Selling Videos on Vimeo

Is Vimeo On Demand right for me?

The short answer is: It depends! On what you make, how you want to distribute, and a few other things.

Vimeo On Demand is designed primarily to help creators sell films and episodic series. If you make those, Vimeo On Demand can definitely help. However, we don’t restrict the type of work you can distribute, with the exception of explicit content, which is not permitted. If you have a question about whether your work is suitable for Vimeo On Demand, please contact us and we’ll talk you through it!

Also, as you may have suspected, Vimeo On Demand is strictly a digital distribution platform. It can’t burn DVDs and send them to festivals on your behalf. :)

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How do I get access to Vimeo On Demand?

To start selling your videos directly to your audience with Vimeo On Demand, upgrade to Vimeo PRO.

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How do I sell my video using Vimeo On Demand?

Vimeo On Demand makes self-distribution simple for Vimeo PRO members. Once you are a PRO member, head to Creator Services, click Vimeo On Demand, then Get Started.

From there, you can upload videos into a customizable On Demand page, which you can design to perfectly match your work. Add a trailer, bonus features, and a poster. Decide if you want to offer your work for Rent, to Buy, or both. Set your prices, choose any additional settings (such as rental period or available regions), and you’re ready to publish!

Spread the word by telling people about your Vimeo On Demand page via your favorite social media channels, email, flyers stapled to telephone poles, skywriting, and whatever other methods you devise. The marketing part is up to you, so make sure to get the word out! When someone makes a purchase, we’ll let you know.

Want some more guidance for setting up your On Demand page? Check out our best practices guide.

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What’s the difference between “Rent,” “Buy,” and Subscription options for Vimeo On Demand?

With Vimeo On Demand, you can sell titles in three ways:

Rent: Viewers can rent your videos for a time period that you select, anywhere from one day to one year. People who rent your title can stream it during this time frame, but don't have the option to download it.

Buy: Buyers can watch the title for as long as it remains on Vimeo. You can also offer the option for buyers to download the title to their computers and devices DRM-free.

Subscription: Viewers have unlimited streaming access to all current episodes of your series for a recurring monthly fee. Active subscribers will also have access to any new episodes you add to your series page.

You can choose to offer your titles for Rent, Buy, as a Subscription, or all three. If you offer a title for both Rent and Buy, we’d recommend setting a higher price for the Buy option.

To set your prices, head to the Pricing tab in your Vimeo On Demand page’s Settings.

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What do “Rent All” and “Buy All” mean?

If you add a "Rent All" option to your Vimeo On Demand page, it gives buyers access to any videos you've added to the VOD page as well as any additional videos you add during the specified viewing period (anywhere from 1 day to 1 year from the date of the purchase).

If you add a “Buy All” option to your Vimeo On Demand page, it gives buyers access to any videos you add to your VOD page for as long as it remains online.

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Can I use Vimeo On Demand to sell videos in a series?

Yes, Vimeo On Demand lets you sell videos individually, or in a series. You’ll be prompted to select one of these two options when you’re setting up your Vimeo On Demand page.

For videos sold in a series, you can set Rent and Buy prices per episode, and add a “Rent All” or “Buy All” option if you wish.

You can also choose to offer your series as a Subscription, as an alternative to "Rent All" or "Buy All" options. Active subscribers will have unlimited streaming access to all current and future episodes of your series.

On the Pricing tab of your VOD Settings, you can set your Rent All / Buy All or Subscription prices, as well as your default per-episode prices. On the Videos tab, you can also create a custom price for each episode and allow viewers to stream certain episodes for free.

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Can I offer my series as a subscription on Vimeo On Demand?

Yes indeed! When creating a Vimeo On Demand series page, you'll have the option to offer a subscription price. Active subscribers will have unlimited streaming access to all current and future episodes of your series for a recurring monthly fee.

You can change your monthly subscription price on the Pricing tab of your VOD Settings. If you set a new price for an existing subscription, you'll need to wait 30 days before you can change the price again.

If you lower the price of your subscription, active subscribers will be charged the new price upon their next renewal. If you raise the price of your subscription, active subscribers will continue to be charged at their original subscription price.

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How do I manage my Vimeo On Demand pages?

Once you’re logged in, head to your Profile and click “VOD” in the upper right hand section of the page.

There you’ll find all of your published and unpublished On Demand pages. Click the Settings gear icon in the upper right hand corner of the VOD page you wish to edit, then make any desired changes.

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I'm a Vimeo Plus member, but I really want to use Vimeo On Demand. What should I do?

In order to use Vimeo On Demand, you’ll need to become a PRO member. But don’t worry; being a PRO member is totally rad!

If you’re a Plus member on a monthly renewal cycle, or you’re in the first month of your annual subscription, you can log in to your current Plus account and head to vimeo.com/pro to make your purchase.

If you’re farther into your annual Plus subscription, contact us so that we can help you make the transition.

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How large can my Vimeo On Demand video files be?

As Vimeo PRO member, you can upload video files up to 20GB as long as you have enough space in your weekly quota.

We strongly recommend exporting your video files according to our Video Compression Guidelines before uploading them. This will maximize your storage space and ensure that the videos will look awesome on Vimeo.

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Do Vimeo On Demand uploads count against my PRO storage space?

Yes. Any videos uploaded to your Vimeo On Demand page will be counted against your weekly quota. You can upload up to 20GB of video per week.

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If I add one of my existing videos to a Vimeo On Demand page, what will change?

Adding an existing video to a Vimeo On Demand page means that the video is no longer available to be viewed for free. Its video page will be accessible only to you, meaning all the likes and comments it received previously will be hidden from the world. However, your VOD page will start gathering likes and reviews of its own!

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Can I customize my Vimeo On Demand page?

Of course! Head to the Page tab in your Vimeo On Demand Settings, and scroll down to the Theme section.

Here you’ll see a background image we’ve magically created based on your thumbnail artwork. If you update your thumbnail, your background image will update automatically, as well – magic! If you’d like to upload a custom background image, click the red X in the upper-right corner, then select Upload.

You’ll also notice colors for your page’s Background and Buttons. We’ve provided a few suggested themes based on the colors in your poster, but feel free to customize as you wish.

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What dimensions should I use for my Vimeo On Demand poster? What about the thumbnail image?

You’ll have the best results uploading a JPG or PNG poster that is 1080px by 1600px. Your thumbnail should be a JPG, GIF, or PNG file that is the same resolution as your video.

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What are Vimeo On Demand Content Ratings?

Content Ratings help us keep Vimeo On Demand titles accessible to as many people as possible.

We ask creators to tell us if their VOD works contain nudity, violence, profanity, or drug/alcohol references. Based on the categories selected — or not selected — one of the following badges will appear on the Vimeo On Demand page: All Audiences, Mature, or Not Yet Rated.

When setting up your VOD page, you will be asked to rate the work you’re selling. The rating you choose should apply to all the work you’re selling. Choose the appropriate rating ("All audiences" or "Mature"), then, if applicable, select one or more of the mature content categories. This rating will be applied to your VOD page. You can return to your VOD settings at any time to update your rating.

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I want my video to be available only in certain regions. How do I do that?

Head to the Distribution tab in your VOD Settings, and under “Distribution regions,” you’ll be able to choose where you want to distribute your work. We strongly recommend worldwide!

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What currencies does Vimeo On Demand support?

All Vimeo On Demand titles are available in US dollars (USD) by default. However, you may choose to accept additional currencies when your title is viewed in regions outside the US, and we will automatically select a currency for your viewers based off of their location.

We currently support the following currencies:

US Dollar (USD)
Euro (EUR)
Australian Dollar (AUD)
Canadian Dollar (CAD)
British Pounds Sterling (GBP)
Danish Krone (DKK)
Japanese Yen (JPY)
Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Polish Zloty (PLN)
South Korean Won (KRW)
Swedish Krona (SEK)
Swiss Franc (CHF)

To accept purchases in currencies other than USD, go to the Pricing tab in your VOD Settings and check the appropriate boxes. From there, you will find customizable price fields for all available purchase options, including a suggested price based off the up-to-date exchange rate. (Rates provided by openexchangerates.org.)

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Does the "Buy All" option give viewers access to videos added after their purchase?

If you add a "Buy All" option to your Vimeo On Demand page, it gives buyers access to any videos currently available on the VOD page as well as any additional videos you add in the future.

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How do I set up a custom domain for Vimeo On Demand?

You can sell your Vimeo On Demand (VOD) videos directly through vimeo.com/ondemand and/or on a custom domain on your own website.

You can use a domain that you already own (http://my-rad-site.com), set up a subdomain on your existing website (http://movies.my-rad-site.com), or purchase a new domain to use (http://my-new-site.com).

Step 1: Set up your domain

Purchase a domain from a registrar such as DreamHost.com, name.com, or 1and1.com.
Alternately, you can set up a subdomain on your existing site. (Contact your registrar or hosting service for instructions.)

Step 2: Update your CNAME Record or A Record

If you want your VOD page to live on a subdomain (http://movies.my-rad-site.com), you will need to follow your registrar's instructions for updating your CNAME Record so that it points to vimeopro.com.
If you want your VOD page to live on your main domain (http://my-rad-site.com), follow your domain registrar’s instructions to set the domain’s A-Record to 184.73.186.224.
Note: It may take up to 72 hours for these changes to take effect across the Interwebs.

Step 3: Update your VOD Settings

On the Distribution tab of your VOD Settings page, enter your domain or subdomain under "Sell your work on your own domain," then save your changes.

Step 4: Test your new VOD page

Open a new browser window and navigate to the domain or subdomain you just set up. You should now see your VOD page! If you don't see your page, and it has been more than 72 hours since you updated your CNAME Record or A Record, contact your domain registrar for further assistance.

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Can I sell Vimeo On Demand works through videos embedded on other websites?

Yes indeedy! If you embed the videos from your VOD page on other websites, viewers will be able to rent or buy the videos right then and there using the "Purchase from" prompt in the top right corner of the player.

If you're selling a Feature, we recommend embedding your Main Video. That way, viewers will see the trailer when they visit the page, and then they'll be able to watch the feature from that same spot once they make the purchase. (They can also watch it on Vimeo.com or from your VOD page, of course.)

If you're selling a Series, we recommend embedding your trailer or your first episode and then directing viewers to your VOD page (where the other episodes can be accessed).

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How do I set up pre-orders for my Vimeo On Demand work?

Setting up your Vimeo On Demand Pre-order

To start selling your work before it’s released, head to the Distribution tab of your Vimeo On Demand Settings, check the box next to “Make my work available for pre-order,” and set your release date. (Your release date must be no more than 90 days from the date that you make your work available for preorder.)

Once you’ve uploaded a poster and a trailer, click Start Pre-order!

From that point on, viewers will be able to pre-order your work. When someone pre-orders, Vimeo authorizes the purchase so that we can charge the card upon the release of your video.

You can change your pre-order release date up to 3 times. When you do this, people who have already bought your work will receive an email.

Publishing on your release date

Once your release date rolls around, you must return to your Vimeo On Demand Settings to upload the work within 48 hours.

Simply upload the video (or videos), and click Publish.

Once you do this, your pre-order customers will be charged, and they'll receive an email informing them that your work is ready to view. Content will also be available to them when they visit the VOD page, in their Watch Later queue, and in their VOD Browse page.

If you do not Publish your video or change the release date within 48 hours of your original release date, all of your pre-orders will be released and the buyers will receive an email saying the pre-order has been cancelled.

Cancelling pre-orders

If you need to cancel your Vimeo On Demand pre-order page, head to the Distribution tab of your VOD Settings and click "Cancel pre-order" in the Manage page section.

This will unpublish your Vimeo On Demand pre-order page, release any purchases that have been made, and trigger an email to your buyers explaining that the order has been canceled.

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Why are pre-order totals different from sales totals in my Vimeo On Demand stats dashboard?

When someone pre-orders your title (whether for rent, buy, or subscription), he or she will not be charged until the date your title is released. As a result, on your release date, your transaction total may differ from your pre-order sales total due to payment failures and/or cancelations that occurred between when the title was pre-ordered, and when those pre-orders were processed.

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Can I create promo codes for my Vimeo On Demand titles?

Absolutely! You can offer promo codes for free or discounted rentals, subscriptions, and purchases of your work. You choose the discount, either by percentage or specific US dollar amount. You can also set custom start and end dates for each code — this is especially handy for press screeners or special sales.

You can create single promo codes, or create a batch of unique promo codes. You can also create VIP access codes for offering advance access or custom access to your title. You can read more about creating each type of code below.

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How do I create promo codes?

To add a single promo code:

Head to your Vimeo On Demand Settings and click on the Promotions tab, then click “+ Add a new promo code.”
Under “type,” select “single,” and in the text field under “Code,” enter the exact text viewers should use to redeem your promo code. Codes are not case-sensitive, but they may only contain letters and numbers, and can include up to 32 characters.
Under “Total,” specify how many times this particular promo code can be used by entering a number between 1 and 5,000. (You can read more about code limits below.)
Under “Discount,” select what kind of discount you’d like to offer and whether it applies to rentals, purchases, or both. For the creators of a series, you have the option to offer promo codes toward rentals / purchases of single episodes*, toward a monthly subscription, or toward your entire series. (Please note: at this time, only percent-off promo codes can be applied toward purchases made in currencies other than USD.)
Finally, you can decide when your promo code will be active. Under “Start/End Dates,” click the calendar icon to select a start date for your code. Check “Expires” to set an end date. All promo codes default to “Does not expire.”
When you’re all done, click Create promo code to save your code.

*Please note that, though you can set a promo code for single episodes within a series, you cannot specify which episode can be accessed with that code. Your viewers will be able to apply this code to the episode of their choosing.

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How do I create a batch of unique promo codes?

The batch code option allows you to create a batch of unique, single-use codes. Once you create a batch promo code, we will automatically generate a downloadable .csv file that contains the individual codes that you can share with viewers.

To create a batch code:

Head to your Vimeo On Demand Settings and click on the Promotion tab, then click “Add a new promo code.”
For type, select “batch,” and enter a batch name for your promo code. Please note: the batch name is not what viewers will use to redeem their promo code — they must use a unique code from the .csv file that you can download once you create your code.
Under “Total,” specify how many times this particular promo code can be used by entering a number between 1 and 5,000. (You can read more about code limits below.)
Under “Discount,” select what kind of discount you’d like to offer and whether it applies to rentals, purchases, or both. For the creators of a series, you have the option to offer promo codes toward rentals / purchases of single episodes*, toward a monthly subscription, or toward your entire series. (Please note: at this time, only percent-off promo codes can be applied toward purchases made in currencies other than USD.)
Finally, you can decide when your promo code will be active. Under “Start/End Dates,” click the calendar icon to select a start date for your code. Check “Expires” to set an end date. All promo codes default to “Does not expire.”
Click Create promo code to save your code.
Click Get codes to download a .csv containing your batch of unique codes (including unique code links!), and share these individual codes with your viewers.

*Please note that, though you can set a promo code for single episodes within a series, you cannot specify which episode can be accessed with that code. Your viewers will be able to apply this code to the episode of their choosing.

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Can I give people exclusive access to my title before (or after) it’s been released?

Yes indeed! With VIP access codes, you can give viewers access to your title before you release it to the general public. These codes allow you to give advance access to any crowdfunding backers, press, or family and friends. Even after you release your title, you can still create VIP access codes as needed to give certain viewers exclusive, custom access to your title. For each code you create, you can specify the type of access you want to grant, regardless of the actual purchase options you offer for your title.

If you want to create a VIP access code while your title is in pre-order, you must have a main feature added to your Vimeo On Demand (if you’re selling a series, you must add at least one episode).

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How do I create VIP access codes?

To create a VIP access code:

Head to your Vimeo On Demand Settings and click on the Promotion tab, then click “Add a new VIP access code.”
Enter a name for your VIP access code. Please note: this code name is not what viewers will use to redeem their VIP access code — they must use a unique code from the .csv file that you can download once you create your code.
Under “Total,” specify how many times this particular promo code can be used by entering a number between 1 and 5,000. (You can read more about code limits below.)
Under “Access type,” select what kind of access you’d like to give your VIP viewers. Please note that once you cannot change the access type for a code after you’ve created it.
Finally, you can decide when your promo code will be active. Under “Start/End Dates,” click the calendar icon to select a start date for your code. Check “Expires” to set an end date. All promo codes default to “Does not expire.”
Click Create VIP access code to save your code.
Click Get codes to download a .csv containing your corresponding list of VIP access codes (including direct code links!), and share these individual codes with your VIP viewers!

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How many total promo codes can I create?

You can generate up to 100 codes per Vimeo On Demand title, but the total number of uses across all codes cannot exceed 5,000. Unused codes may be edited or deleted. Once a code has been used, it can be disabled but not deleted. When a code’s limit is hit, it will be disabled automatically.

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How do I contact Vimeo On Demand viewers and fans who opt in to receive updates?

On the Audience tab of your VOD Settings, you’ll see an “Export email addresses” button. This lets you download a .CSV file of email addresses from anyone who opted into receiving communications from you. (Keep in mind, they can opt in without making a purchase.)

Be sure to review the Acceptable Use Email Policy in your VOD Settings before updating your fans.

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What’s the difference between a Recommendation and a Like?

Anyone can like and comment on a video. A Recommendation is a little bit sweeter – only those who have purchased a Vimeo On Demand title are able to recommend it. Audiences are prompted to make their Recommendation during their viewing, so you know they’ve actually watched it.

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Someone left a bad comment on my VOD title. Can I delete it?

Yes, hover your cursor over the comment you'd like to delete, and a red Delete link should appear. Click that, and confirm your decision.

If you feel that someone’s comment violates our Community Guidelines, please contact Us so that we can take a look.

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How do I delete a Vimeo On Demand title once it has been published?

We don’t ever recommend deleting a title from Vimeo On Demand. In most cases, you can simply unpublish a title and leave it at that. Deleting a title will permanently clear all of your VOD Stats for that title and may cause a disruptive experience for your viewers.

But if you really must delete a title, read the information below.

Starting the deletion process

First, you must unpublish your Vimeo On Demand page.
Once your title is unpublished, you can click “Delete VOD” in the Page tab of your VOD Settings.

Timeline for deletion

VOD deletion functions differently depending on how many active rentals or purchases you have:

If you have no active sales or rentals, your VOD title will be immediately deleted.
If you have active rentals only, your VOD title will be deleted once the active rentals have expired.
If you have active rentals and purchases, your VOD title will be deleted 30 days after your last rental expires. (This is because the people who paid the “Buy” price are guaranteed a 30 day window to back up their purchases.)

In other words, your title could take up to 395 days to be permanently deleted (a one year rental plus 30 days).

In all cases, you will immediately lose access to your Vimeo On Demand page, comments, settings, and stats. This action is not reversible!

Notification to buyers

When the 30 day countdown for people who purchased your title begins, they will receive a series of notification emails urging them to download the title. These messages will be sent 30 days, 7 days, and 1 day before the permanent deletion date.

Releasing your VOD videos

Once the deletion process is completed and all purchases have been honored, all of the videos are released back to your account with the “Only me” privacy setting. You are then free to do whatever you want with the video — make it public, delete it, add it to a new VOD page, etc..

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How do I get paid through Vimeo On Demand?

Any purchases of your VOD titles will be accrued throughout each calendar month and then transferred to your PayPal account in one lump payment.

Requirements: You will need a verified PayPal account in order to receive your earnings. (Learn more about PayPal’s verification process in their FAQ.)

Timeline: You will receive each payment approximately 30 days after the month’s end. For example, a payment for all sales made in the month of June will be transferred from Vimeo to your PayPal account on or around July 30. You will receive a detailed statement when the payment is processed and the funds will appear in your PayPal account soon thereafter.

Currencies: All VOD payments are made in US dollars. Sales made in currencies other than US dollars will be converted to USD based on the final exchange rate of the day each purchase was made. (Daily rates provided by openexchangerates.org.)

Fees: You keep 90% of revenue after transaction fees. Learn more about transaction fees.

Statements: When your monthly VOD payment is processed, a statement reflecting the amount paid will be sent to the primary email address associated with your Vimeo account.

You can read all of the terms in our Payment Addendum.

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How do I know when someone purchases my work?

We’ll send you an email every day that someone purchases your work. This email will be sent to the main email address associated with your PRO account.

Please note that you won’t receive an email on days when no purchases have been made.

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How are transaction costs calculated?

Transaction costs range from 4% to 17%, depending on factors such as the price you set for your work and the purchaser's payment method and location.

If you’d like a more thorough estimate of transaction costs based off your work’s specifications, feel free to reach out to us! We are always working to make transactions more favorable for creators.

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How do taxes work on Vimeo On Demand?

(Effective January 2016)

We know taxes can be tricky, so the information in this FAQ aims to address some helpful tax considerations for creators using Vimeo On Demand. Below, we discuss a few of the forms and terms you may encounter as a creator selling videos on Vimeo.

Any money you make on Vimeo On Demand may be subject to income tax in the U.S. and abroad. Because Vimeo is based in the U.S., we must collect certain information from you for certain U.S. income tax filings. We may also be required to withhold certain amounts and remit them to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Our tax practices are intended to allow Vimeo to comply with U.S. and foreign tax laws. Because Vimeo cannot give tax or legal advice, we recommend consulting a tax professional to determine your specific tax obligations.

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What is a W-9 form and why do I have to fill one out?

A W-9 form is the means by which U.S. taxpayers provide identifying information to services like Vimeo. A W-9 requires you to provide your name, address, and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) (more on this below). If you are a U.S.-based creator you must submit a completed W-9 form before receiving payments from Vimeo.

On the other hand, a W-8 form identifies a person in a foreign country that received money from a U.S. entity. Please see our W-8 FAQ for more information.

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How do I find my U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)?

For U.S.-based individuals: Your TIN is the same as your social security number.

For U.S.-based entities (corporations, partnerships, LLCs, etc.): In general, your TIN is usually the entity’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN). In some cases (e.g., LLC, S-corp corporations, partnerships), however, the TIN may be that of the owner. Consult with a tax professional to determine what your TIN is.

For creators based outside the U.S.: If you are a U.S. citizen living abroad, you must provide a TIN. If you are a non-U.S. citizen residing outside of the U.S., you may either provide a W-9 (if you have a TIN) or provide a W-8 (if you do not have a TIN).

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What if I don’t provide a W-9 form, or you can’t validate the form I submit?

If you are a U.S.-based creator and you are unable to provide a W-9, or the TIN you submit is incomplete or contains errors, starting later this year, we will need to pause your payments until you have submitted a completed W-9 form.

We’ve partnered with a third-party service called Tipalti, which helps us collect and review tax paperwork. If Tipalti is unable to process the form you submit, you’ll be notified via email and asked to provide the required information.

Once we have all of the necessary paperwork, we will unpause your payments, and combine any unpaid amounts with your next payment. (Payments typically occur ~30 days after the end of each month).

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Will Vimeo send me a 1099-K form?

If you are a U.S.-based creator, we will send you a 1099-K form if you meet both of the following requirements:

You have earned more than $20,000 in gross revenue on Vimeo On Demand over the calendar year; and
More than 200 transactions have occurred in relation to your Vimeo On Demand title(s)

Please note: If you sell multiple titles on Vimeo On Demand, we aggregate your revenue and transactions across all of your titles to determine if you meet these thresholds. If you receive a 1099-K, note that it will report the “gross revenue” from your sales, not the revenue that Vimeo actually paid out to you.

If you do not meet these thresholds, we won’t send you a 1099-K form, but your Vimeo On Demand earnings will remain subject to U.S. taxes. We advise contacting a tax professional to determine your tax responsibilities.

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What is a W-8 form and why do I have to fill one out?

A W-8 form identifies a person in a foreign country that received money from a U.S. entity. All non-U.S. creators (except those with a U.S. TIN) must provide this form prior to receiving payments from Vimeo. The most common types of W-8 forms are form W-8BEN (for individuals) and form W-8BEN-E (for companies). Once you provide some preliminary information in your Vimeo account settings, the appropriate type of W-8 form will appear automatically.

If you live in a country that has an income tax treaty with the U.S., you can make that treaty claim on your W-8 form. This may reduce the amounts that Vimeo may need to withhold. See the FAQ on withholding for more information.

Note: If you begin filling out a W-8BEN form, and are then asked to fill out an 8233 form, please do not complete that form. There is no need to submit an 8233 form at this time — we are working to update the submission process to remove this step. Please see the FAQ on 8233 forms for more information.

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Why am I being asked to fill out an 8233 form? Do I need to submit one?

Some international sellers who begin filling out a W-8BEN form in their account settings may be asked to submit an 8233 form. At this time, there is no need to submit this form, and we are working to update our online tax form process to remove the 8233 form.

In the meantime, if you are prompted to submit an 8233 form, please do not submit any tax forms. Once we've made the necessary updates, you will be able to submit a completed W-8BEN form instead (with the option to make a tax treaty claim directly on that form, if necessary).

If you have questions about the timing of this update, please contact us.

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What if I don’t provide a W-8 form, or you can’t validate the form I submit?

If you are an international (non-U.S.) creator and you are unable to provide a W-8, or the form you submit is incomplete or contains errors, starting this year, we will need to pause your payments until you have submitted a completed W-8 form.

We’ve partnered with a third-party service called Tipalti, which helps us collect and review tax paperwork. If Tipalti is unable to process the form you submit, you’ll be notified via email and asked to provide the required information.

Once you submit a form and the information is validated, we will unpause your payments, and combine any unpaid amounts with your next payment. (Payments occur ~30 days after the end of each month).

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How does withholding work on Vimeo On Demand?

(Effective January 2016)

Generally, anytime a non-U.S. person earns income from a U.S. source (e.g., Vimeo), that income is subject to U.S. tax. In the case of Vimeo On Demand, it means that payments made to international creators may be subject to tax withholding at a rate of up to 30%. Several countries have favorable tax treaties with the U.S. that reduce that withholding rate.

You can make a tax treaty claim on your W-8 form. To do so, you will need to determine whether your country has an income tax treaty with the U.S., and then you will need to determine whether the payments you receive from Vimeo are exempt under a specific tax treaty provision.

You can find more information about current tax treaties (and their specific exemptions) in the IRS publication on US Tax Treaties. We recommend taking the time to consult a tax professional so you can ensure that you make the proper treaty determinations and submit a valid treaty claim.

Please note: Vimeo has determined that Vimeo On Demand payments are services-related (not royalty-related) because Vimeo is providing you with software as a service (i.e, the Vimeo On Demand distribution platform). Therefore, you cannot make a royalty-based treaty claim.

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What if I elect not to provide a tax form?

If you aren’t ready to submit a tax form, but you don’t want your payments paused later this year, you may elect not to provide a tax form. However, in doing so, your payments will be subject to a 28% withholding rate, as explained below.

The reason we ask creators to submit a U.S. tax form is because Vimeo must comply with U.S. income tax laws. Even though you may be based outside of the U.S., Vimeo is still the merchant of record for all Vimeo On Demand transactions, and since Vimeo is based in the U.S., those transactions are considered U.S.-based transactions. This means that the On Demand payments we make to you are coming from a U.S. source, and are therefore subject to U.S. tax laws.

Submitting a tax form allows us to determine whether you are based in the U.S. or not. This is important because different tax rules apply when we make payments to someone in the U.S. versus outside of the U.S. If you elect not to provide tax paperwork, we cannot legally determine whether you’re based in the U.S. or not, which means that we will have to apply the maximum withholding rate to your payments – 28% – and remit those amounts to the IRS.

(For creators who don’t want 28% withheld from their payments, we encourage you to submit the appropriate paperwork. Most countries have tax treaty claims with the U.S. that reduce the withholding rate to as little as 0%.)

But if you’d rather not provide tax paperwork, you may make an election not to submit a tax form on the Payments page of your account settings. In the Your business information section, check the “I elect not to provide any tax paperwork” option and confirm the selection.

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Will Vimeo send me a 1042-s form?

If you are an international (non-U.S.) creator, we will send you a 1042-s form around March.

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What about Value-Added Tax (VAT)?

(Effective December 1st, 2015)

Vimeo charges VAT on sales made to purchasers in VAT-collecting countries. Purchasers located in such countries see VAT-inclusive pricing, meaning that their local VAT rate will automatically be included in the prices you’ve set. So a purchaser will not see VAT listed separately during checkout — the appropriate VAT amount will simply be deducted from the proceeds of the sales.

Vimeo collects and remits VAT on your behalf so that you don’t have to worry about doing this. Vimeo will calculate your revenue share based upon the proceeds exclusive of VAT. In other words, the VAT does not count towards your revenue. Vimeo deducts from the VAT-exclusive proceeds the transaction costs of the sale and the Vimeo service fee (10%) to determine your revenue share.

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What does Vimeo do with the tax and personal information I provide?

Vimeo uses Tipalti, a third party vendor to help gather and maintain your tax information.

Vimeo may use the information supplied on your W-8 or W-9 for end-of-year reporting purposes. For example, when it’s time to send 1042s to international creators, or 1099s to U.S. creators that meet the required thresholds, your information will be used to generate those forms.

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I got an error when connecting my PayPal account to my On Demand page. What gives?

First of all, make sure your PayPal account is verified — if it’s not, you will not be able to connect it to your Vimeo account.

You will also need to make sure that you entered your first and last name exactly as they appear on your PayPal account.

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I didn’t receive my last PayPal payment. How do I correct that?

You might miss a payment for one of these reasons:

You did not connect your Vimeo account to your PayPal account
There was an error when we tried to deposit the payment to your PayPal account

To resolve #1, head to your Payments settings page and click Connect your PayPal account. Once you've connected your account, you're good to go.

To resolve #2, check your PayPal account to make sure that it's set up to receive payments. If it already is, head to your Payments settings and click Edit your PayPal connection, and make sure the name and email address match the exact info on your PayPal account.

Keep in mind: Any missed payments get added to the next month's payment. We make payments 30 days after the end of a particular month. Read More.

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