How payment works.

Step one

You set your rate, in USD.

When you apply, you set the hourly rate you want for your time. Most experts on our network charge between $175 and $800 per hour, depending on their seniority, specialism, and how scarce their background is.

You can adjust your rate later. If your background is in heavy demand or your time becomes more limited, change it. We do not negotiate it down behind your back.

Step two

A 45-minute standard call.

The default call length is 45 minutes. Clients occasionally request a shorter screening conversation or a longer deep-dive, but most engagements are a single 45-minute call by phone or video.

Your fee is your hourly rate, pro-rated to the actual call length. A 45-minute call at a $400 rate is $300. If the call runs over, you are paid for the extra time.

Step three

Request payment after the call.

After every call, we email you a secure payment request link. You enter your bank details (account number and the routing information for your country) and submit. That is the whole process.

No invoicing software, no PO numbers, no chasing. The portal handles the paperwork that would otherwise sit on your desk.

Step four

Paid within thirty days.

We pay your fee within 30 days of receiving a valid payment request. Payment is always through formal banking channels — a bank transfer from Silverlight Research Ltd to the account you provided. We never use crypto, gift cards, peer-to-peer payment apps, or anything else.

If your bank charges a receiving fee, that fee is deducted from the payment. We do not add any margin to it.

What you never pay

No fees, no commission, no minimum.

You do not pay Silverlight anything, at any stage, for any reason. There is no joining fee, no annual subscription, no referral charge, no platform fee, no margin taken off your stated rate. Your hourly rate is what we pay you per hour.

There is no minimum commitment. You stay on the network whether you take one call a year or one a week. If a year passes with no relevant briefs in your sector, that is normal and you owe us nothing for the membership.

If something goes wrong

Tell us within six months.

If a payment does not arrive, tell us by email within six months of the call. We will investigate and pay you. Payment chasing is the most common reason experts get in touch and we do not treat it as a problem.