You start with a simple goal: add a bank account so you can receive affiliate earnings.
It sounds like a two-minute job.
Then Awin puts two-step verification at the entrance, Tax Details behind it, a locked Bank Details section after that, and Payoneer at the end.
It feels like an RPG:
You found the key. The door opened. There was another door behind it.
The process is manageable once the order is clear. The real difficulty is knowing which prerequisite is blocking the next screen.
This guide explains the flow for an individual publisher living in Japan, without exposing personal identifiers.[1][2][3]
1. The full path from login to payout
The practical sequence is:
- Enable two-step verification in your User Account.
- Sign out and back in if the new security state is not reflected.
- Open Account → Payment Details in a web browser.
- Complete and save Tax Details.
- If the “Incomplete tax details” message remains, allow up to 12 hours for the banner to refresh.
- Once Bank Details becomes available, choose payment frequency, threshold, destination country, and destination currency.
- Awin selects the payment method based on the country/currency combination.
- For cross-border payments, complete Payoneer setup through Awin.
- Payment-detail updates are reviewed by Awin and are typically validated within about two business days.[2]
If Bank Details is unavailable, the bank itself is usually not the first problem.
Tax Details is the gate in front of it.
2. Two-step verification can be enabled even when an old session still complains
Awin requires 2SV before accessing Payment Details.[3]
It is configured under the Security section of the User Account. Awin supports TOTP-compatible authenticator apps such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Authy.[4]
A confusing case is when Security already says that two-step verification is enabled, while Payment Details still tells you to turn it on.
Before setting it up again, sign out and sign in again so the session can refresh.
Awin also uses adaptive 2SV. A code is not necessarily requested on every login; additional verification may be triggered by a new device, unfamiliar location, or unusual context.[4]
And one important limitation:
Payment Details cannot currently be added or changed in the Awin app.
Use the desktop or mobile web platform instead.[2]
For this job, the app is basically a spectator.
3. What the Tax Details fields mean
For an individual in Japan who does not operate a formally registered company, Awin’s general guidance maps roughly like this.[1]
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tax Residency | Country where you are resident/registered for tax purposes |
| Business Type | Registered Company for a formally registered company; otherwise Sole Trader is the normal Awin category |
| Company Name | For a Sole Trader, your legal first and last name |
| Local Tax Number | Tax identification number used in your country |
| Tax Verification Document | Evidence of tax registration; W-9 is mandatory for US publishers, while other regions may be asked for documents |
| Address | Address that matches your tax-authority records |
Sole Trader is an Awin account category
Awin explicitly says that a publisher without a registered business should select Sole Trader and enter their full name as Company Name.[1]
This is Awin’s classification. It should not automatically be treated as identical to every local legal or tax category.
What is Local Tax Number for Japan?
Awin says publishers in countries other than the US and Germany should generally submit their local tax number. If no tax number has been assigned, its FAQ suggests another official identifier may be used.[1]
However, the general Awin FAQ does not explicitly say, “For Japan, enter My Number.”
The OECD’s Japan TIN documentation identifies the 12-digit Individual Number, commonly called My Number, as Japan’s individual tax identification number. Japan’s National Tax Agency also describes My Number as a 12-digit individual number used in tax procedures.[5][6]
So for an individual in Japan, My Number is the most direct official match for a generic “Local Tax Number” field.
Because My Number is highly sensitive and its use is legally restricted in Japan, do not expose it in chats, screenshots, public support posts, repositories, or social media. If you are unsure whether Awin should collect it in your specific case, confirm with Awin support before submitting it.
Tax Verification Document is not automatically a My Number Card image
Awin describes this field as proof of tax registration, for example a certificate issued by a tax authority.[1]
US publishers must submit a W-9. Other regions may be required to upload tax documents if Awin requests them.[1]
That does not mean you should automatically upload front-and-back images of a My Number Card.
4. You saved Tax Details, but Bank Details is still locked
Awin states that if the Tax Details form can be saved without error messages, the information is considered complete.[1]
However, the “Incomplete tax details” banner does not update instantly.
Awin says it can take up to 12 hours to refresh automatically.[1]
So this sequence can be normal:
- Save succeeds.
- Bank Details is still locked.
- The page still says to complete tax details.
- You stare at the same form again.
- Nothing changes.
That can simply be a display/update delay.
There is a separate timeline for payment-detail review: Awin says submitted payment changes are typically validated within about two business days.[2]
Up to 12 hours = tax-completion banner refresh.
About two business days = review of payment-detail changes.
Two different clocks.
5. When Bank Details opens: Owner permission and Payoneer for USD to Japan
Only the account Owner can edit Payment Details according to Awin’s troubleshooting guidance.[3]
If Tax Details has been saved and the section remains locked after the refresh window:
- Sign out and back in.
- Open Payment Details in a browser.
- Confirm that your user has Owner permission.
- If it is still locked, contact Awin Support.
For USD earnings sent to a bank outside the United States, Awin’s payment-method table uses Payoneer.[7]
That means a Japanese bank account does not use US domestic ACH.
The Payoneer flow starts from Awin:[8]
- Choose Payment Frequency and Payment Threshold.
- Choose Destination Country.
- Choose Destination Currency.
- Payoneer appears as the provider when the combination requires an international payment.
- Save with Update.
- Use the orange “Set up Payoneer” action and complete the registration flow.
A Payoneer account created separately outside Awin cannot simply be attached as-is. Awin requires the Payoneer setup/registration flow to start from the Awin platform.[8][9]
For Awin payments, Payoneer acts as the transfer provider; the money is sent to the registered bank rather than being stored as an Awin-linked Payoneer wallet balance.[8][9]
Awin lists approximate processing times of 1–3 business days for local-currency payments and 3–5 business days for USD/EUR/GBP SWIFT payments to banks outside their domestic regions.[10]
6. Common traps
“I enabled 2SV, but the page still asks for it.” Refresh the session by signing out and back in. Adaptive 2SV also means you may not receive a code challenge every time.[4]
“Can I enter bank details in the app?” No. Use the web platform.[2]
“What is Local Tax Number?” It is the local tax identifier. OECD documentation identifies My Number as Japan’s individual TIN, but Awin’s general FAQ does not give a Japan-specific field instruction.[1][5]
“Should I upload my My Number Card as Tax Verification Document?” Not automatically. The field is for evidence of tax registration; non-US publishers may be asked for documents when required.[1]
“I saved tax details but Bank Details is still closed.” If the save succeeded without errors, allow up to 12 hours for the incomplete-tax banner to refresh.[1]
“USD means ACH, right?” Only for a US-based USD bank account. Outside the US, Awin routes USD payments through Payoneer.[7]
7. Remove sensitive data before asking anyone for help
These screens can contain:
- My Number
- recovery codes
- bank account details
- legal name
- address
- publisher/account identifiers
- email address
- Payoneer verification information
When asking for help, keep the field names and error messages, but redact the values.
To explain the problem, “the form asks for Local Tax Number” is useful.
The actual number is not.
8. Short checklist
For an individual publisher in Japan:
- 2SV enabled in Security
- use a web browser, not the Awin app, for Payment Details
- Tax Residency matches tax residence
- use Sole Trader if you do not have a registered company, according to Awin’s category
- Sole Trader Company Name = legal name
- Local Tax Number = local tax identifier
- OECD identifies My Number as Japan’s individual TIN
- do not assume Tax Verification Document means My Number Card
- address should match tax records
- after an error-free Tax Details save, allow up to 12 hours for the incomplete banner to refresh
- Bank Details changes require the Owner
- USD to a non-US bank uses Payoneer
- start Payoneer setup from Awin
- never paste sensitive identifiers into chats or screenshots
Once the order is visible, the “tax dungeon” becomes a straight corridor.
References (10)
- Awin, “Publisher Tax Details - FAQ success.awin.com
- Awin, “How do I update my payment details? success.awin.com
- Awin, “Troubleshooting Your Payment Details success.awin.com
- Awin Help, “Two-step verification help.awin.com
- OECD, “Japan - Information on Tax Identification Numbers oecd.org
- National Tax Agency Japan, My Number system materials nta.go.jp
- Awin, “What are the available payment methods? success.awin.com
- Awin, “How to set up your payment details with Payoneer - a step-by-step guide success.awin.com
- Awin, “Payments through Payoneer - FAQs success.awin.com
- Awin, “International Payment Method - FAQs success.awin.com
