Dreamstime pays $1.05 for the level 5 subs.  As per the above comment, though, you can get less than those amounts. 

What is crazy is that as low as the sub prices are most sites will pay even less for a small or extra-small size credit download:

RF: $0.20
FT: $0.20
DT: $0.25-ish
SS: $0.81 (is that right?  I've never received less)
IS: ??

When you look at it this way it kind of makes the actual claimed royalty percentage almost meaningless

Dreamstime pays $1.05 for the level 5 subs.

I just had one a few hours ago of 1.26$ (level 5, exclusive). Many of my level 4-5's are exclusive. (I started a thread on the DT forum some time ago as to why it pays off to make your level 4-5's exclusive there if (and only if) they don't sell well elsewhere). For instance yesterday: Editorial, exclusive : 17 credits (2010) $9.35 = 55% but I had cases of 60% too.

In all these subs discussions there is an elephant in the room as to DT. The elephant is the level system. This is quite unique in the microstock world (as far as I'm aware). In fact, it is a Darwinian "Vetta", determined by sales on an image per image base, not by some editor's decision. On other sites, you'll just have to live with subs and hope for PP sales that deliver the largest share of our revenue anywhere. On DT, a sub sale is a sale that makes the image also climb up on the level scale. Not to mention the recent introduction of the level 0 (still 1 credit to buy) that becomes level 1 (3 credits to buy) just after one single sale (included a subs sale).

So imho, the subs system on DT can't be compared with any subs system anywhere else. To address the concern of OP : DT seems to handle the subs temptation (for buyers) well, especially in view of the recent introduction of the 1-week subs plan. My subs are still around 50-60% but not increasing, and my RPD (I'm not an illustrator) has been around 1.5-1.6$ the past 3 months, more than before the 1-week subs plan.

Apparently DT runs a tight ship with 1 captain-photographer in control while other sites fell to the multi-headed "corporate" temptation, a temptation that brought us in the economic mess in the financial world we are currently in.

Quote from: Megastock on October 26, 2011, 15:15

Dreamstime pays $1.05 for the level 5 subs.

I just had one a few hours ago of 1.26$ (level 5, exclusive). Many of my level 4-5's are exclusive. (I started a thread on the DT forum some time ago as to why it pays off to make your level 4-5's exclusive there if (and only if) they don't sell well elsewhere). For instance yesterday: Editorial, exclusive : 17 credits (2010) $9.35 = 55% but I had cases of 60% too.

In all these subs discussions there is an elephant in the room as to DT. The elephant is the level system. This is quite unique in the microstock world (as far as I'm aware). In fact, it is a Darwinian "Vetta", determined by sales on an image per image base, not by some editor's decision. On other sites, you'll just have to live with subs and hope for PP sales that deliver the largest share of our revenue anywhere. On DT, a sub sale is a sale that makes the image also climb up on the level scale. Not to mention the recent introduction of the level 0 (still 1 credit to buy) that becomes level 1 (3 credits to buy) just after one single sale (included a subs sale).

So imho, the subs system on DT can't be compared with any subs system anywhere else. To address the concern of OP : DT seems to handle the subs temptation (for buyers) well, especially in view of the recent introduction of the 1-week subs plan. My subs are still around 50-60% but not increasing, and my RPD (I'm not an illustrator) has been around 1.5-1.6$ the past 3 months, more than before the 1-week subs plan.

Apparently DT runs a tight ship with 1 captain-photographer in control while other sites fell to the multi-headed "corporate" temptation, a temptation that brought us in the economic mess in the financial world we are currently in.

You can compare Dreamstime subs to other sites and I think you will find they pay a lot more due to the level system, as you suggest   On the 'exclusive' tab on the earnings page (http://www.dreamstime.com/exclusivity.php) it shows you your last 50 credit and sub sales, and makes it easy to see what you are actually getting from sub sales on DT.  Personally, I'm getting $0.61 per sub on average which handily beats any other site by almost double...  I didn't see a drop in RPD after the introduction of the weekly sub, either.

what is the "upload bonus"?

If you go exclusive with dt, you get 20 cents for each accepted image and this bonus includes the images you already have online.

You can compare Dreamstime subs to other sites and I think you will find they pay a lot more due to the level system, as you suggest   On the 'exclusive' tab on the earnings page (http://www.dreamstime.com/exclusivity.php) it shows you your last 50 credit and sub sales, and makes it easy to see what you are actually getting from sub sales on DT.  Personally, I'm getting $0.61 per sub on average which handily beats any other site by almost double...  I didn't see a drop in RPD after the introduction of the weekly sub, either.

Thanks for confirming my remarks. I would have gone from microstock for over a year if it wasn't for DT. The only problem with their exclusive plan is that it is too harsh as to RM.