In short: On Usicri the brand sets the payout for each video, and the creator receives exactly that amount. The brand’s card is charged the payout plus the platform fee, and only when it approves a video. There is no subscription, no deposit and no minimum spend. The platform fee is 0% on every video approved through December 31; for videos approved after that date it is 15% of the payout.
The formula
For each approved video, a brand pays the payout it set plus the platform fee, a percentage of that payout. The creator receives the payout in full; nothing is deducted from it (section 1 of the Terms of Service). The platform fee that applies to a video is the one in force on the day the brand approves it, not the day the campaign was created.
What that looks like in numbers
The table shows what a brand’s card is charged for one approved video at a few payouts. It is arithmetic on the current settings, with the same rounding as the charge itself.
| Creator receives | You pay through December 31 | You pay after that (15% fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25.00 USD | 25.00 USD | 28.75 USD |
| 50.00 USD | 50.00 USD | 57.50 USD |
| 100.00 USD | 100.00 USD | 115.00 USD |
| 250.00 USD | 250.00 USD | 287.50 USD |
For several videos, multiply: three videos at a 50 USD payout are 150 USD in payouts, and the fee is applied to that amount. The UGC budget calculator adds it up for a plan of your own.
When you are charged
- Creating a campaign: nothing.
- Saving a payment method: nothing. It only lets your campaign go live to creators.
- Rejecting a video: nothing.
- Approving a video: the payout, charged to your saved card. If your bank asks for confirmation, the video is approved once you have completed it.
Because you pay at approval, there is no balance to top up and no money waiting on the platform for videos that may never come.
Which fee applies when
The platform fee is set by the day you approve a video, not by the day you create a campaign or the day a creator uploads. A video approved on December 31 carries no platform fee; a video approved the next day carries 15%. A campaign you create now does not lock in the 0%: each approval is charged at the fee in force that day, so a video you have not reviewed by then is charged at the later fee. Either way, the creator’s payout stays exactly the amount in the campaign.
What you do not pay
There is no subscription, no setup fee, no deposit and no minimum spend. You do not pay for videos you reject, and you do not pay again for the right to use a video you have approved: the license for an approved, paid video is part of the deal (what the license covers). Product delivery is separate: if you send a product, that cost is yours, and Usicri does not handle shipping.
VAT, invoices and referrals
- Invoices. Each approved video that carries a platform fee gets an invoice in your account under Invoices. It shows the platform fee and lists the payout as a payment passed on to the creator on the creator’s behalf.
- VAT on the payout. The payout is the total price for the video. Unless you and the creator agree otherwise in writing, it includes any VAT the creator owes on it (section 7 of the Terms).
- Referrals. A creator can refer a brand to Usicri. The commission is paid by Usicri and does not change what you pay or what any creator receives (section 6 of the Terms).
- Chargebacks. A brand that causes a chargeback or a reversed payment reimburses Usicri for that amount and the fees Stripe charges for it.
How other platforms charge
Platforms structure pricing in different ways, and each publishes its own terms. JoinBrands, Collabstr and Insense describe theirs on their pricing pages, and they differ in what you commit to, how creator payments are budgeted and what a marketplace or transaction fee is added. The side-by-side is in how UGC platforms charge. The useful comparison is the total cost for the videos you can actually use, including any plan you pay for in months you commission nothing.
Setting the payout
The fee is a percentage, so it scales with the payout you choose; the payout itself is the lever that decides how many creators respond. A payout well below the market rarely draws submissions. Guidance on ranges is in UGC rates for beauty and fashion, and the volume question is in how many UGC videos a budget buys.
On Usicri
You set the payout per video and the number of videos, review every submission and pay only for the ones you approve, with no platform fee at the moment. Creators keep 100% of the payout and are paid out automatically once their balance reaches 20 USD. A campaign is not guaranteed to receive submissions. See how it works for brands or open campaigns.
To compare any offer fairly, see how to calculate the cost per usable UGC video.
For the costs other platforms add on top, see the hidden costs of UGC platforms.