Rates and payment
Flat fee
A flat fee is a fixed amount paid to a creator for agreed deliverables, regardless of how the content performs.
Also called fixed fee.
It is the default structure in creator marketing because it is predictable for both sides. The creator is paid for work done, and the brand knows its cost before anything is published.
The fee should be tied to the deliverables in writing. When performance is added later as a bonus rather than replacing the fee, both sides usually end up satisfied, which is why fee-plus-commission is the most common hybrid.
Related terms
- Rate card
- A rate card is a creator's published list of prices by deliverable, for example a set fee for a feed post, a story series, or a long-form video.
- Performance-based pay
- Performance-based pay ties some or all of a creator's compensation to results such as sales, sign-ups, or clicks, rather than to publishing the content.
- Affiliate marketing
- In an affiliate deal a creator earns a percentage of the sales they generate, tracked through a unique discount code or link, rather than a fixed fee.
Distinct is the workspace where brands and creators run the work behind these terms. For brands, for creators, or back to the full glossary.