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Microstock Photography Forum - General => Newbie Discussion => Topic started by: Chinni on April 06, 2022, 00:27

Title: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: Chinni on April 06, 2022, 00:27
As I noticed Pixta is selling files in dollars, i.e $180 for 4k videos, $90 for 1080p videos etc... So, contributor royalties (40%) are $72 for  4k, $36 for 1080p etc..

But instead of dollars they were paying us in the form of credits, i.e, 72 credits for 4k videos, 36 credits for 1080p videos etc..

Where they converting credits to "Japanese yen" (JPY)., i.e, 1 Credit = 100JPY,... 7200JPY for 4k videos, 3600JPY for 1080p videos etc...

but today dollar to JPY conversion is, $1=123.85 JPY.

It clearly shows, they are selling our content in dollars($1=123.85JPY), and paying us in credits (1 credit =100JPY).
so, they were not paying actual 40% for videos, also not paying 22% for photos/illustrations.

When I contacted about the same, this was their response

"Dear xxxxxx,

Thank you for your inquiry to PIXTA.

The currency used in PIXTA [Credits], is set at 1 credit = 100 yen.

This setting is constant and is not affected by the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen; it is calculated uniformly at 100 yen per credit, regardless of whether the yen has depreciated or appreciated.

Please note that since each credit is set in Japanese yen, there may be a difference depending on the exchange rate at the time of conversion.

Kindly refer more to the link provided below:
https://www.pixtastock.com/faq_contributor#What_is_a_Credit (https://www.pixtastock.com/faq_contributor#What_is_a_Credit)

With the above said, we do not accept any specification changes regarding credit.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely yours, "

then again I asked,
"If the currency used in PIXTA is "credits", then why are you selling our content in dollars instead of "credits".?
  If you are you selling in dollars, why are you paying us in credits which is lower value than dollars? "

This time there is no response from them.

According to my calculation they were paying us 32-33% for videos instead of 40%, 17-18% for photos/illustrations instead of 22%.

note: I am not talking about their tax. and this reduction is before taxes.


Title: Re: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on April 06, 2022, 10:55
Unfortunately (for contributors) games with foreign currency are not new. Sites can set whatever rules they want for how they pay and that can mean you effectively make much less than the nominal royalty rate.

See some old threads here about Fotolia playing this game

https://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/fotolia-now-paying-less-than-16- (https://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/fotolia-now-paying-less-than-16-)!!!!!!/

https://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/fotolia-what-currency-are-you-paid-in/msg133508/#msg133508 (https://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/fotolia-what-currency-are-you-paid-in/msg133508/#msg133508)

https://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/how-we-are-underpaid-by-fotolia-because-of-the-zone-where-we-opened-our-account (https://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/how-we-are-underpaid-by-fotolia-because-of-the-zone-where-we-opened-our-account)
Title: Re: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: cloudvisual on April 08, 2022, 09:31
I'd love to be earning 40% from Pixta, but it's one of my least successful agencies. 3 sales in 3 years
Title: Re: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: SpaceStockFootage on April 08, 2022, 14:16
How does your success with an agency, or the number of sales you get in a 3 year period, relate to whether they pay 40% or not? If they don't pay 40% then that's fair enough (exchange rate withstanding), but the number of sales you get doesn't dispute that.
Title: Re: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: cloudvisual on April 10, 2022, 13:57
How does your success with an agency, or the number of sales you get in a 3 year period, relate to whether they pay 40% or not? If they don't pay 40% then that's fair enough (exchange rate withstanding), but the number of sales you get doesn't dispute that.

Because I would like to sell more with them and get the 40%, because a lot of agencies aren't paying as much and I'm selling a lot more at places where I'm seeing clips sell for pennies on awful commission rates.

It's more a wishful thinking comment that I made, nothing serious.
Title: Re: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: Chinni on April 29, 2022, 02:08
Now the dollar to JPY conversion is $1=130JPY.

Even when it reaches $1=1000JPY, they sell in dollars and pay in credits.
Where they sell 4k video for $180, and pay us 72 credits = 7200JPY = $7.2, at that time
Title: Re: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: SpaceStockFootage on April 29, 2022, 14:36
Google says 7200 JPY is $55.
Title: Re: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: wds on April 29, 2022, 17:52
...and how much does Pixta sell? They are way down on the chart on the right. Is it worth the effort?
Title: Re: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: Chinni on April 30, 2022, 03:11
Spacestockfootage, I said when JPY value is decrease to $1=1000 JPY, they still pay us in credits which reduces our royalties further.


Title: Re: Is Pixta really paying 40% for videos and 22% for photos/Illustrations?
Post by: Chinni on April 30, 2022, 04:24
Wds, I don't know how it is going for others, but I made around 350 in last one year.
I don't say they are dollars, because even though they sell in dollars they pay us in credits, by which they pay 5-7% less than the actual royalty rate (40% of selling price)