Credits vs commission: why a fixed fee is fairer

A fixed credit per booking is fairer than a commission because it separates the platform's earnings from the price of the booking. With a commission, the marketplace earns more when the medium is more expensive. With a fixed fee, it earns the same amount for every confirmed booking. That changes the incentives for everyone involved.

At mention.media, advertisers pay the price of the medium plus 1 credit (currently €29.95 net) per confirmed booking. Publishers receive 100% of their price. There is no commission and no percentage surcharge. This article explains the principle behind the model. For the full calculation, see the pricing model comparison.

One point up front: mention.media is in beta. Registration is still closed, and interested parties can join the waitlist. The pricing model is final, though.

How commission shifts incentives

Many marketplaces keep 10 to 30%. That sounds like a fair share for making the match. But the model has a side effect: the platform earns the most when prices are high.

This creates typical conflicts of interest:

• The platform has little reason to put cheaper but relevant media first.
• Publishers build the commission into their price or earn less than they asked for.
• Advertisers often cannot see what the publisher receives and what the platform adds on top.

Nobody needs bad intentions for this to happen. The model rewards higher prices, so it pushes in that direction.

What the fixed credit changes

At mention.media, the price of the medium appears on the invoice separately from the credit. The advertiser sees what the medium costs and what the platform receives. The media price goes directly to the publisher, by invoice and bank transfer, PayPal or Wero. Online payment via Mollie is optional. The credit goes to mention.media.

The platform earns no more from an expensive medium than from a cheap one. That removes the incentive to push prices up. The platform earns when bookings are made and confirmed. That is a goal publishers and advertisers share.

The publisher's view

For publishers, one thing matters most: the price you set is the price you get. You do not need to factor in a commission or plan a buffer.

You also keep control. You decide:

• which channels you offer,
• which formats are available (editorial, sponsored post or advertorial, guest article, press release, social media post),
• what price you charge for each format.

The link question stays with you too. Whether a link is DoFollow, nofollow or sponsored is your decision, based on your editorial guidelines. You label paid placements as advertising. This protects your credibility with readers and search engines. Google's spam policies require rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" for paid links. The article on link attributes explains the technical details.

The advertiser's view

For advertisers, the fixed fee mainly brings predictability. Before you book, you know what the medium costs and what the platform receives. Price pressure from the platform does not steer your choice. In the catalogue, you filter by media type, format, niche, maximum price and SEO metrics such as organic traffic, domain rank, referring domains or spam score. The metrics come from DataForSEO.

A quick example: with a 25% commission, you pay €375 in total on a media price of €300. At mention.media, it is €329.95. That is €45.05 less. The more expensive the medium, the smaller the fee becomes in relative terms. At €300 it is about 10%, at €1,000 about 3%.

If you want to know how a booking works, read Your first booking in four steps.

Where the fixed fee is not automatically cheaper

A fixed fee does not save money in every case. For very cheap media, it weighs relatively heavily. It only becomes cheaper than a 25% commission from a media price of €119.80. At low prices, a percentage model can therefore work out better for advertisers.

This is part of being honest about the model. It pays off mainly where mentions in editorial media cost more and price matters. Also note that mention.media does not promise any particular ranking results. A mention can have value even without a DoFollow link, for example as a source that readers and chat assistants notice. Why editorial mentions build authority is covered in Editorial links.

Our recommendation

Check three things at every marketplace: What does the publisher really receive? What appears separately on the invoice? Does the platform earn more when the medium is more expensive? If you can answer these questions clearly, you understand the incentives.

As an advertiser, you can paste a press release or an article into the Content Assistant and get suggested channels with reasons. As a publisher, you join the waitlist and plan your prices without a commission deduction.

Frequently asked questions

What does mention.media cost advertisers?

Advertisers pay the price of the medium plus 1 credit (currently €29.95 net) per confirmed booking. There is no commission and no percentage surcharge. The media price and the credit appear separately on the invoice.

Do publishers really get 100% of their price?

Yes. Publishers set their own prices, and the advertiser pays the media price directly to them. The advertiser pays the credit to mention.media. It is not deducted from the publisher's price.

Does mention.media earn more from expensive media?

No. The credit is the same for every confirmed booking. An expensive medium earns the platform no more than a cheap one.

Is the fixed fee always cheaper than a commission?

No. Compared with a 25% commission, it pays off from a media price of €119.80. For cheaper media, a percentage model can work out better for advertisers.