Payout interval

The time gap in which a platform transfers accumulated credit to you — depending on the provider weekly, fortnightly, monthly or only on request. The value stands in the payout terms and is one of the few figures that can be compared reliably before registration.

Why the rhythm can beat the rate

The payout rate determines how much arrives with you. The interval determines when. For running costs the second question is often the more important: rent and insurance fall due monthly, regardless of how high your credit on a portal currently is.

A high rate with quarterly payout can put you in a gap that a slightly lower rate with weekly payout never creates. Anyone who looks only at the percentage is comparing half.

The four conditions that shift the date

• Minimum payout amount. Below a fixed threshold nothing is transferred. The credit stays until the limit is reached — at small turnovers that can take months.
• Processing time. Between the payout run and the credit sit checks and bank routes. The interval describes the start of the process, not the arrival of the money.
• Fees. Some providers charge a lump sum per payout. Frequent small payouts then cost more than a few large ones.
• Currency conversion. If a platform settles in a foreign currency, the conversion rate and your bank’s foreign fee come on top. The amount transferred then diverges from the displayed credit.

The difference from the payment deadline on productions

The two are often confused, but they work fundamentally differently. On a booking the amount is fixed with the contract, and the day rate is with us paid by transfer within 14 days after the shoot — no cash, no minimum amount, no threshold. You know in advance how much comes when.

On a platform the amount is only fixed at the end of the settlement period, hangs on the behaviour of the audience and is additionally subject to the four conditions above. The ranges and payment routes of the bookings stand under pay.

What that means for your bookkeeping

What counts for the cash-basis profit calculation for most of the self-employed is the time of inflow, meaning the arrival of the money in the account — not the moment the credit arises on the platform. An amount earned in December and transferred in January therefore as a rule belongs in the new year.

Download the platform’s settlement documents monthly and archive them. Many providers keep them only for a limited time, and without a receipt you lack the basis. The outlines stand in the article on trade and tax.

Check before you register

Note for every platform: interval, minimum amount, fee per payout, settlement currency and the actual duration until the credit. These five values together give a realistic picture — the advertised rate alone does not. This text places the practice in context and is not a substitute for tax advice.