Today istock have changed the price slider

vetta+agency = ****
E+ collection = ***
exclusive = **
dollar bin + non exclusive = *

this is the new way to advantage non exclusive contributor

But I never seem to get these commissions. Most of the time it's between 40 and 50 cents. Can I assume that the difference is how much people pay for credits? Or am I missing some other factors?

Pay attention up at the back!

There are big discounts according to the size of bundle bought, including some not advertised.
These prices you quoted are for cash sales, introduced in September and bringing with it a whole lot of other site woes. I do see some cash sales coming, but it's a relatively small percentage, and I have no idea what the overall percentage of cash sales is.
To see credit prices, click on credits on an individual file to see how many credits are need to purchase the different sizes.
Then look on this page:
http://www.istockphoto.com/buy-stock-prepaid-credits.php for ordinary credits, "as low as $1.33 per credit" and note: "For larger or on-going projects, we also offer credit packs of 6,000, 10,000, 20,000 or 30,000 credits." which will obviously be much cheaper.

Also: http://www.istockphoto.com/royalty-free-subscriptions.php for subscriptions, and note you can contact CR for secret larger deals.

And: http://www.istockphoto.com/corporate-accounts.php for corporate bundles as low as $1.08 per credit or 'as low as 24c per credit for corporate subscription deals.

On top of that you have 10% joining discount, and various promotional discounts (up to 20% certainly, and IIRF 25%) for random events, the most hated among contributors being the discounts when the site is down, which we have to pay for.

Oh, and on top of all that, as a Brit, I can ONLY see cash prices in UK�, but the default for credits is US$, so I can't easily compare like with like. I'm sure I used to see credit bundles prices in � as default, (with VAT added in a later window) with an option to view in $$. It doesn't matter to me, I'm not a buyer.

Didn't know I needed to click and change and use the secret decoder ring to discover what things really sold for. Thanks.

"To see credit prices, click on credits on an individual file to see how many credits are need to purchase the different sizes.
Then look on this page:"


Thanks, it makes more sense.

Now part two. Do buyers really use the slider to ignore Exclusive images? Seems counter intuitive to shop only based on price. When I go to the store for things, price is just one factor. If it's electronics, I want the best and pay more. If it's vegetables, I want fresh and crisp, not just cheap. Same should apply for images?

Vogon captain: What do you mean you've never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh, for heaven's sake, mankind, it's only four light years away, you know. I'm sorry, but if you can't be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that's your own lookout. Energize the demolition beam. I don't know, apathetic bloody planet, I've no sympathy at all.    H2G2

Grief, iStock is beating all negative records for speed. I've looked up, cut and pasted these two quotes in the time it took to turn a page in the forum! And now despite two tries, it won't let me flick through the slider thread in the discussion forum: it' just returns me to the forum home page after page 2.
Anyway, literally I have a train to catch, so I'll have to leave you to wade through that thread for yourself, where you'll see and admin claim that very few buyers use the slider, or indeed any othe of the search filters. (In which case, it made very little sense to introduce such overhead-heavy features for a small minority of users.)

Prosser: But the plans were on display.
Arthur Dent: On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar.
Prosser: That's the display department.
Arthur Dent: With a torch.
Prosser: The lights had probably gone.
Arthur Dent: So had the stairs.
Prosser: But you did see the notice, didn't you?
Arthur Dent: Oh, yes. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign outside the door saying "Beware of the Leopard." Ever thought of going into advertising? H2G2

The commission is also based on the NET price.

The kinds of items that we net from the payment include taxes or other withholdings, refunds, bad debts and currency hedging. (from http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=349689&page=1)

so you dont actually get 15+%. With their noncommittal answer who knows what the real percentage is?