# How to pay creators per verified post (and never pay for a post that didn't happen)

> Pay-per-verified-post means the creator's payment is held until their post is checked live, from their account, with your link and a paid-partnership disclosure. Here's how to set it up, what to verify and what it costs on Transformer.

**To pay creators per verified post, fund each offer up front so the payment is held, then release it only when an automatic check confirms the post is live, published from the creator's own account, contains your link and is disclosed as paid (on X, with X's Paid partnership label).** Creators know the money is there, and brands never pay for a post that didn't go up.

## Why pay per verified post?

The two classic ways to pay influencers both leave one side exposed:

- **Pay up front:** the brand carries the risk that the post never appears, goes up late or leaves out the link.
- **Pay after, on invoice:** the creator carries the risk of chasing payment for weeks.

Holding the money in between, and releasing it on a check both sides agreed to in advance, removes both risks.

## What should the check verify?

A useful verification is objective, so neither side can argue about it:

| Check | Why it matters |
| --- | --- |
| The post is live | You're paying for a public post, not a draft |
| It's from the creator's own account | The audience you paid for actually sees it |
| It contains your link | Clicks can be counted and attributed |
| It's disclosed as paid (on X, the Paid partnership label) | Required by the FTC in the US and by X's policy; protects both sides |
| It matches the deliverable (e.g. contains a video) | You get the format you paid for |

What it should **not** check is wording. Audiences trust creators who write in their own voice, so give a short ask (what to post about) and let the creator write the post. See [People trust people, not ads](/blog/people-trust-people-not-ads).

## How it works on Transformer

1. **The brand picks creators:** it pastes its website and gets suggested X creators, each with why they fit and a suggested price.
2. **The brand sends, then pays on acceptance.** Sending an offer (one X post, with the price and ask prefilled) is free. When a creator accepts, the brand has 72 hours to pay, and the payment is held.
3. **The creator posts after payment,** within 7 days, on X from their own account in their own words, with X's Paid partnership label turned on (#ad as well is optional).
4. **The creator submits the post URL.** Transformer checks it against X: live, right account, the link, and the Paid partnership label.
5. **Released.** When the post passes, the creator's 80% goes to their balance. If the offer is declined or expires (7 days by default), the brand has paid nothing; if the brand doesn't pay within 72 hours of acceptance, the offer is cancelled. After payment, a problem goes through a dispute: either side can open one, which freezes the payment until a Transformer admin releases it or refunds it to the brand's balance (for example, if the creator doesn't post).

The whole flow is also an API, so an agent can run it: see [Run an influencer campaign from an AI agent](/blog/run-influencer-campaign-from-ai-agent-mcp).

## What does it cost?

The brand pays the offer's price and nothing else. The creator receives 80%; Transformer keeps 20%, which covers holding the payment, verification, tracked links and payouts. No subscription, no minimum. A $250 post costs the brand $250 and pays the creator $200.

Through the API you can also add a commission on tracked sales (0–50%), split the same way: 80% to the creator, 20% to Transformer.

## What if the post is edited or deleted later?

Verification happens when the post is submitted. Say how long the post should stay up in the ask. If a deliverable doesn't pass the check, the creator can fix it and resubmit; nothing is released until it passes.

## FAQ

### How do I make sure an influencer actually posts after I pay?
Don't release payment until the post is checked. Fund the offer so the money is held, then release it only when the post is verified live, from the creator's account, with your link and a paid-partnership disclosure. Transformer does this automatically for X posts.

### What is pay-per-post influencer marketing?
A model where the brand pays a fixed price for each post a creator publishes, rather than a retainer or a subscription. Verified pay-per-post adds a check that the post actually went up as agreed before the money is released.

### Is holding the payment safe for creators?
It protects creators: the brand's money is held before the creator does any work, and it's released by an objective check rather than the brand's discretion.

### Can I pay creators on commission only?
On Transformer every offer has a price, which can be small; through the API you can add a commission on tracked sales, credited per reported sale.