Service fee on downloads

From March 2026, a service fee will be levied for downloads. The service fee applies solely to download profit. It is not imposed on the profit from exclusively physical products.

The service fee is determined by the subscription you have chosen:

  • Subscription: Free 12%
  • Subscription: Saal Cloud 9%
  • Subscription: Saal Prio 7%
  • Subscription: Saal Prio Max 5%

This section outlines how the service fee for downloads is calculated.

In all examples below, a 5% service fee (Saal Prio Max) is used.

1. Free downloads (stand‑alone)

What qualifies as free?

  • Files downloaded directly from the gallery with a 0.00 £ price
  • Orders where items are downloads with a 0.00 £ price

How is the fee calculated?

No service fee is levied, as no profit is generated.
Service fee = 0.00 £

2. Paid file downloads (single files, sizes, licences, “all files” packages)

For all paid download products, the service fee is applied to the gross profit of the download.

Example:
Product: “All downloads” package
Gross profit: 50.00 £
Service‑fee rate: 5%
Service fee = 50.00 £ × 5% = 2.50 £

3. Product set with only digital downloads

If a product set contains only digital items, it is treated as a pure download order: the service fee is applied to the gross profit of the entire set.

Example:
Product set (only downloads)
Gross profit: 40.00 £
Service‑fee rate: 5%
Service fee = 40.00 £ × 5% = 2.00 £

4. Mixed product set (downloads + physical products)

For mixed sets containing both digital downloads and physical products (and possibly upsells), the following steps are taken:

  1. Take the selling price of the entire set, including upsells, and subtract the purchase price of the physical products.
  2. Determine the gross profit of the entire set, including upsells.
  3. Divide that gross profit by the total number of articles in the set (all physical items + all download items + all upsell downloads).
  4. Multiply the profit per article by the number of downloads to obtain the download profit share.
  5. Apply the service‑fee percentage solely to that download profit share.

As download upsells increase the value of the set and contribute to its profit, they are counted as download articles in the allocation — even if the upsell itself is offered “free” to the customer.

Four different examples are provided below.

4.1 — Mixed product set without upsell

Order content

  • 1 × Photo Print 13 x 18
  • 3 × Photo Print 10 x 15
  • 1 × Download
  • No upsells
  • Total items: 5
  • Selling price: 26.00 £
  • Purchasing price: 1.00 £
  • Gross profit (set): 25.00 £ (selling price — purchasing price)
  • Service‑fee rate: 5%

Calculation:

  1. Profit per item: 25.00 £ ÷ 5 items = 5.00 £ per item
  2. Download profit share: 1 download × 5.00 £ = 5.00 £
  3. Service fee: 5.00 £ × 5% = 0.25 £

Result: Service fee for this order = 0.25 £

4.2 — Mixed product set with free download upsell (all downloads)

Order content

  • (Same base set as 4.1):
    • 1 × Photo Print 13 x 18
    • 3 × Photo Print 10 x 15
    • 1 × Download
  • Free download upsell: “All downloads (15 images)”
  • For allocation purposes, the order is considered to have 20 parts (5 base items + 15 upsell download images)
  • Selling price: 26.00 £
  • Purchasing price: 1.00 £
  • Gross profit (set): 25.00 £ (selling price — purchasing price)
  • Service‑fee rate: 5%

Although the upsell is provided “free” to the customer, it increases the value of the mixed set and the proportion of the order comprising downloads. Therefore, it is included as download parts in the calculation.

Calculation:

  1. Profit per item: 25.00 £ ÷ 20 parts = 1.25 £ per part
  2. Download items (1 base download + 15 upsell images) = 16 items. Download profit share: 16 × 1.25 £ = 20.00 £
  3. Service fee: 20.00 £ × 5% = 1.00 £

Result: Service fee for this order = 1.00 £

4.3 — Mixed product set with paid download upsell (all downloads)

Order content

  • Same base set as 4.1:
    • 1 × Photo Print 13 x 18
    • 3 × Photo Print 10 x 15
    • 1 × Download
  • Paid upsell: “All downloads (15 images)”
  • Selling price: 26.00 £
  • Purchasing price: 1.00 £
  • Gross profit (base set): 25.00 £ (selling price — purchasing price)
  • Gross profit (upsell downloads): 25.00 £
  • Gross profit (total set): 50.00 £
  • Total items used for allocation: 20 items (5 base items + 15 upsell images)
  • Service‑fee rate: 5%

Calculation:

  1. Profit per item: 50.00 £ ÷ 20 items = 2.50 £ per part
  2. Download items (1 base download + 15 upsell images) = 16 parts. Download profit share: 16 × 2.50 £ = 40.00 £
  3. Service fee: 40.00 £ × 5% = 2.00 £

Result: Service fee for this order = 2.00 £

4.4 — Product set with paid download upsell (all images ordered in the product set)

Order content1 × Photo Print 13 x 183 × Photo Print 10 x 15

  • Paid upsell: “All images ordered in the product set (4 download items)”
  • Selling price: 26.00 £
  • Purchasing price: 1.00 £
  • Gross profit (base set): 25.00 £ (selling price — purchasing price)
  • Gross profit (upsell downloads): 25.00 £
  • Gross profit (total set): 50.00 £
  • Total items used for allocation: 8 items (4 base items + 4 upsell images)
  • Service‑fee rate: 5%

Calculation:

  1. Profit per item: 50.00 £ ÷ 8 items = 6.25 £ per part
  2. Download items (4 upsell images) = 4 parts. Download profit share: 4 × 6.25 £ = 25.00 £
  3. Service fee: 25.00 £ × 5% = 1.25 £

Result: Service fee for this order = 1.25 £