CGTrader's new payout system feels more like a cash grab than a fair update.

TO EVERYONE.

Did you saw the 26 steps? Its fucking hilarious.
300.000$ MONTHLY to get 80% Are you fucking idiots or what?

Look at ArtStation Marketplace 95% PAYOUT!!!! 95 fucking %
You all here in the system of CGTRADER are insane.
60% payout is where you SELLERS are all gonna be for the couple of years or more.

Lets assume: from 2mln models available here
the average monthly sales on all the platform is roughly 250.000$
(from which CG Trader grabs to itself and ASTONISHING amount of money!!! 40% is 100.000$ to the pocket

I'm sorry to say this but, did you looked at your site from 2005?
With such an amount of income monthly you doing ASTONISHINGLY BAD JOB and you want MORE MONEY!

Your payout rate must be AT LEAST 85% to 95% to all of the USERS PERIOD!
USERS.... LETS VOTE FOR THIS!!!!!!!! 85 to 95 or we just QUIT to any other available place with better %

Otherwise its not a platform its a fucking robbery. Are you a TAX 40% system on which we pay another fucking 40% tax on top? GET OUT!

The results of this new system will definitely be bad. They are reducing the profit margins of us sellers. As a result, the prices of the models will increase and this will reduce the sales. So, as a result, both we and CGTrader will lose. They just don't realize it yet.

anyway, to be honest, the artists who have been here for a long time should inherit the previous earnings threshold... in the sense that they have made this place grow and we have never seen a contract that goes backwards for those who have been here for a long time...

Nothing like this ever works for the seller. They have finally decided to start down the route that TurboSquid went down. I used to get 75% for every sale there, no fees. Now look at them. Here too. I was once promised 90% if I uploaded all my models, (I never got it btw), and again No fee. Now, we already pay a fee for every sale, and even though I am almost on 78%, we have a new system that seems designed to kill trade, rob the small & medium seller, and pay the most to those turning out ai created junk... Prove me wrong CGTrader...

The decision to reduce the payout percentage for model designers is a complete disappointment. It doesn’t just affect our earnings — it deeply damages our motivation. Uploading affordable models is no longer an option, because we’re simply not being compensated fairly for our work.

!!! Under these conditions, the only logical response is to opt out of every discount event. Maybe that’s the only way we can even begin to reach the already reduced percentage they expect us to earn from.!!!

We’ve spent years building up our portfolios, meeting every standard this platform demands, investing countless hours into creating high-quality models. And this is the thanks we get? Designers are the backbone of this system, yet we’re the ones being neglected the most.

This is a major letdown for every artist who’s ever contributed to this platform. You need to hear our voices — because if this decision stands, many of us are losing faith in the future here.

I've been selling here for six years and now there's no point. From 79% to 67%, is this what the new artist incentive looks like?

we will lose the benefits of the percentages earned in these years the new system tells me that to get a 79% I should sell every year about $ 30,000 at least that's what I understood.. which is impossible for small artists .... at least that's what I understood it works like.... correct me if I'm wrong. https://help.cgtrader.com/hc/en-us/articles/35293756906257-New-Payout-Rate-System-Explained

The reduction in earnings percentage for model designers is simply unacceptable. This isn’t just a financial loss — it’s a complete disregard for the years of effort, time, and creativity we’ve put into our work. Uploading affordable models no longer makes sense, because the compensation doesn’t reflect the value of our labor.

!!!Joining any discount event under these new terms would only hurt us further. That’s why we must not participate in any discount campaigns. Maybe then, our voices will be heard and this unfair revenue model will be reconsidered.!!!

We’ve contributed to the growth and quality of this platform for years. We’ve met the standards, consistently produced content, and invested ourselves fully. But clearly, all that effort means nothing now. Designers are the foundation of this system, yet we’re the ones suffering the most from this decision.

Being part of a system that ignores its creators like this is becoming harder to justify. We are truly disappointed.

Couple of months ago I started to mo move my models to other platforms. Initially I was selling on ts, 3d export and cgtrader. then i closed them and let only cgtrader store so i could grow with cgtrader. but soon i started to feel that something bad is going to happen to cgtrader and started to move stuff. i didn’t want, but i had no choice. i hope cgtrader will change its mind, or i will search for another job.

I totally agree I have average earnings due to 30 models+ And I need to find compromise now on price if I make it higher I lost my sells If I left it as is I lost almost much higher and there is no any desire to modeling.... CGTRADER got enough money from the sells got about 20-30% from purchase. Bad new model.

Cash grab - it payment processing charging you ~$1+ for each sale.

It's a scam moving to another platform

Just find another sales platform and be happy! :)
No kidding, there are others where you should try your luck.
It worked for me, too.

Enrico

The newly implemented payout system appears to be designed in a way that significantly reduces earnings for sellers, which is both unfair and based on unrealistic expectations. This change is particularly discouraging for new sellers who are just beginning to offer their 3D models on CGTrader. Such policies risk demotivating talented creators and may ultimately impact the overall quality and diversity of content on the platform.

what? 40%? I’ll close my shop on cgtrader and move to fab and artstation. I’m sad

Since AI is galloping... This payout changes are not important > selling on 3d markets will became Irrelevant. So we are somewhere" in last couple of years.. of this kinda >self-employment for profit<

After almost three years here, I’d like to share my thoughts on all this mess. To be honest, my motivation to upload anything here, or even to make models in general, has dropped below zero because of all these scammers on CGTrader who file chargebacks and use stolen cards.

Like many of my friends from CG, we’ve developed a theory that the way refunds and chargebacks are handled may be contributing to the problem. Given the scale of refunds and the lack of transparency around them, sellers naturally have questions about where these funds actually go and how refund decisions are made. Otherwise, how can you explain why registration still hasn’t been made more secure? Adding proper authentication linked to a phone number or social media account would probably filter out at least 70% of the scammers.

Around 20–30% of my sales end up being refunded, sometimes even 3–6 months after the purchase! So not only has the payout system been changed several times already, but we also have to deal with this. The site is basically wide open to scammers.

On top of that, our revenue share keeps getting reduced, while the requirements for reaching the highest tier are completely unrealistic.

It has gotten to the point where I barely make any models anymore. If I used to just consider moving to another platform, now I’m seriously thinking about leaving CGTrader altogether and selling my work elsewhere.

I’ve also been contacting support periodically for several years now. They take a very long time to respond, and I’ve repeatedly tried to explain how the platform could be better protected. All I ever hear is, “We’re working on it.”

But in reality, nothing seems to have been done. Theft, theft, theft — and you end up giving your work away for free. Let’s be honest about it.

After three years, there still doesn’t seem to be any meaningful improvement in user protection: no stronger registration process, no effective protection against fraudulent chargebacks, just promises.

At this point, I can practically predict when a refund is going to happen just by looking at the buyer’s login. It feels like I’m constantly knocking on a closed door called “Support.”

I know more than one major platform where ignoring these kinds of problems and constantly cutting creators’ revenue shares eventually led to people leaving, and the platform ultimately went under.

Considering CGTrader’s relatively substantial earnings, all of this seems extremely strange to anyone who understands how business works.

They actually fail to realize a certain fact. I currently sell on eight different platforms, and my sales figures on the other seven are higher than those on CGTrader. It was their introduction of this ridiculous system that drove me to sell on those other platforms; in other words, they don't realize they are losing money—or, for some reason I don't understand, they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Two years ago, I used to earn 80% from my sales.

Is it possible that the fee increase is not permissible because it may violate EU law?
Lithuania is part of the EU and must comply with EU law. It may be illegal to unilaterally increase fees.
Customers are required to be asked in advance whether they agree to a fee increase. CGTrader did not do this in my case.
Therefore, I will file an objection to the fee increase today. All other affected parties should do the same (support(at)cgtrader.com)

CGTrader is going to ridiculous lengths in this profit from sales business. A person who buys a model pays an unknown amount of money under the name of tax when purchasing it. For example, they pay approximately 12 dollars for a $60 product. When a sale is made, CGTrader deducts both the tax and their own website deduction from the sales price of the product. As a result, CGTrader makes almost as much money as the seller per product.

Now, if this new system is put into effect, the profit they will make will exceed the profit we make from sales.

My commission is currently 80%, in the new system it is equivalent to 70%. And to get to 80% again I need to sell about x10-13 times more.
Is there anything in this system that would be advantageous for us?
You may be doing these things because of the economic crisis, but the economic crisis affects us, too.

It took me over three years to reach 77%, and now it’s down to 68%—I need to consider raising my selling price.

They’ve really started acting absurdly. I just noticed it myself—it’s dropped from 74% to 69%. What kind of nonsense is this? What are they trying to do? They know we can't just walk away from CGTrader, so they keep lowering our profit margins.It became essential to show them they were mistaken. After all, they have recently adopted a policy that protects the buyer rather than the seller. It is impossible to speak with the support teams in any way.

there is one thing i didn't understand... but if in one year a 3d artist reaches level 17... the following year this threshold is still valid..... or do you go back to level 0... on the first of January of the following year? I hope not otherwise it's a game of goose

I used to have 72% but now its much lower. Where is the rest of the money going? They say it's fair and good and better but it's clearly not.

Okay, but that's no use. I think you have to take action if you don't agree with the new fees.
That's why I contacted CGTrader support today and asked them to tell me what the objection deadlines are for the new payout policy.
I'm curious to see what the response will be – if anyone responds at all. If no one responds, I'll file my objection within the next 4-5 days. I'm serious.
I would just advise other affected parties to take action and not let any deadlines pass.

This is the text I wrote to the official CGTrader support "support(at)cgtrader.com" via email:

"Starting July 2, 2025, CGTrader will implement a new fee schedule that will significantly reduce my payouts. I do not agree with this new fee schedule.
I would like to know where I can submit my objection to the new fee schedule and what the objection deadlines are.

I would therefore like to ask you to answer my questions about the deadlines I must meet if I wish to object to the fee schedule.
Is there a mailing address?

I am very satisfied with the service you offer for marketing my 3D models and am happy to use it. I would like to continue to be a customer and buy and sell 3D models.
Please adjust your plans to reflect the new fee schedule. "

how does the new payout system work?

Can any one tell me how to report this user ?

CGTrader's primary office is located at Antakalnio st. 17, LT-10312 Vilnius, Lithuania. Send them a letter. Alternatively click on the help to first get a chatbot, post the above, message to them, get a boilerplate reply and raise a ticket via the email address. after a while you will get a direct link to send a message to. ( https://www.cgtrader.com/pages/Support-Request-Submission ) if you don't want to waste time.

Does CGtrader deduct from final earnings ??
When i add my final earnings, its coming upto $85.21. But i have got in hyper wallet only $43.53.
( $5.82 + 17.84 + 11.83 + 11.83 + 28.65 + 4.62 + 4.62 = $85.21 total).
For example.. Sold for $8 . After Processing fee $7.45. After Payout $4.62. So final earning for this product is $4.62. Looks
like further they are deducting which is not mentioned. can anyone please explain on what basis its been deducted from final earnings..

Indeed. I have dropped over the last year from nearly 78% to 66%, so it seems likely that pretty soon I will be paying them for the privilege of storing my models on their site... The enthusiasm for putting much of an effort in is waning completely. I hope they are happy with their endless AI produced slop. Good luck getting it to create technically accurate figures, aircraft and vehicles. I'm just hoping that the Next CGT is around the corner, so I can move there, because this downward trend will only end up with us getting no more than 40% or whatever it is on TS these days. Also, I don't think they have any payment charges. Either way, if it drops again, (I'm assuming it will every year), then the incentive is to just leave and go exclusive on TS, because they will effectively be paying more. 60%+ & no fees.