Vendor service fees

GigSalad applies a small fee to every booking made through our site. We collect this fee in order to cover costs associated with taking credit card payments, distributing deposits and balances, and general maintenance to the booking platform so it remains safe and easy to use for both you and the client.

IMPORTANT: These service fees are only applied when a booking is confirmed through the site. You will not be charged for receiving leads or sending quotes. 

The client will pay the total amount you quoted (deposit and balance) at the time of booking, plus their own service fee. We will send the payment to you in two separate installments. The deposit amount you request will be paid out in advance, but the balance will be held by GigSalad and sent to you one or two business days after the event. (Read more about payouts.)

The service fee is applied to your total booking price but will be split between your two payouts, with a portion being taken from each. For example, if you have a free membership and you book a gig for a total of $300, your 5% service fee will be $15. If you request a $100 deposit, we'll keep a $5 service fee (5% of $100) and send you $95. Then, when we send you the remaining balance of $200 after the event, we'll keep a $10 service fee (5% of $200) and send you $190. We do it this way to make sure both you and GigSalad are paid fairly.

Note: Service fees are slightly higher when marking gigs as booked since we are only collecting a fee from one party. 

Frequently asked questions:

• Are there minimum amounts for the service fee?

  There is no minimum service fee when you book through the platform. Minimum fees create a disproportionate structure for our members and a higher percentage fee for bookings under $300.

  However, if you book off-platform and want to mark it as booked, there is a $10 minimum service fee then.

• Can I choose who pays the service fee?

  That used to be how it worked, but as of June 6, 2017, we introduced a new fee structure. This new structure takes a service fee from your deposit and balance payment and charges a separate service fee to the client at the time of booking. This structure is more aligned with standard marketplace practices.

• Why do I have to pay fees for both my membership and my bookings?

  These fees serve two different purposes. For your membership, you are paying to increase your exposure and get more features for your PromoKit, like access to client phone numbers prior to booking. The service fee is to cover the cost associated with collecting and distributing payments and general maintenance of the booking platform. For paid members, the 2.5% fee is lower than most other popular payment processing solutions.