This is a practical question that keeps coming up: we’re running a bilingual UGC campaign, which means we’re working with creators in Russia and the US simultaneously. Payment expectations are all over the place, and we don’t have a standard structure that works for both.
Russian creators we work with typically prefer:
- Monthly batching (one invoice per month)
- Payment after delivery acceptance
- Net-30 or Net-45 terms are totally normal
- Budget is discussed upfront and expected to hold
US creators we’ve connected with want:
- Project-by-project payment
- 50% upfront, 50% on delivery
- Net-15 or Net-7 minimum
- Flexibility to adjust scope mid-project
Obviously these don’t align. We’ve been handling it case-by-case, which works but is chaotic. I’m wondering if we should just create two payment tracks, or if there’s a middle ground that builders in this space have actually found.
Also—does payment structure actually affect content quality? We haven’t noticed a huge difference, but I’m curious if creators deliver better UGC when payment terms feel fair to them versus when they’re uncomfortable with how they’re being paid.
How are you handling payment standardization across two markets? Do you have separate processes, or did you find a structure that works cross-culturally?