The standard.

Ten pillars, proven with evidence. Open any pillar to see its criteria.

Where Disclosure Checked fits.

It sits outside the ten pillars. It is a free check of three things an agency’s own website says, and it is the first step toward Agency Verified. It is not an audit and is not part of the standard.

How it works

1Legal identityA real, registered company with named owners.3 criteria, all required

1.1Registered legal entity, with registry number and country.Required
1.2Named beneficial owners disclosed to Above Board (kept private).Required
1.3Real business address and working contact.Required

2Account controlCreators control their accounts and their payouts.4 criteria, all required

2.1The creator owns the account and keeps control of it: the account email, password resets, two-factor authentication and payout details stay with the creator, who can cut off all agency access at any time. Where the platform offers official delegated access (Fansly Management Sessions, Fanvue Manager Accounts, TikTok's Creator Network tools), the agency uses it. Where it does not, such as OnlyFans, any staff access is limited to named people, logged, and never used to change credentials, payout details or ownership.Required
2.2For agencies, platform payouts go only to the creator's own account, and the agency invoices for its share. For studios paid by the platform, criterion 9.4 applies.Required
2.3Access is revoked within 7 days of the relationship ending.Required
2.4No power of attorney or authority to sign for the creator, beyond specific tasks the creator approves in writing.Required

3Contract fairnessShort commitments, easy exit, no permanent rights or AI copies.9 criteria, 7 required

3.1Commission rate and its base (gross fan spend, or net after platform fee) written in the contract.Required
3.2Minimum commitment of 6 months or less: the creator can leave without penalty, on the notice in 3.3, at any time after at most 6 months.Required
3.3Creator can exit with no more than 60 days' notice, with no exit penalty beyond commission already earned.Required
3.4Content belongs to the creator; any license to the agency ends when the contract ends. No perpetual or irrevocable rights, and no assignment of the creator's content.Required
3.5Treatment of tips stated.Scored
3.6A performance clause lets the creator exit early if agreed targets are missed.Scored
3.7No right to create AI-generated or digital-replica versions of the creator's face, body or voice without separate, specific written consent for each use, ending with the contract.Required
3.8No fees, deposits or charges to join, be trained, or stay, and no guaranteed-income promises.Required
3.9Streaming hours, posting volumes or revenue targets, if any, are written down; missing them never leads to fines, deductions or loss of the account.Required

4Money matches paperThe commission charged is the commission signed.2 criteria, all required

4.1Commission actually charged matches the contract rate, sampled across creators.Required
4.2Monthly statements given to every creator.Required

5Verified rosterEvery creator named confirms it directly.2 criteria, all required

5.1Every creator the agency names publicly confirms the relationship directly to Above Board.Required
5.2No fabricated testimonials or earnings claims in marketing.Required

6OutcomesEarnings and retention, measured privately.2 scored criteria

6.1Earnings before and after joining, from platform data with the creator's consent, or from statements as a fallback. (used in the audit; never published per agency or per creator)Scored
6.2Creator retention at 12 months.Scored

7Chatters and staffHonest chat disclosure and fair pay for chat staff.3 criteria, 2 required

7.1Written policy on who writes messages to fans, and how that is disclosed.Required for agencies using chatters
7.2Chatter pay at or above the legal minimum wage where the chatter works, with written terms.Required for agencies using chatters
7.3Anonymous chatter survey.Scored

8Age and consentID and consent for every performer, every time.3 criteria, all required

8.1Government ID verification for every performer before any content or broadcast.Required
8.2Consent records for every performer in every piece of content, retained as the law requires.Required
8.3Zero tolerance: any evidence of a minor ends the audit and is reported to the authorities.Required

9Workplace (studios only)Safe conditions, full pay and the freedom to refuse.7 criteria, all required

9.1Adequate ventilation, clean sanitary facilities and hygiene supplies provided free.Required
9.2No cameras in restrooms or changing areas.Required
9.3Scheduled breaks; no shift over 10 hours; working hours within local labor law.Required
9.4The model's share is written down; she can see her own gross platform earnings for each pay period, and she is paid on a fixed schedule.Required
9.5The model owns her account and following, or can take them with her when she leaves.Required
9.6Models can refuse any act without penalty.Required
9.7No fines, penalties or deductions from the model's share for lateness, missed targets or refusals, and no charges for rooms, equipment or supplies that were not agreed in writing in advance.Required

10Grievance channelCreators can report problems to us confidentially.2 criteria, all required

10.1The agency or studio gives creators Above Board's confidential reporting channel.Required
10.2Complaints are tracked to resolution; a confirmed serious complaint triggers a re-audit.Required

Required must pass to be certified. Scored is assessed and reported privately to the business; it never blocks certification.

Active in force · Suspended under investigation · Expired not renewed · Revoked withdrawn. We never publish "failed".

Changelog

v1.1 (October 19, 2026). Statuses are now Active, Suspended, Expired and Revoked. Added 3.8 (no fees to join) and 3.9 (no fines for missed targets), sampling rules and the mid-term check.

v1.0 (October 18–19, 2026). First public draft and revision 2.

Comments: hello@aboveboardstandard.com