Selling art commissions through social media often starts with a direct message and a PayPal address. That can work for an occasional sketch, but it becomes hard to manage when several clients ask about prices, revisions, deadlines and deposits at the same time.
A branded payrequest.me page lets an artist explain commission packages before a client pays. PayPal remains a checkout option, while the page gives the transaction the scope and context a bare transfer is missing.
Package the Commission Before You Sell It
“Message me for prices” creates work for both sides. Turn repeated requests into a few defined starting packages.
| Package | Define before checkout | Possible payment structure |
|---|---|---|
| Profile portrait | Crop, background, file size, usage | Full payment or deposit |
| Character illustration | Number of characters, detail, revisions | Deposit plus final balance |
| Emote or icon set | Quantity, formats, platform usage | Fixed price |
| Commercial artwork | Deliverables, territory, duration, exclusivity | Quote and invoice |
| Physical original | Dimensions, materials, shipping region | Product price plus shipping |
A package is a starting scope, not a promise to accept every request. Add an approval step for custom work so you can reject an unsuitable brief before taking payment.
What the Payment Page Should Explain
Include the information a reasonable client needs to make an informed purchase:
- What is included and explicitly excluded
- The number and type of revisions
- Expected first-sketch and final-delivery windows
- Personal or commercial usage rights
- Whether source files are included
- Deposit, cancellation and refund terms
- How the client submits references and feedback
Avoid vague promises such as unlimited revisions or instant delivery. Clear boundaries protect creative time and make the offer easier for a buyer to trust.
A Safer Commission Payment Workflow
- Publish packages or a commission-interest option on your payrequest.me page
- Ask the client for a written brief and safe reference material
- Confirm scope, price, rights, deadline and revision count in writing
- Send a deposit payment request through the appropriate business flow
- Start only after the payment status is confirmed
- Share a watermarked or reduced preview at the agreed approval stage
- Request the remaining balance and deliver final files after confirmation
PayRequest is not an escrow service. Deposits and staged requests help document the workflow, but you still need fair terms, accurate records and a process for refunds or disputes.
How Much Deposit Should an Artist Request?
There is no universal percentage. The right deposit reflects the time you reserve, the amount of custom work that cannot be resold and the trust history with the client. Many artists use a partial upfront payment for larger custom projects and full payment for smaller standardized commissions.
Write the rule before the client pays. State what happens if the client cancels, disappears, changes the scope or misses a feedback deadline. Local consumer law and card or PayPal dispute rules can override a contract term, so do not describe a payment as “non-refundable” without understanding whether that claim is enforceable.
PayPal Fees, Currency and Pricing
Price the job based on creative labor, revision risk, licensing, taxes and payment costs—not only the time spent drawing. International PayPal transactions can involve processing and currency-conversion costs that vary by account and market.
PayRequest includes every standard feature on its Free plan and charges 2% per successful payment, capped at EUR 25, in addition to the connected provider's processing fee. Check the current PayPal fee page for your account country before quoting a client, and make the invoice currency explicit.
Protect the Artist and the Client
- Use a PayPal business flow for commission sales, not Friends and Family
- Keep the brief, approvals and revision requests in writing
- Do not begin from references the client has no right to use
- Never promise copyrighted characters or commercial rights you cannot legally grant
- Use strong account security and verify suspicious payment emails in your dashboard
- Deliver only after checking the actual payment status, not a screenshot
- Keep invoices, delivery records and license terms together
Build a Commission Page That Converts
Show representative examples for each package, but do not overload the page with your complete portfolio. Explain who the package is for, show the starting price and tell the buyer exactly how the process begins.
A strong call to action is specific: “Request a character portrait” or “Reserve a July commission slot.” Link the page from your Instagram, X, Bluesky, TikTok, YouTube and portfolio profiles so every channel sends buyers into the same organized workflow.
Final Advice
Artists do not need a complex ecommerce site to professionalize commission payments. They need a clear scope, written approvals and a checkout that matches the work being sold. A payrequest.me page connected to PayPal gives clients one place to understand the offer and pay, while you keep control of the creative process.