Commission-based UGC pays you from what your video does. You film for a brand; you are paid a share of each sale credited to the video, or a share of the ad spend the brand puts behind it, often with no fee up front. Getting paid comes down to three things: terms you read before filming, a count that credits you, and a payout schedule you can live with.
“I filmed three videos for 20 % commission and nothing has landed”
That is the line this guide exists for. Usually one of four things happened: the brand never ran the video, the count missed your sales, the commission is sitting in a holding period, or the terms were never written down. The first is the most common complaint. One creator on a commission platform: “some brands approve videos but never run ads” (TikTok, 12 Oct 2026). On a per-video campaign the approval itself is paid; on hourly, the booked hours are; commission is the extra. Each of the four has a fix, and all four are visible before you film.
What a commission-based UGC deal pays
Two commission types, and things brands add on top.
A share of sales. Each order credited to your video pays a percentage of the order or a fixed amount per order. On HourlyUGC, brands set 1 % to 50 % of each order, or a fixed $1 to $500 per order. Percentage pays more when carts are big; a flat amount is easier to predict. What “order value” means is in GMV commission for creators.
A share of ad spend. The brand runs your video as a Meta ad and you earn a percentage of what they spend on ads built from it. You are not paid on sales, so you do not carry conversion risk. You are paid when the brand decides your video is worth funding. On HourlyUGC, 1 % to 30 % of Meta spend, read per ad from the brand’s connected ad account.
On top. Samples so you can film, a per-video base, or a CPM per 1,000 views of your own post. A base plus commission is less risky than commission alone. Brands on HourlyUGC can combine all of these in one campaign, so you can pick the mix that fits you.
Example. A brand offers 20 % of each order plus the product. Your video runs in the brand’s ads for a month and 40 orders at $35 are credited to you: $1,400 in attributed sales, $280 to you. The same deal at a flat $5 per order pays $200. Example numbers, not a prediction.
How you get paid, step by step
- Find a deal with written terms. Commission type, rate, how sales are counted, the window, the holding period, payout method. If it is not written, ask. Where to look.
- Accept the brief and get the product. Samples arrive; you film to the brief. Keep the brief and the terms.
- Deliver the video. Through the platform or to the brand. If the video will run as a partnership ad from your handle, you approve the brand once in Instagram and can revoke it there any time (HourlyUGC blog, checked 2026-11-07).
- Get counted. Your link, your code, or the ad built from your video starts collecting orders or spend.
- Wait out the hold. Most programs hold commissions until refunds clear.
- Get paid. Bank transfer, PayPal, card payout or wire, depending on the program.
How your commission is counted
Where most disputes start. Four methods; the terms should name the one that pays.
- Your link or code. Shopify Collabs credits a commission on a purchase made “using an affiliate link or code” (Shopify Help Center, checked 2026-11-07). Codes are easy to remember; links are exact.
- Pixel or connected store, last touch. The store records the last creator touch before an order, within a window. HourlyUGC counts orders once, on the last touch within 7 days, through a connected Shopify store or the Hourly Pixel, with your links and codes.
- The ad platform’s count. When your video runs as an ad, the platform reports conversions per ad. Meta Ads Manager’s default counts a conversion within 7 days of a click or 1 day of a view (Jon Loomer’s guide, updated 1 Mar 2025).
- A marketplace’s rules. Amazon Associates credits items added to the cart “within 24 hours” of arriving through your link (Amazon Associates Help, checked 2026-11-07).
Ask to see the numbers. A dashboard you can open beats a monthly email. If the brand counts in its own store with no tool, ask how you would check.
When the money lands
Later than you expect, in most programs.
- Shopify Collabs. Commissions sit as “pending” during a holding period the merchant sets between 1 and 90 days (default 30). Orders canceled or fully refunded in that window cancel the commission. Automatic payouts run twice a month, in USD, once your balance reaches $25 (Shopify Help Center, creators, checked 2026-11-07).
- Amazon Associates. Paid “approximately 60 days after the end of the month”; January is paid in late March (Amazon Associates Help, checked 2026-11-07).
- HourlyUGC. Payouts leave by card, PayPal or wire once the brand approves the work (HourlyUGC help, checked 2026-11-07).
Plan for the gap. If rent depends on this deal, a base matters more than the rate.
Seven questions before you accept
Written answers.
- Which commission: percentage of order, flat per order, or share of ad spend?
- Which count pays: my link and code, the brand’s store, or the ad platform?
- What is the window, and is it last touch?
- How long is the hold, and what do refunds and partial refunds do?
- When and how are payouts made, and is there a minimum?
- What usage rights does the brand get, on which channels, for how long? Commission only plus a year of ad rights is a lot to give.
- Can the terms change mid-deal? They should apply to future videos only. On HourlyUGC, a change to the share “applies to videos delivered from now on” and earlier videos keep their terms (HourlyUGC blog, checked 2026-11-07).
Vague answers mean the deal is not ready. The full test is in Is commission UGC legit?.
What you have to disclose
A commission is a material connection. The FTC’s FAQ suggests “I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post,” says “Paid link” next to a link is adequate, and says “Affiliate link” alone is not (FTC, Endorsement Guides FAQ, checked 2026-11-07). For a video, say it in the video, in audio and on screen, near the start. Details: FTC disclosure for UGC creators.
Is commission the right deal for you?
It can be, for a product you would use anyway, from a brand that runs ads and has a count in place. It is a poor fit for a tiny-margin product, a brand with no store tracking, or a month when you need the fee now. The trade-offs: Is commission UGC worth it?. The rate comparison: UGC creator rates: commission vs flat.
Find campaigns on HourlyUGC
Brands on HourlyUGC pay in every way: hourly, per video, commission on sales, a share of Meta ad spend, CPM, samples, or a mix. The terms are on the brief before you accept, the count is named, and payouts leave once the brand approves the work. Pick the deals that fit you. Find campaigns on HourlyUGC.