Pass the Fee to Customers on Your Turkey Trot Photos

You can absorb the Surf Snaps sale fee, pass it to the customer or split it, and passing it on means you keep the full price you set.

Holiday race photos sell in volume, and small margins add up fast. Surf Snaps takes up to 10% of a completed sale, and you decide who pays it. That choice can change what you earn on a busy turkey trot weekend, so it is worth understanding before you set your prices.

The three options

Absorb it: the customer pays the price you set, and the fee comes out of your earnings.
Pass it on: the customer sees the fee as its own line at checkout, and you receive the full price you set.
Split it: you and the customer share the fee.

What the math looks like

Take a $25 photo. If you absorb the fee, the customer pays $25 and you earn $22.50. If you pass it on, the customer pays $27.50 at checkout and you receive the full $25. Surf Snaps handles checkout and card processing, with cards run through Stripe, so you pay no Stripe or PayPal fees yourself. Payouts go to your bank account by transfer on the first of every month, and you keep your copyright. Each sale is a licence to the buyer for that image.

When passing it on makes sense

Your prices are already tight: if you sell at the low end, passing the fee on protects your margin.
Your buyers are used to checkout fees: most online shoppers expect a small line at checkout and rarely mind it.
You sell high volume: across hundreds of sales, the difference between absorbing and passing on is significant.

When absorbing it makes sense

You want a clean price: some photographers prefer to show one simple number, especially for entry-level photos.
You compete on price: if buyers compare prices closely, a flat price may feel friendlier.
You are testing the market: absorbing it for a first season can help you learn what buyers respond to.

Setting holiday prices

Buyers on Surf Snaps can find photos from $8, and they pay per photo with no packages, so your price per image is the whole story. Think about what the average runner will happily pay for a great action shot on Thanksgiving morning, then decide whether you want to cover the fee or let the buyer see it. Our guide on pricing turkey trot photos for holiday buyers goes deeper, and the general guide on pricing your sports photos covers the basics. You can also read the full fee details in the FAQ and the terms.

Check the rules

Before you shoot a turkey trot for sale, ask the race organizer about photographer credentials, official photographers and whether selling race photos is allowed. Some races have exclusive photo partners. If you are given permission, keep a note of the terms. Be careful with children: avoid photographing kids without a parent nearby, and remove a photo promptly if someone asks.

How to set it up

Create your free account on register.
Open upload and create a session with sport (running), place, date and price per photo.
Upload your JPG files. Watermarked previews are generated automatically.
Choose whether to absorb, pass on or split the fee.
Share your session so runners can find it on Explore, which filters by sport, location and date.

Passing the Turkey Trot Photo Fee FAQ

How much is the Surf Snaps fee?

It is up to 10% of a completed sale. You choose whether to absorb it, pass it on to the customer or split it.

What does the customer see if I pass the fee on?

They see the fee as its own line at checkout. On a $25 photo, the customer pays $27.50 and you receive the full $25.

Do I pay Stripe or PayPal fees myself?

No. Surf Snaps handles checkout and card processing, with cards run through Stripe, so you do not pay those fees yourself.

When do I get paid?

Payouts are made by bank transfer on the first of every month.

Do I keep the copyright to my photos?

Yes. Each sale is a licence to the buyer for that image, and you keep the copyright.

Sell what you shoot, free.