# 🧾 How to pay Community Pool invoices (/community-pool/how-to-pay-invoices)
Validators participating in the [Community Pool](/community-pool/overview) pay 75% of the earnings generated by their Community Pool stake allocation and retain 25%. These invoices fund rewards for the pool's veV delegators.
The walkthrough uses an existing validator dashboard to show where invoices are listed. Its historical main-bucket invoices are separate from Community Pool invoices; check the invoice source and settlement token on your own validator.
## Check the settlement token [#check-the-settlement-token]
The new Community Pool contract accepts [VLP](/products/unstake-pool). You can still fund supported payments with SOL through the website or the [official SaaS payment bot](https://github.com/SolanaVault/saas-payment-bot), which obtains VLP for settlement. Review the quote, conversion and transaction fees before approving a website payment.
Other [Stake-as-a-Service invoices](/delegation/stake-as-a-service-saas) may use a different invoicer or settlement token. Identify the invoice source rather than assuming that every invoice has the Community Pool rate.
## Pay through the website [#pay-through-the-website]
### Open your validator [#open-your-validator]
Visit the [validators page](https://thevault.finance/validators), find your validator and open its details. Verify its vote account (Figure 10.13).
Figure 10.13: Open the validator dashboard
### Review outstanding invoices [#review-outstanding-invoices]
Open the invoice section. Check the Community Pool invoice source, epochs, outstanding amount and VLP settlement token. If no invoice is listed yet, check again after invoicing; do not treat a missing invoice as a payment receipt (Figure 10.14).
Figure 10.14: Inspect the invoice list
### Connect an ordinary payer wallet [#connect-an-ordinary-payer-wallet]
Connect the wallet you want to use for payment. It needs sufficient funds for the invoices, any SOL-to-VLP funding and network fees. Never connect your validator identity key.
### Review and approve payment [#review-and-approve-payment]
Choose the payment action shown for the outstanding invoices. Check which invoices will be paid, the settlement amount and any conversion quote. Approve the required transaction or transactions in your wallet and wait for confirmation.
### Confirm settlement [#confirm-settlement]
Refresh the invoice list and confirm the invoices are paid. Check the transaction result if the balance or status does not update. Funding a wallet with VLP is not itself payment of an invoice.
## Update the official payment bot [#update-the-official-payment-bot]
Existing operators must update the [official auto-pay bot](https://github.com/SolanaVault/saas-payment-bot) or adapt their custom bot to support the Community Pool invoicer and VLP settlement. Follow the repository's current README for configuration and trusted invoicers.
### Update the deployed code [#update-the-deployed-code]
Sync your fork or deployment with the official repository. If you maintain a custom bot, add support for the current Community Pool invoicer, its settlement mint and payment instructions. Keep invoice-source validation enabled.
### Check the payer and validator settings [#check-the-payer-and-validator-settings]
Check the configured RPC connection, vote account and dedicated payer wallet. Keep sufficient SOL in that payer wallet. For initial setup, see [Pay your fees automatically](/delegation/stake-as-a-service-saas#pay-your-fees-automatically).
### Confirm funding and payment separately [#confirm-funding-and-payment-separately]
The current official bot funds VLP when required, confirms that funding transaction, and then submits the invoice payment transaction. If a run stops after funding, VLP can remain in the payer wallet while the invoice is still unpaid. Inspect the payment result and invoice state.
### Monitor successful runs [#monitor-successful-runs]
Check the workflow or service logs and the website's outstanding invoices. Insufficient funds, RPC errors, disabled schedules or per-run limits can leave invoices unpaid. The bot's invoice lookback and run limits are processing settings, not an extension of the pool's payment deadline.
Use a dedicated payer wallet for the bot, not a validator identity key or a wallet holding unrelated funds. Keep its credentials in the deployment's secret storage and never paste them into the website, documentation or support messages.
## Retain Community Pool stake [#retain-community-pool-stake]
Community Pool gauge stake has a three-unpaid-invoice cap. Pay within three Solana epochs to retain it. The stakebot automatically blocks late validators and reallocates that Community Pool stake among paying eligible validators. After settling overdue invoices, check eligibility and the next allocation rather than assuming stake has already returned.
The temporary 20-unpaid-invoice allowance applies only to the [Direct Stake Leaders](/delegation/direct-stake-leaders-bucket) and [Elite Performance](/delegation/elite-performance-bucket) buckets. It does not increase the Community Pool limit. The main-bucket 25% fee and any main-bucket exemptions are separate from the Community Pool's 75% fee.
## Understand the effect on delegator rewards [#understand-the-effect-on-delegator-rewards]
Your invoice payment funds the pool's reward accounting. Delegators can claim their share after the reward epoch is finalized, provided they recorded the required snapshot. Their first reward can take approximately two weeks. See [How to claim rewards](/community-pool/how-to-claim-rewards).