X is pushing forward with its payments ambitions by requiring creators taking part in its Original Content Rewards and subscriptions programs to accept payouts via X Money, with no alternative payment process offered to U.S. creators. The company confirmed the shift through its X Creators account, stating that U.S. payouts for these programs would now route through the platform’s in-house payment system. socialmediatoday
Faster Access, New Requirements
X has framed the move as a benefit, noting that creators will now be able to tap their earnings as soon as they’re sent instead of waiting to hit a payout threshold. However, the change comes with added conditions: creators must verify their phone number to qualify for an X Money account and must also hold a paying X Premium subscription — though Premium is already a requirement for monetization eligibility, so this isn’t a major shift in practice. Notably, creators outside the U.S. will continue receiving payments through Stripe rather than X Money.
A Rocky Road to Regulatory Approval
X Money launched in beta in late 2025 and expanded its U.S. rollout after the company struck a payment-support partnership with Cross River Bank to satisfy regulatory requirements. Cross River now underpins X Money accounts, including a linked Visa debit card for ATM withdrawals, meaning X Money operates through the bank’s approved infrastructure rather than as a fully independent system. X previously faced setbacks in securing money-transmitter approval in several states, partly tied to its ownership links to Middle East investors.
The push to centralize payments comes as X also contends with rising security threats, with reports this week indicating hackers are increasingly targeting accounts to access users’ X Money details — a challenge the company will need to manage as it works toward becoming a full-fledged “everything app.”