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iStock pays a base royalty rate of 20% for each file download and up to 40% for Exclusive contributors. Files are licensed two ways:
Pay-as-you-go
You earn your royalty based on the net value of the credits used to download your image. The standard credit price is $1.50 USD.
Subscriptions
We pay your canister royalty based on how much of the subscriber's daily limit was used to download your file. And we always guarantee a minimum of 19 cents USD per credit used for each Subscription download — which is the same guarantee offered with the Pay-as-you-go plan.
How much does a non-exclusive contributor make?
| Size | Credits | Royalty |
|---|---|---|
| XSmall | 1 | $0.30 |
| Small | 3 | $0.90 |
| Medium | 6 | $1.80 |
| Large | 12 | $3.60 |
| XLarge | 18 | $5.40 |
| XXLarge | 22 | $6.60 |
| XXXLarge | 28 | $8.40 |
Note: The above examples are based on the gross credit value of $1.50 USD. Royalties above are in USD. Actual royalties are based on net credit value which varies with purchase.
Earnings calculatorHow do I get paid?
iStock pays in U.S. dollars. You can convert your earnings to credits at any time at a 1-1 ratio. When your account balance reaches $100 USD, you can request payment by one of the following three methods:
Cheque
Mailed weekly. Please allow 1 week within the US and 4-6 weeks for all other locations.
PayPal/Moneybookers
Processed on business days. Most payments are processed within 48 hours, although in some instances transactions can take up to five days.
Direct deposit or pre-paid iStockphoto MasterCard® Payoneer
Under Request Earnings, sign up for either direct deposit or our iStockphoto Payoneer card which can be used worldwide and at ATMs or as a regular MasterCard.
Curious about the full royalty structure?
Read iStock's complete royalty schedule
Exclusive contributors make up to 40%
If you're eligible for Exclusivity, your royalty rate can reach up to 40%. You must have 250 downloads and a minimum 50% approval rating in order to qualify to join the exclusive team. Learn more
Build your reputation
Every time one of your files is downloaded your Canister icon gets a little closer to the next level. Royalties for Exclusive contributors increase with their canister level.
Canister levels for photographs, vector illustrations or Flash files:
Base: 1 - 249 downloads
Bronze: 250 - 2,499 downloads
Silver: 2,500 - 9,999 downloads
Gold: 10,000 - 24,999 downloads
Diamond: 25,000 - 199,999 downloads
Black Diamond: 200,000+ downloads
Canister levels for video files:
Base: 1 - 249 downloads
Bronze: 250 - 1,249 downloads
Silver: 1,250 - 4,999 downloads
Gold: 5,000 - 12,499 downloads
Diamond: 12,500 - 99,999 downloads
Black Diamond: 100,000+ downloads
Canister levels for audio files:
Base: 1 - 124 downloads
Bronze: 125 - 1,249 downloads
Silver: 1,250 - 4,999 downloads
Gold: 5,000 - 12,499 downloads
Diamond: 12,500 - 99,999 downloads
Black Diamond: 100,000+ downloads