Congratulations. Prizes are claimed through the award closure form, one form per winning entry. Filling it in is the only way a payout can be processed.
First, check what you actually won
A prize on UNI can be cash, a membership, or both, and some awards carry a certificate or a featured article instead of money. Read the award description on the competition's Awards & Fees section before you assume it is cash.
Getting to the form
The form opens once an award has been assigned to your entry after results. You cannot fill it in while you are only shortlisted.
There are two ways in:
- The email. UNI emails you a link that goes straight to the form for that entry. Reminders follow if the form stays unfilled.
- Your payout settings. Go to uni.xyz/accounts/settings/payout. Once a claim exists for you, it appears in the Award Closures card with an Edit or View button that opens the same form.
If you are on a team entry, any accepted team member on the project can open and submit the form, not only the person who registered it.
What the form asks for
It runs as a short sequence of steps.
- Personal Information. Full name, email, phone and country. The phone number is confirmed by a one-time code, though you can choose Verify later and finish it within the validity window.
- Student Verification, only if you registered that entry under the student or institutional fee category. Upload a bonafide certificate, a student ID card or a letter of authorization.
- Payment Method. Bank Transfer, PayPal or UPI. Bank Transfer asks for bank name, account number, IFSC or SWIFT code and account holder name, plus IBAN where it applies. PayPal asks for a PayPal email. UPI asks for a UPI ID.
- Verification. This is where a government ID proof and a billing address are asked for, and only if you chose Bank Transfer. PayPal and UPI skip both. The step ends with a summary of what you entered.
- Your Words, Our Inspiration. An optional testimonial and photo, which may be featured on UNI.
There is no tax ID field. If you have read elsewhere that one is required, that is out of date.
If you have already saved payment details under Payout Details on the same settings page, the form fills those fields in for you.
Checking where your claim stands
The Award Closures card at uni.xyz/accounts/settings/payout shows every claim with its state:
- Pending. A claim exists for your entry but the form has not been submitted.
- Submitted. Received and waiting for review.
- Verified. Checked and cleared for payment.
- Disbursed. Paid, with the date shown.
- Rejected. Shown with the reason. Correct what it says and submit again.
The card also shows the competition, the award type, and the cash amount and membership recorded against your claim.
You can edit the form while a claim is Pending, Submitted or Rejected. Once it is Verified or Disbursed it is read only.
Common questions
- "The form will not open." No award has been assigned to that entry yet, or the entry was archived. Being shortlisted is not the same as being awarded.
- "Why is it asking for my ID?" Only Bank Transfer requires a government ID and billing address. Choosing PayPal or UPI removes both.
- "Can I use the Request Withdrawal button instead?" No. That button pays out Creator Revenue Sharing earnings, which is a separate programme. See collecting your payout.
- "It has been a long time since I submitted." Email contact@uni.xyz or ask to open a conversation with the UNI team, with the competition name and your entry.