Red Management / Understanding management fees
One percentage.
The whole picture.
The real cost of support depends on more than a percentage. The amount it is applied to and the charges added alongside it matter too. Make those details clear before choosing.
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Separate three different kinds of cost
Platform charges, management fees and your own expenses are different things. Put them on separate lines, even when a provider describes one complete package. First establish what you are buying: an individual shoot, an advice session and daily support involve different work.
For the platform deduction, use your platform statement and the current OnlyFans terms. This is separate from the manager’s fee. Support may be charged as a fixed amount, a percentage or a combination. Ask what is included and whether setup fees, minimum charges or additional hours apply. Your own expenses might include photography, software, equipment, travel and administration. Count each cost once: something included in a package should not also appear as a separate expense in the comparison.
A percentage of what?
The amount used to calculate commission is the calculation basis. Two offers with the same percentage can therefore produce different fees. Is the percentage applied before the platform deduction or to the amount left afterwards? Does it cover all income or only agreed categories? How are refunds, adjustments and income from previously created content handled?
Ask for terms such as revenue, net and earnings to be explained in euros. Request an example using the same period and the same income for both proposals. Use that definition in the agreement and check that each statement follows it.
A fictional example: the same 30%, a different fee
Suppose income before deductions is €1,000 and an illustrative platform deduction is 20%, leaving €800. A commission of 30% of €1,000 is €300. A commission of 30% of €800 is €240. The commission differs by €60 solely because of the calculation basis. These are fictional example values, not offered or recommended rates.
With a further €250 in fixed and other costs, the first scenario leaves €250 and the second €310 before tax. This simplified one-month comparison is in euros and excludes VAT. Income is assumed already adjusted for refunds. It does not calculate tax, exchange-rate effects or different contractual rules. The result is neither take-home income nor an earnings forecast. A negative result would mean the entered costs exceed the amount left in that example.
Compare the work as well as the price
A charge becomes meaningful when you know what work it buys. Who plans, selects images, edits and handles administration? How often will you speak, and how much preparation remains yours? Compare a task list alongside the cost breakdown.
A higher fee may include more work, but the proposal must show it. A lower percentage is not an advantage if essential tasks are repeatedly billed as extras. If you mainly need new images, begin by discussing a defined photoshoot or your portfolio. Choose support that answers your actual question.
Make the figures traceable
Before starting, request one overview describing the tasks, calculation basis, percentage, fixed fees and possible surcharges. Ask whether amounts include or exclude VAT and who approves extra spending in advance.
For each period, request a statement showing the income used, deductions, corrections and management fee. Compare the same month and currency; a payout may concern a different period. Before ending the arrangement, ask whether further fees can follow cancellation and what they are based on. Include that in your assessment of the contract term and ask for unclear clauses to be explained.
A payout is not automatically disposable income
Keep platform statements, invoices and agreements. Looking only at the amount entering your bank account is not enough to understand income and costs. The Dutch Tax Administration explains that content creators need to establish how their income should be declared and whether they qualify as entrepreneurs for VAT. The example above does not determine that.
Ask an accountant to consider your situation, especially when overseas providers, different currencies or unclear VAT invoices are involved. This is general orientation for adult creators, not a calculation of your personal tax position.
What is a normal management commission?
A percentage without a task list and calculation basis does not provide a useful comparison. This guide therefore does not propose a generally normal rate. Request several concrete offers and compare their total costs using the same income.
Are platform charges part of the commission?
The proposal should make this clear. Ask whether the management fee is additional to the platform deduction and which amount it is calculated on. Do not simply add the percentages together when their calculation bases differ.
What if I earn little or nothing?
A fixed fee or agreed minimum can still generate costs. Ask how that works in the proposal before agreeing. Consider a zero-income month when assessing fixed and other expenses.
Is the remaining figure my net profit?
No. The example leaves a simplified amount before taxes, without calculating VAT or examining your contract. Other expenses and adjustments may apply. The examples are not Red Management’s prices or promises of income. Red Management is not affiliated with OnlyFans.
Adapted from our Dutch practical guide. The photographs illustrate style and presentation. Read the original in Dutch ↗