Commission: gross vs net
Two agencies can both say “40%” and cost you very different amounts. The difference is one word in the contract. Here’s what it means and how to check it.
6 minute read. Updated October 2026.
Gross and net, in one sentence each
Gross is everything fans spend on your page: subscriptions, tips, messages and posts.
Net is what OnlyFans actually pays you after taking its 20% platform fee. On $10,000 of fan spending, your net is $8,000.
An agency’s rate is a percentage of one or the other. A rate taken from gross is always more expensive than the same rate taken from net, because it includes money you never receive.
Converting between them
Because net is 80% of gross, you can convert any gross rate into its net equivalent by dividing by 0.8:
| Rate taken from gross | Same money as a net rate of |
|---|---|
| 20% of gross | 25% of net |
| 30% of gross | 37.5% of net |
| 40% of gross | 50% of net |
| 50% of gross | 62.5% of net |
So an agency charging 40% of gross is taking half of everything that reaches your bank.
Worked examples
What you keep each month at three earning levels, with three common offers:
| Fans spend | OnlyFans pays you | 40% of net: you keep | 40% of gross: you keep | 50% of net: you keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $4,000 | $2,400 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| $10,000 | $8,000 | $4,800 | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| $25,000 | $20,000 | $12,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
At $25,000 a month, the difference between “40% of net” and “40% of gross” is $2,000 a month, or $24,000 a year, for the same headline number.
Other things that change the real cost
- Extra fees. Monthly tool or software fees, setup fees and exit fees all add to the agency’s real share.
- Refunds and chargebacks. Ask whether commission is calculated before or after these are taken off. If before, you can end up paying commission on money you’ve given back.
- Commission after you leave. Some contracts keep taking a share for months after you go. That’s commission on work they’re no longer doing.
- Earnings you already had. Ask whether the rate applies to all your income or only to growth above where you started.
The break-even question
Any commission only pays for itself if the agency grows your page enough to cover it. At a rate of 40% of net, your net has to grow by about 67% before you take home a single extra dollar. At 50% of net, it has to double.
That’s not a reason to avoid agencies. Good management can grow a page by more than that, and it gives you your time back. It’s a reason to ask every agency how they plan to beat your break-even number. Try it with your own numbers in the break-even calculator.
How to check an offer
- Find the word “gross” or “net” in the contract. If neither is there, ask in writing.
- Convert the rate to its net equivalent using the table above.
- Add any fees, and ask how refunds and chargebacks are handled.
- Ask for a sample monthly statement, so you can see how their share will be worked out.
- Run the numbers in the take-home calculator, or put two offers side by side in compare two offers.
Our rate, and what it’s taken from
Published on our terms page, with the maths worked out.