transfer Services toll free at 1-888-384-8400 (within the US) or 001-800-964-4801 (from Mexico or Canada) or 001-303-384-8400 (all other international callers).

Necessary Information

You will be asked for the following information:

Your account number and any other identifying information.
Your wire repetitive number (if applicable).
The amount of the funds to be transferred.
The currency type for international wire transfers.
Contract number when foreign currency is equal to or over $15,000 US equivalent.
Beneficiary bank information; this is Linden Lab's bank information, which we will supply to you after you've submitted a wire transfer request.
** Beneficiary bank routing instructions.
- Beneficiary account number.
- Beneficiary name and address.
- Any additional information for the receiving bank or beneficiary (i.e., invoice numbers, loan payment, etc.).

Wire Transfer Daily Deadlines

Requests received after deadlines will be processed the next business day.

12:00 PM (CT) Same Day Wires to Mexico in Pesos and wires to Canada in Canadian Dollars
3:00 PM (CT) Tax Payments
4:30 PM (CT) Outgoing Domestic and International Wire Transfers and Outgoing Drawdowns
5:00 PM (CT) Bank Settlement Transfers (Correspondent banks only)
5:30 PM (CT) Incoming Wires
7:00 PM (CT) Same Day Wire Transfers between two Wells Fargo accounts (Book Transfers and Internal Transfers)

To Avoid Delays or Additional Fees on Outgoing Wires

Be sure to provide Linden Lab's complete information, including account name, account number, and SWIFT code, which we will supply to you after you've submitted a wire transfer request.
When initiating Same Day Canadian Dollar and Mexican Peso wires prior to the daily deadline of 12:00 PM CT, please be sure to indicate it is a same day wire transfer.

Information for International Wires

When sending in foreign currency, please ensure Linden Lab's account accepts the designated foreign currency. International foreign currency wires are generally less expensive to send as compared with International USD wires (the Wells Fargo wire fee is always less when the wire is sent in foreign currency and Wells Fargo does not charge a converting fee; they also offer competitive exchange rates). For International wires in foreign currency that are equal to or over $15,000 US equivalent, please call your local foreign exchange specialist to obtain a contract number.

For wires from European Union VAT jurisdictions, if you are or will conduct any revenue-generating activity with this purchase, please include the applicable VAT amount in addition to the net wire amount and wire fees. Please also kindly provide us with your VAT registration number.

How do I get Linden dollars?

In general, there are two ways to get Linden Dollars:

Purchase Linden Dollars

You can exchange real-world currency (USD$, Euros, etc) for L$ through the LindeX. See also: How to Buy Linden Dollars.

Make Something

Residents can trade both goods and services. With a little work and ingenuity, you can be Second Life's next big fashion designer, jet pack inventor, or real estate developer. For example, you can create pets, vehicles, houses, furniture, games, clothing, shoes, decorations, jewelry, plants, guns, timepieces, signs, fountains, animals, or even a new body! It's all about your creativity.

To get an item ready for sale, just right-click it, choose Edit, select the For Sale checkbox, and name your price. If you own land, you can place your creations there to display, or you can make a deal with another resident to help you sell your item in their store.

Check out the Guide to Jobs in Second Life for a more detailed tour through some of the jobs our Residents have come up with.
You can also read Resident Angel Fluffy's FAQ on how to earn L$ in the Second Life Forums.

How to buy Linden dollars

If you find yourself in need of some Linden dollars (L$), you can always buy some from the Linden Dollar Exchange (LindeX).

Market Buy

Market Buy is the quickest and easiest way to purchase Linden dollars from the Second Life website. LindeX automatically matches your order with the best exchange rate based on the number of Linden Dollars you wish to buy. If instead you enter the amount of US Dollars you want to spend, the approximate number of L$ to purchase is be calculated automatically. The quoted exchange rate includes transaction fees.

Go to https://secondlife.com/currency/buy.php
Enter the amount of Linden dollars you would like to buy OR Enter the amount of U.S. dollars you would like to spend
Click Buy Now!

Note: Market Buys complete instantly; if you need Linden dollars, and you need them now, Market Buy is your avenue of choice!

Buying Linden dollars inworld

You can buy Linden dollars from inside Second Life by pressing the L$ button next to your current Linden dollar balance. In the Buy Currency window, simply enter the amount of Linden dollars you would like to buy, and then press the Purchase button. Buying Linden dollars inworld yields the same value as Market Buy on the Second Life website.

Limit Buy

Limit Buy allows you to specify the amount of Linden dollars and the minimum exchange rate you are willing to accept. LindeX automatically matches up sell offers as they come in. In order to activate your option to perform Limit Buys, you must set your Linden Dollar Exchange Settings to Advanced. You must have sufficient US$ credit on your Second Life account to completely pay for the buy order.

Go to https://secondlife.com/currency/buy.php
Under Buy at a Specific Rate, enter both the quantity of L$ you wish to buy, and the exchange rate you wish to buy at.
Click Offer to Buy

Note: Because LindeX exchange rates fluctuate regularly, you may have to wait for some time before your Limit Buy completes at your desired rate. If you set your minimum exchange rate too high, your transaction will not complete in a timely fashion.

Canceling a Limit Buy Offer

You can cancel a Limit Buy Offer in progress on the LindeX: Transaction History page. You may wish to cancel a Limit Buy in order to alter your desired exchange rate, or if you change your mind about the amount of Linden dollars you wish to purchase.

How to sell Linden dollars

If you find yourself with more Linden dollars than you need, you can sell some of them on the Linden Dollar Exchange (LindeX). Sell Orders may be partially filled: Your Linden Dollars might sell to multiple buyers, and not all at the same time, and the order remains open until they're sold or you cancel the order. Proceeds are paid at the time of sale, less transaction fees.

Market Sell

Market Sell is the quickest and easiest way to sell Linden dollars on the Second Life website. LindeX will automatically match your order with the best exchange rate based on the number of Linden Dollars you wish to sell.

Go to https://secondlife.com/currency/sell.php
Enter the amount of Linden dollars you wish to sell.
Click the Sell' button.'

Note: Unlike Market Buys, Market Sells do not complete instantly. However, they do generally complete more quickly than Limit Sells!

Limit Sell

Limit Sell allows you to specify the amount of Linden Dollars and the maximum exchange rate you are willing to accept. LindeX automatically matches up buy offers as they come in. In order to activate your option to perform Limit Sells, you must set your Linden Dollar Exchange Settings to Advanced.

Go to https://secondlife.com/currency/sell.php
Under Offer to Sell Linden Dollars (Limit Sell), enter both the quantity of L$ you wish to sell, and the maximum exchange rate you wish to sell at.
Click Offer to Sell

Note: Because LindeX exchange rates fluctuate regularly, you may have to wait for some time before your Limit Sell order completes. If you set your maximum exchange rate too low, your transaction may not complete in a timely fashion.

Canceling a Limit Sell Offer

You can cancel a Limit Sell Offer in progress on the LindeX: Transaction History page. You may wish to cancel a Limit Sell in order to alter your desired exchange rate, or if you change your mind about the amount of Linden dollars you wish to sell.

How to view statements of account activity

After you've logged into your Dashboard on secondlife.com, click the Account section on the left to expand it, then click the Account Statements link. You can download statements for every month of your account's existence, up to and including the last complete month (if you check in the middle of December 2008, you'll see November 2008 as the latest statement). These statements will be permanently available and can be downloaded as many times as you like. For Residents who need to claim Value Added Tax (VAT) back from their tax office, the Summary section of the statement groups all VAT charges into a single total; this serves as a summary of VAT invoices for each month.

How to cancel a request to process credit

If you think you've made a mistake in requesting account credits to be processed:

Go to our website at secondlife.com.
- Click your Second Life name next to "Welcome," at the top to open your Dashboard.
- If you're not logged in, click Login at the top, then log in and you'll be brought to your Dashboard.
In the list of links on the left of your Dashboard, click Manage under the Linden Exchange heading, then click Process Credit History. Your Process Credit History page opens.
Verify the transaction information.
If the email, mailing address, or amounts are incorrect and the transaction needs to be cancelled, please contact us through any of the following methods:
- Residents with a Premium account or Concierge status can initiate a Live Chat session.
- Residents with a Premium account or Concierge status can submit support tickets related to billing and L$.
- Concierge level Residents may call the Concierge Support Line, which they can find via our Support Portal.
- Any Resident can contact us by phone; please read the following Knowledge Base article to find out how: Linden Lab Official:Contacting Linden Lab Billing.

Setting up process credit payments through a wire transfer

This article explains how to set up Process Credit payments through bank wire transfer.

Visit the Support Portal and click the Submit a Ticket button.
From the Ticket Type dropdown, select Billing and L$.
From the Billing Type dropdown, select Request Payout via Wire Transfer.
Fill in the remaining fields.

In order for us to send you a bank wire, we need to know more about you than we're asked you to provide in order to have and use a Second Life account. We're aware this information is sensitive and confidential, and we'll protect it with the utmost confidence according to our Terms of Service and Community Standards.

When you create your ticket, please provide the following:

First Name
Last Name
Avatar Name
Email
Mailing Address
Phone
Requested amount
Tax ID/SSN
Bank Account Number
Bank Name
Bank Address
Bank Contact
ABA Number
IBAN Number
SWIFT Number
Special Notes
Please also send a legible scan of a photo ID, and if necessary, your business license or tax certificate

What happens next?

You should be aware of the following things:

When the ticket is complete and submitted, we will conduct a review to determine your eligibility to receive a wire.
All requests will be processed in the order received.
The decision to send a wire is at our sole discretion and we make no guarantee that we will issue a wire to you.
Incomplete submissions will be rejected.

How long does it take?

Please read the following Knowledge Base article: How long does it take to process credits?

What's the cost?

There are some costs associated with payments via wire transfer:

Linden Lab will deduct a $100 processing fee for a bank wire over $10,000, in addition to any fees charged by your financial institution.
In cases where PayPal does not allow payments to be sent to your location, we will deduct a 1% fee for wires sent.

What if I change my mind?

Please read the following Knowledge Base article: I made a mistake in my request to process account credits (US$ to check or Paypal). How do I cancel the request?