Guide for Creators
How UGC Creators Get Paid: Pay Structures, Fees and Payouts
UGC creators are usually paid a flat fee per video or per set of videos, sometimes with extra pay for reuse rights or for views. On a marketplace, check three things: whether the platform’s fee comes out of the creator’s pay or is added on top for the brand, whether the money is held before work starts, and when payouts are sent.
Common Pay Structures
| Structure | How it works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Flat fee | One amount for an agreed set of videos | Exactly what each video must deliver |
| Per video | A price for each video | What happens if the brand rejects one |
| Reuse or license fee | Extra pay for the brand to use a video in its own channels or ads | The use, duration and region |
| Performance pay | A bonus at a view target, or pay per 1,000 views | Which views count, when they are counted, and any cap |
| Product only | A free product instead of money | Whether that is worth your time; it is still a paid relationship to disclose |
Platform Fees: Deducted or Added on Top
Marketplaces charge in one of two ways. Some take a percentage out of what the brand pays, so the creator receives less than the listed price. Others add their fee on top for the brand, so the creator receives the full price they agreed. Always check which one applies before you accept.
Make Sure the Money Exists Before You Film
The biggest risk for a creator is finishing work and not being paid. Prefer arrangements where the brand’s money is held before work starts, where approval has a deadline, and where a rejection can be disputed rather than final.
How It Works on Canvas UGC Marketplace
- The pay in an offer is what you receive. The platform fee is charged to the brand on top and is never deducted from your pay.
- A campaign must hold the money for your agreement before you can accept it.
- The brand has a set review time per video (between 48 hours and 7 days). If it does not decide in time, the video is approved and paid automatically.
- A rejection can be disputed within 5 days, and a person at Canvas UGC Marketplace decides it. Disputes are never decided automatically.
- You are paid through Stripe Connect in 119 supported countries. What you are owed is grouped every Friday and sent once it reaches US $25, or once the oldest amount has waited 28 days.