What the platform fee is, how it scales by plan, what it covers—and why creators do not pay commission on earnings.
New brands in creator marketing ask two things: «how much do I pay creators?» and «what does the platform cost?» They are different budgets—CPC goes to creators; the platform fee pays for infrastructure that makes CPC auditable.
This article explains the economics transparently, aligned with public Pharoll pricing. It is not fine print—it is how brands and creators know where each euro goes.
At a glance
A percentage applied to campaign spend (budget executed as CPC), on top of the plan's monthly subscription. It funds per-creator links, click validation, dashboards, CSV export, matching, and marketplace operations.
Unlike an agency that embeds opaque margin, the Pharoll fee is tied to measurable infrastructure—the same principle performance platforms use in other digital channels, as discussed in the IAB Europe ecosystem.
Upgrading makes sense when campaign volume justifies a lower fee and scale features—not just to «have more features».
Campaign with €1,000 executed budget, Starter plan (30% fee): roughly €700 goes to creator CPC payments (per campaign rules); €300 is platform fee on spend. The CPC you see in the dashboard reflects what the creator earns per valid click—the fee is not deducted from creator CPC.
For credible ROI, include in total cost: subscription + campaign budget + fee on spend + internal time. The ROI guide structures this. Founding Brands get reduced fees during launch—see founding pilot.
Subscription unlocks capabilities (campaigns, analytics, collaboration). The fee scales with execution—aligning variable cost with measurable results.
Affiliate networks charge sale commission. Creator CPC pays per valid click—useful earlier in B2B funnels. Compare models in the marketplace vs affiliates guide.
ROI formulas, CPC vs CPA vs CPM, attribution, analytics, and reporting—the definitive guide to measuring creator campaign performance.
Read article →A guide for Founding Brands: structure a 4–6 week pilot, brief, creators, analytics, and reporting with Pharoll.
Read article →Resource hub: local market, models, metrics, fraud, ROI, and platforms—the map for brands and creators in Portugal.
Read article →Measure creator campaigns like paid media
Unique links per creator, valid clicks, CSV exports, and CPC you can defend with finance.