Set Up Guide
0. Choose your language
A. Click on the word “English” at the bottom of the page.
B. Choose your preferred language
1. Fill out your profile
A. Find the email from Trolley that contains a button that says “Set up my payment preferences” and click on that button.
C. Check your email inbox for a new email from Trolley with a verification code.
D. Enter the verification code into Trolley.
E. Click the button that says “Add Payout Method”
F. Choose whether you are an individual or an organization
This will first direct you to fill out your Profile with your general information. You cannot add a Payout Method until that is complete.
The name that you use here needs to match the name on the bank account that you will be using as does the address.
B. You will be directed to the Trolley website and asked to enter your email address to get a verification code.
2. Set up your Payout Method
A. Choose your preferred method to receive payment and enter your bank information.
Your options for payment methods and the questions asked are dependent on what country you entered into your profile. Only those within the United States will have checks as an option.
If outside the United States:
You need to first confirm that the currency is correct.
Please note: Multiple currency options will not appear for all countries. If you need a currency that does not display, please contact payments@pulitzercenter.org and we will request that Trolley activate additional currencies on your account. USD has already been activated for any accounts in Burundi, Peru, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Time to move onto the tax form. (Please note: Trolley will allow you to stop and return later by clicking the “Done” button, but we recommend that you submit a tax form at the same time as setting up your payout method as we cannot send your payment without a tax form on file.)
If your bank's identification number (routing number, ACH, or SWIFT code) cannot be verified by Trolley, you will receive an immediate error message.
However, if your account number is incorrect, Trolley will not be able to flag that as you enter it. Trolley will either inform you later that you have an “invalid account number” or the payment may fail. Please check your account number carefully. Trolley cannot verify it until we attempt to send the payment.
B. Verifying your bank account
C. Your Payout Method is now complete!
3. Submit your tax form
A. Choose if you or your organization qualifies as a "U.S. person."
If you are not based in the U.S., it will ask you if you are an individual or a corporation / business / organization operating outside of the U.S.
If you are a U.S. citizen or an organization, you will be directed to the W-9 form. Here are directions from the IRS on how to fill out the W-9 form (at the bottom of the full length form itself).
If outside the United States:
We still require a tax form from you. This form is what proves that you are outside of the U.S. and not subject to United States taxes.
If you are a non-U.S. citizen or organization, you will be directed to the W-8BEN form. Here are directions from Trolley on how to fill out the W-8BEN form as a non-U.S. individual and directions on how to fill out the W-8BEN form if you are a non-U.S. organization.
You will have an opportunity to review your information before certifying that it is accurate. If you need to make any corrections, please click on the back button.
Are you submitting the tax form immediately after doing your payout method? Great! Go straight to Step 3A.
If you left the Trolley website after setting up your Payout Method and are returning at a later time, you will need to go through Steps 1A - 1D again: Find an email from Trolley, click on the link, enter your email address, find an email with the verification code, enter the code into Trolley.
If outside the United States:
If outside the United States:
The final page may have a warning at the top about tax withholdings. You can disregard the language at the top of the page and look at the details at the bottom of the page instead. The Pulitzer Center sends payments to Fellows and grantees as “services” (not awards or prizes), so the tax withholding amount that is relevant for you is next to services.
E. Officially submit the form!
It is true that you will not be able to edit the form after you submit it, but you can always delete the form and submit a new one if needed.
B. Once your information is complete, click on the button to “Continue”.
You may also see a pop-up warning on the screen about 30% tax withholdings. You can disregard this message as well, it is a generic warning and does not yet mean it will be applied to you. The information at the bottom of the page behind the pop up box is still valid.
D. Certification questions
The final page will ask you to confirm and certify the information that you already provided. This is the equivalent of a signature.
If outside the United States:
