BigStock is introducing a new strategy for licensing microstock images. Their pay-as-you-go system allows customers to pay with a credit card for only those images they want to use immediately and not be forced to purchase a package of credits. There is no minimum purchase.
The company believes there are an increasing number of customers who are looking for a quick way to purchase one or a few images and don’t want to be locked into higher priced credit packages. A single extended license simplifies purchasing.
Contributors will receive 30% of the U.S. dollar price for each image licensed using pay-as-you-go. For purchases made using credits BigStock pays $0.50 USD for each credit spent, just like before. One of the problems with single payments of low dollars is the fees that credit card companies charge for low dollar purchases. To offset this, BigStock has raised the price customers pay when they use the Pay as You Go system compared to what the customer would have to pay using credits. The comparative fee structure is as follows.
The following are the breakdowns of what customers pay for credit packages and the pay-as-you-go prices compared with the number of credits needed to purchase an image.
Also shown is the photographer’s royalty share when customers use the pay-as-you-go system compared with the credit system.
| Credit Packages |
Customer Pays |
Per Credit |
| 25 Credits |
$49 |
$1.96 each |
| 100 Credits |
$169 |
$1.69 each |
| 250 Credits |
$339 |
$1.36 each |
| 500 Credits |
$495 |
$0.99 each |
| |
|
|
| Prices Customer |
|
|
| Pay |
Pay as You Go |
Credits To |
| |
|
Purchase |
| Small |
$2.99 |
1 |
| Medium |
$4.99 |
2 |
| Large |
$8.99 |
4 |
| X-Large |
$12.99 |
6 |
| Vector |
$12.99 |
6 |
| Extended License |
$99.00 |
|
| |
|
|
| Photographer's |
|
|
| Share |
|
|
| |
Pay as You Go |
Credit Pricing |
| Small |
$0.90 |
$0.50 |
| Medium |
$1.50 |
$1.00 |
| Large |
$2.70 |
$2.00 |
| X-Large |
$3.90 |
$3.00 |
| Vector |
$3.90 |
$3.00 |
| Extended License |
$29.70 |
$25.00 |
As the bigger microstock companies raise prices this option may become very attractive for many small users.