In short: Choose a UGC marketplace by eight questions, not by the length of its feature list: when does money move, who decides what is approved, what are you allowed to do with the video, how do you get creators, what happens with a video that misses, who handles products, which categories it knows, and what it lets you walk away from. MakeInfluence describes platforms as a lower price per video and high control, in exchange for your own team doing the coordination, so the questions that matter are the ones about that coordination. Each question below ends with the answer on Usicri.
Know what you are buying
MakeInfluence lists platforms as having a lower price per video, usually a faster start because you can book a creator at once, and high control because you choose and approve creators yourself. The cost is that your team coordinates the process. SideShift adds that a platform fits when volume matters and someone in-house can write briefs. If that describes you, the eight questions below separate one marketplace from the next.
Eight questions to ask
1. When does my money move?
A price list says little without the timing. Ask whether you pay a subscription, a deposit, a balance you top up, or per approved video, and what happens to unused money. MakeInfluence’s guide warns that paying in full before delivery has been checked removes your only real leverage. Usicri: your card is charged only when you approve a video; see pay per approved video.
2. Who decides what is approved?
You should. Check that you can reject a video that misses the brief and what the platform then does with it. Usicri: the brand approves or rejects every video at its discretion, with an optional note. A rejected video is not paid and may not be used.
3. What am I allowed to do with the video?
Ask for channels, territory, duration and editing rights in writing, and whether paid ads are included. inBeat calls rights negotiated creator by creator a common cost surprise and advises checking who owns the rights, not the label on the pricing page. Usicri: one license for every campaign: non-exclusive, worldwide, without time limit, all media including paid ads, editing allowed; see what the license covers.
4. How do I get creators?
Platforms either let you search and invite creators or let creators apply to your brief. Each has a cost: searching takes your time, and waiting depends on the brief being attractive. Usicri: creators choose your campaign. There is no creator search and no invitation, so the brief, the payout and your rating carry the weight.
5. What happens when a video misses?
Ask about revisions, reshoots and refunds. Usicri: you can reject, and the creator may submit one corrected version unless you say you do not want another. There are no revision rounds beyond that.
6. Who handles the product?
If the video needs the product, find out whether the platform ships it, tracks it or leaves it to you. Usicri: it does not handle shipping. You choose “I’ll send the product”, creators ask you through “Ask a question” and you arrange delivery directly; see how to send products.
7. Does it know my category?
General marketplaces cover everything; a focused one may know your claims, your sizing questions or your shade ranges. Usicri: fashion, beauty and personal care only, with briefs, claims and fit questions covered in the guides on this blog.
8. Can I walk away?
Ask about minimum terms, renewals and what happens to your rights if you leave. Usicri: no subscription, no minimum spend and no renewal. Videos you approved stay licensed to you.
The answers at a glance
| Question | What to look for | Usicri |
|---|---|---|
| When does money move? | Charge after you have seen the video | On approval |
| Who approves? | You, with a reason you can give | The brand |
| What can I do with it? | Channels, territory, duration, edits in writing | All media, worldwide, no end date, edits allowed |
| How do I get creators? | A route that fits your time | Creators choose the campaign |
| A video misses | A clear rule for rejection | Reject at no cost; one corrected version |
| Product | Who ships and who pays | You arrange it directly |
| Category | Experience with your products | Fashion, beauty, personal care |
| Exit | No lock-in | No subscription or renewal |
What a short list should contain
Three platforms are enough. Put the same small test through each: one product, one brief, three videos. Compare the cost per usable video, including your own hours, not the headline price. The longer comparisons are in how UGC platforms charge and UGC platforms for beauty, fashion and personal care.
On Usicri
If the answers above fit, you can set up a campaign in a few minutes: write the brief, set the payout per video and how many videos you want, and say whether you send a product. You pay only for the videos you approve, with no platform fee on videos approved through December 31 and a platform fee of 15% after that. A campaign is not guaranteed to receive submissions and Usicri sets no delivery date. See how it works for brands.
New to the term? Read what a UGC marketplace is and how it works. Before you sign up anywhere, check the hidden costs of UGC platforms.
To see what a category focus changes, read what a specialist UGC marketplace gives a brand. If you are weighing gig platforms, see buying UGC on Fiverr or Upwork.