Updated 20 September 2026. Use a fixed fee when buying content and access to an audience, CPA when both parties can define and verify a qualified acquisition, and revenue share when both accept long-term cohort volatility and a contractually precise revenue definition. Hybrid terms can split these risks.
Fixed Fee vs CPA vs Revenue Share
| Model | Creator paid for | Operator risk | Creator risk | Essential control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee | Accepted deliverables/rights | Conversion may underperform | Limited performance upside | Acceptance and make-good terms |
| CPA | Qualified acquisition event | Bad qualification can buy low-value users | Funnel failures outside creator control | Event, window, exclusions and reversals |
| Revenue share | Share of defined cohort revenue | Long-tail obligation and reporting burden | Volatility, opaque deductions and negative carry | NGR schedule and audit rights |
| Hybrid | Deliverable floor plus performance | Upfront cost plus variable payout | Reduced downside, complex reconciliation | Order of calculations and cap/floor |
Side-by-Side Worked Examples
Synthetic inputs: one creator delivers the same approved campaign. It generates 80 qualified FTDs and $30,000 of positive NGR for the agreed period. These values demonstrate arithmetic and are not recommended rates.
| Deal | Terms | Payout | What changes the result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed | $10,000 accepted-deliverable fee | $10,000 | Only acceptance, cancellation or make-good terms |
| CPA | $125 per qualified FTD | 80 × $125 = $10,000 | Rejected, duplicate or reversed FTDs |
| Revenue share | 30% of defined NGR | $30,000 × 30% = $9,000 | NGR deductions, close date and carry-over |
| Hybrid | $6,000 fee + 15% NGR | $6,000 + $4,500 = $10,500 | Whether the fee is recoupable and calculation order |
Run losing and high-value-cohort scenarios before signature. A deal that looks equivalent in the base case can allocate downside very differently.
NGR Definition Checklist
Attach a worked schedule to the contract. Define currency and conversion source, GGR starting field, bonuses, free bets/spins, jackpot contributions, taxes, payment fees, chargebacks, fraud, platform fees, admin fees, corrections, player pooling and the commission itself. State whether deductions are actual, allocated or capped.
- Which players enter the cohort, and for how long?
- Are negative balances ring-fenced by creator, product and market?
- Does negative carry expire, reset or continue after termination?
- Can the operator add deductions or change definitions unilaterally?
- When is a period closed, and how are later adjustments handled?
Deductions, Audit Rights and Risk
The creator should receive a statement with opening balance, cohort activity, each deduction category, adjustments, closing NGR, rate and payout. The contract should give a defined time to dispute, access to supporting aggregated records, record-retention terms and an independent review route for material differences. Protect player data through limited fields and access controls.
Also settle invalid traffic, prohibited-market activity, platform suspension, operator downtime, payment failures and content takedowns. Audit rights do not guarantee economics; they make the agreed calculation testable.
How to Choose
- Separate content/rights value from acquisition value.
- List which party controls each funnel step.
- Model base, downside and delayed-cohort cases.
- Choose the simplest structure that preserves the intended incentive.
- Test tracking and produce a sample statement before launch.
Use the tracking architecture to define qualified events and the ROI framework to compare realized economics. To obtain and normalize creator quotes, book a campaign-planning call.
FAQ
What revenue-share percentage is standard?
There is no reliable universal rate. The economic value depends on the NGR definition, deductions, cohort term, carry-over, guarantee and audit rights.
Should negative carry-over be allowed?
That is a negotiated risk choice. Define its scope, duration, termination treatment and whether one creator or product can offset another; model the downside before agreement.