Here's exactly what you pay as a customer, what a studio earns, and when that money actually moves — no hidden fees and no jargon.
1. What you pay as a customer
You pay the quoted package price — nothing extra is added on top as a platform fee. Payment is split into two parts:
| Stage | Share of booking | On a ₹1,00,000 booking |
|---|---|---|
| Advance — paid to confirm and lock your date | 25% | ₹25,000 |
| Balance — paid after your final shoot, before delivery | 75% | ₹75,000 |
| Total you pay | 100% | ₹1,00,000 |
Your advance is held safely and only released to the studio in stages as your event approaches, so your refund rights stay protected. See Cancellation & refunds.
2. What the studio earns
Our platform fee comes out of the studio's earnings — not added to your bill. On a successful booking, the studio keeps 93.75% and our fee is 6.25% of the booking value. New photographers pay no platform fee on bookings confirmed in their first 6 months after approval.
| Line | On a ₹1,00,000 booking |
|---|---|
| Booking value | ₹1,00,000 |
| Platform fee (6.25%) | − ₹6,250 |
| Studio keeps (93.75%) | ₹93,750 |
The fee is made up of 10% of the advance plus 5% of the balance. Studio earnings are shown before any taxes the studio owes. Payment-provider processing charges are paid by Reelography and are never taken from the studio's share.
3. The remaining balance
The 75% balance is requested as soon as the studio marks your final booked event as shot. It is due right away and becomes overdue after 48 hours. You don't need to do anything to trigger it — but paying on time keeps your delivery on schedule.
4. Getting your photos
Full-quality photos and videos are delivered once your balance is paid. You then get a short review window to raise any issue; if nothing is raised within 48 hours, the delivery is accepted automatically. Studios can share limited watermarked previews earlier so you can see the work before paying the balance.
5. When studios get paid
“Protected” means money moves in clear stages, and we never show a studio as “paid” before it truly is:
- Held & securing: the advance is protected and gradually secured for the studio as the event nears.
- Eligible: after the balance is paid, photos are delivered, and the review window closes with no open dispute, the studio's earnings become eligible for payout.
- Settled to bank: the money reaches the studio's verified bank account after identity/KYC and bank-account checks pass. Until then it is protected, not in the studio's account.
6. Reelo Event storage
Every Reelo Event includes 50GB of storage for 3 months, free. The 3-month countdown starts from the first full-quality upload, not from when you booked. You can buy more space or more time (for example 100GB or 200GB) if you need it. We won't delete anything while a dispute, refund, or legal hold is open on your event.
7. Special cases
A few situations are handled individually by our support team rather than by a fixed formula — for example paying a balance in cash, or adjustments after an event has already started. In those cases we confirm any amount with you before anything is charged or refunded.
Related: Cancellation & refunds · Content & media rights · Privacy