Frequently Asked Questions

iStockphoto works on a system of micro-payments, which allow you to purchase files in bulk using our currency called iStock credits. Credits are as low as 95 cents and can be purchased in bulk as Pay-as-you-go credit packages or Subscriptions.

1. Buy credits: When you log in, buy iStock credits from our secure, SSL encrypted page. We accept credit cards, PayPal, check or money order (in USD funds). Read more about PayPal.
2. Search for files: Use the search bar at the top of the site to find what you need at iStock. From the search results page you can click on a thumbnail to go to its file close-up page where you can pick a size and add an Extended License if needed.
3. Download: Click “Download” on a file’s close-up page and the price in credits will be deducted from your account balance. You have 24 hours to re-download this file without being charged additional credits.

Every browser handles downloading differently. If your browser does not prompt you to save your file automatically, you haven’t actually downloaded anything. Click ‘start download’ from the ‘file successfully downloaded’ pop-up window.

• Internet Explorer: typically lets you choose where to save a file. If you do not select a folder, it will default to the last place you saved a file.
• Firefox: saves files to your desktop unless set otherwise in the preferences.
• Safari: will generally send images to your downloads folder or your desktop. This can also be set in the preferences.

To re-download a file (within the 24 hour period) return to the file close-up page, you will see the file size you previously purchased is listed at 0 credits. The system recognizes the duplication and does not charge you any additional credits for the re-download.

Type the file number without its preceding zeros directly into the search bar.

Pay-as-you-go credits expire 1 year from the date of purchase. We send out notifications 60, 30, 15 and 1 day(s) before they expire. If you find you are unable to use them within the year, please contact Support and one of our representatives will be more than happy to extend the expiry for you. With a Subscription, you subscribe to a daily supply of credits and you choose what that amount of credits is. Your credits expire daily. Your Subscription lasts as long as you choose: 3, 6 or 12 months.

To access information pertaining to your account and account activity click on the ‘My Account’ link at the bottom of the screen. There you will see a list of options. To view your receipts, click on ‘Purchase History’ and to view your downloads, click on ‘Download History’.

To change your password, click on the ‘My Account’ link at the bottom of the screen. Then click on ‘Profile’. On the right side of the page under ‘Edit My Profile’, click on ‘Change Password’.

If your browser stays at the main welcoming screen after attempting to login, please ensure your system clock (date/time/year) is correct.

If you’re re-directed to a login error page, make sure your caps lock is off since your password and member name are case sensitive. Also, check your cookie settings to ensure they’re on a medium privacy level and clear all cookies and cache in your browser.

If you’re still re-directed, please try resetting your password. www.istockphoto.com/istock_lostpassword.php

If this doesn’t resolve the issue contact Support www.istockphoto.com/contact_ticket.php

Almost all of the files on our site are royalty-free. Pump Audio tracks are licensed on a single production basis but the number of times you can broadcast the production is unlimited.

To read specific permitted and forbidden uses of iStockphoto files, please read the Licence Comparison page.

If you still have questions, please contact Support.

Our images are provided by many photographers and the default resolution on files could be lower or higher than 300dpi. If you’re using Adobe® Photoshop®, go to ‘Image’ --- ‘Image Size’ and you’ll see that the resolution listed may be something other than 300dpi. Uncheck the ‘Resample image’ option and change the dpi of the file to the correct dpi. The height and width of the file will change in the document size window to reflect the change. Click ok and you’re done.

Please use the contact feature (http://www.istockphoto.com/contact_ticket.php) and select the ‘Payment Request’ option. You have the option of receiving your payout via your Payoneer MasterCard™, PayPal or Moneybookers, or check. All funds are paid in US dollars. Please confirm when making your payout requests that the email address included in your ticket is the one associated with your PayPal or Moneybookers account, and that your personal information is up to date. iStockphoto ONLY sends check payments to the name and address listed in your account.

As you are entering into a legally binding agreement with iStock when you become a contributor, we do require some legal form of identification that includes your photo, date of birth, full name and address, if possible, to confirm your identity. You may black out the identification number.Rest assured, we will only use this information for the purpose of preparing your tax information slips and for your application. Please see our privacy policy for further information on our use of your personal information.

There is a waiting period between each processed application that is not approved. The wait periods are 3, 7, 14, 30, 90, 180 and 365 days. So, if you’ve had one attempt, you will have to wait 3 days before you can submit new samples. If you’ve had two attempts, you’ll have to wait 7 days before you can submit new samples and so on.Once your waiting period has passed, you will be able to upload your new samples by clicking the ‘Upload’ link found through your account on the bottom left hand side of the site in your “contributor tools”.If you’re not sure how much time you need to wait, please click the ‘Upload’ link and the time will be listed at the bottom of the page.Please note the waiting period is automatically assigned by the system and is completely dependent on how many times you have submitted samples for approval. This cannot be overridden by administration staff and is preset on the back end.

If you do not understand a rejection notification or disagree with the inspection there are a few resources that can help you. In our critique request forums, you can seek help and feedback from fellow contributors and members of iStockphoto.

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_threads.php?forumid=26

If you feel very strongly that a mistake was made during the inspection of your file, we do also offer a support service called Scout. Opening a Scout ticket is the only way to have a rejection overturned, and you are only permitted 3 tickets (1 file per ticket) per month, so we suggest you save this for the files that you feel strongly about. To open a scout ticket, go to our support page http://www.istockphoto.com/contact_ticket.php and select “scout” and “create a contact ticket”.

Any individual can apply to become a member on iStockphoto. To apply, please click on your account on the bottom left hand corner of the site. Select “contributor tools” and then “upload”. Once there, select the type of application you’d like to submit. You will then be taken to our online training manual. You will read through the manual and then be asked to answer a few questions. Next you will need to upload your Government issued picture ID (ie. drivers license or passport). This ID needs to include your full name, birth date, and picture. Finally, you will be asked to upload three sample images and may then submit the application for review. We will notify you of our decision via email or you may review the status of your application by clicking the ‘Upload’ link through your account’s contributor tools again.

With the images being offered as Royalty Free it means that the client is not required to notify or report to us how they intend to use the image(s). You may check the "iStock in Action" forum, where people post notices of images used. In addition, you may check to see if your image has been used in the ‘Designer Spotlight’

In the past we required a model release if there was an identifiable human face in the image. Recently, we’ve refined this and now require a model release if a person is identifiable at all in the image. This is not just limited to their face being visible. Here is a link to an article that will provide you with further details on what types of images require a model release and what doesn’t. http://www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=648

The royalty structure for our non-exclusive artists is 15 - 20%. If you are eligible for exclusivity, you can earn up to 45%. Royalty rates are based on our redeemed credits system. This is an annual measurement of how many credits clients have used on your files. For more information on how redeemed credits work, click here

For more information on our royalty structure, please check out our rate schedule at http://www.istockphoto.com/rate_schedule.php.

Groom your portfolio and occasionally review and update keywords. Keywords are the most important information you can provide to help users find your files. Sometimes changing the title can also give you a small boost in downloads. Please make sure your keywords and title are descriptive. Vague keywords may make your files less visible to clients so ensure your keywords are specific and relevant. You may find this article helpful as well: http://www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=242

The photographer application process is designed to help educate potential photographers about the submission process at iStock and give us an idea of the overall technical and subjective quality of your work. It does happen from time to time that your files will be accepted during the application process and rejected for the collection. When we’re looking at a photographer’s application, one of the things that we have to consider is that the photographer is going to grow and change. By giving photographers a bit of leeway we can give them the room that they need to grow.When we’re looking at the same image for inclusion into a portfolio, we are now taking a closer look at the image itself and because of this it’s going to get judged by slightly different criteria where we need to consider the use of the file by designers.