If you’re a content creator using fan platforms, there’s a good chance you’re losing money on fees – and you might not even realize it. Platform fees, often disguised as commissions or service charges, can quietly chip away at your earnings. While signing up is typically free, these hidden costs can drastically affect your bottom line.
Whether you’re new to the adult content scene or scaling your business, understanding how much you’re actually taking home and how to price content strategically is critical. We unveil the real cost of platform fees, explain why they exist, and provide practical strategies to help you stop leaving money on the table.
Table of Contents
What Are Platform Fees?
Platform fees are the hidden costs creators often overlook until itās too late. Most sites offer free accounts but take a percentage of your earnings. Forgetting to calculate a platformās commission fee can be dangerous for your bottom line. When your payment is lower than expected, it can be frustrating, especially if you are a new creator.
Regardless of which platform you are on, there is likely a fee to be aware of. For example, OnlyFans keeps 20% off all sales – that includes subscriptions, PPV, exclusives, and more. That means if you set your subscription rate at 10 dollars(remember, OF is in USD, so factor in conversion rates if necessary), OnlyFans will keep 2 dollars, and you will get 8. While it might seem like a small difference, the platform fees can really add up as you build your audience.
Unfortunately, there is no way to get out of paying the fan siteās rate, but you can price your content to offset those losses.
Why Are There Platform Fees?
Anyone can create a profile on an adult fan site for free. The platform has to make money somehow, and that is where the fees come in. These costs also contribute to essential platform expenses, such as:
- Customer service support
- Site maintenance, features, etc.
- Privacy and security protections
How to Stop Losing Money as a Creator: Smart Pricing Strategies
Donāt lose money on your content. Instead, consider these pricing strategies to help keep your paycheck flush with cash.
Verify All Platform Fees
Every platform has a fee, but they vary per site. Most adult fan sites keep 20% of creator earnings. However, there are some platforms that offer a reduced rate in exchange for exclusivity. You could save on fees, but you will be limited to where you can post your content. If you feel confident that you will grow your audience on one site, this may be a good option.
Work Platform Fees Into Your Pricing
Paying platform fees is unavoidable, but there are ways to avoid losing money. The best strategy is to incorporate the fees into your pricing. Check out this pricing example based on OnlyFansā commission structure:
You want to sell a PPV bundle package of ten images and one 15-minute video. Your goal is to make $20 per bundle. Since OnlyFans keeps 20% of all sales, you want your price to be 20% more than what you want to earn. An easy way to do this is to multiply your goal pay by 1.25.
Therefore, your pricing equation would look like:
$20 x 1.25 = $24.00
It is important to consider sales and promotions. For example, if you want to offer 15% for pre-orders, that will reduce your net take-home.
At 15% off, a $24 sale would go down to $20.40. OnlyFans would keep 20% of that, bringing your earnings down to $16.32.
Donāt Fall for the āFree Accountā Trap
All reputable adult fan sites offer free accounts. Because there are no initial out-of-pocket costs, it can be misleading for many creators when their first payment is processed. Many sites āconcealā their fees by labeling them as ācommissionā or āwithholding.ā Again, there are zero platforms that donāt keep a percentage of your sales, so it is imperative to do your research, read the terms and conditions of every site you use, and carefully calculate your projected income.
How to Determine Your ROI as a Content Creator
ROI stands for return on investment. This principle refers to how much money you project to profit from a certain strategy, effort, or product. The term āinvestmentā makes it seem like it only refers to financial decisions, but in reality, the energy, time, and creativity you put into your content are an investment. While you might enjoy taking photos and videos, it is still a job, and your adult fan site is a business. To make money, you need to understand your costs and revenue.
Calculate Expenses
The first step in determining your ROI is calculating your expenses. You need to know how much it costs to make the content to price it appropriately. There are a lot of hidden fees in content creation, such as:
- Platform fees
- Production fees
- Props, equipment, etc
- Marketing costs
It is also important to think about your time as a cost. As an entrepreneur, you arenāt making a set salary or hourly rate. However, you must carry this structure into your content creation. For example, if it takes you a whole day to get ready, produce, and edit, that is a much bigger time investment than firing off a few sentences in a flirty message.
Sales Projections
The hardest part about determining ROI is projecting your sales. You need to estimate how much you think you will bring in from a particular piece of content. This calculation can be complicated because it is really hard to accurately predict purchasing behaviors.
The best way to do this is to look at past campaigns and how much your page has grown since then. When in doubt, always be conservative with your projections. In the best-case scenario, you sell more content than you thought!
Set Your Price
Now, it is time to set your price. This is the step where you need to bring all of your calculations together, including:
- Platform fees
- Sales projections
- Costs
- Revenue goals
Monitor, Adjust, Reflect
Once you launch your content, the work isnāt done. The final stage is monitoring your results so you can make changes as needed. It is poor practice to increase prices. So if your offer takes off, take it as a lesson for next time.
However, if sales arenāt what you hoped, offering a flash sale or general discount could help you recover your investment. For the promotion to be effective, you need to create a sense of urgency. The easiest way to do that is to set firm dates on when the discount will end.
Don’t Let Platform Fees Hurt Your Bottomline
Content creation is a business – and just like any business, understanding your costs is key to staying profitable. Platform fees may be unavoidable, but how you respond to them is entirely in your control. By researching fee structures, building them into your pricing, and regularly evaluating your ROI, you can protect your earnings and make smarter financial decisions. Donāt fall into the āfree accountā trap. Take charge of your pricing strategy so you can keep more of what you earn and build a sustainable, thriving creator career.