Upfront or setup fees
What this clause does
You pay the agency money before it earns you anything.
Why it hurts you
This is the single most reliable marker of an agency scam. Documented setup fees run $500-$5,000. A real agency makes money when you make money — that is the entire premise of commission. If it wants cash upfront, it has already been paid whether or not it ever helps you.
What a fair version looks like
No upfront fees of any kind. The agency earns only from commission.
Wording you can send back
No fees, deposits, or charges of any kind shall be payable by Creator to Agency. Agency compensation is limited to commission on revenue actually received.
Paste this into your reply. Asking for a specific change is far more effective than asking them to "soften" a clause.
How to spot it
Search your contract for these words:
setup feeonboarding feeupfrontdepositinitial paymentadministration fee
Check your actual contract
Paste or upload it and we'll find this clause and the other 17, quote the exact language back to you, and generate a negotiation letter. Free, no card.
Review my contractOther things to check
This is an automated review to help you spot common problems — not legal advice, and not a substitute for a lawyer. We can miss things, and a clause that looks fine in isolation can still be a problem in context. Have a lawyer review anything you are about to sign.