Promo money moves directly between two people. There is no escrow anywhere in this industry, no chargeback route worth relying on, and no platform standing behind the deal. That puts the whole burden of checking on the buyer, which is uncomfortable but at least it is something you can act on.
Here are the five checks worth doing. Together they take about ten minutes, and they filter out most of the deals that go nowhere.
1. Confirm the account is theirs
The simplest failure mode is someone selling access to an audience they do not control — screenshots from someone else's account, or a page they have no login for.
Ask them to do something only the account owner can do: add a short code to their bio for a few minutes, or post a specific word in a story. It takes them thirty seconds and it settles the question completely. On Only Safe Promo this is what the verified badge means — the seller has already proved ownership of the OnlyFans account on their profile, so you do not have to ask.
2. Look at engagement, not follower count
Followers are the number sellers quote and the number that tells you least. What you want to know is whether those people are present.
- Ask for reach on the exact placement you are buying. Views on their last three stories, or opens on their last DM blast. Screenshots of the insights panel, not a typed figure.
- Check the ratio. Comments and likes should be a plausible fraction of followers. An account with 40,000 followers and single-digit comment counts is telling you something.
- Read the comments themselves. Generic one-word replies from accounts with no posts are a different signal from an actual conversation.
- Look at the growth curve if they will show it. Steady growth and sudden vertical jumps mean very different things.
3. Check their track record with other buyers
What other creators say after paying is the single most useful input you have, and it is the one thing you cannot get from the seller's own profile.
Look for reviews that describe specifics — what was bought, whether it ran on time, what it produced. A wall of five-star ratings with no detail is weaker evidence than three detailed accounts. On Only Safe Promo a review can only be left by someone with a completed order against that seller, so the ratings on a profile are tied to real transactions rather than goodwill.
If a seller has no history anywhere, that is not disqualifying — everyone starts somewhere. It is a reason to start with a small order rather than your biggest one.
4. Make them state the terms in writing
Ambiguity is where most promo disputes actually start. Not bad faith — two people who agreed a price and assumed different things about everything else.
Before you pay, get these in the chat, in their words:
- The placement type and how long it stays up.
- The date or window it runs in.
- Who provides the creative, and when you need to send it.
- What they will send you as proof it ran.
- What happens if it does not run as agreed.
A seller who answers all five clearly and quickly has done this before. A seller who deflects on the last two is telling you how the deal ends if something goes wrong.
5. Pay in a way that leaves a record
Whatever method you agree, keep evidence of it. Screenshot the transfer. Keep the conversation in one thread rather than moving to a channel where messages disappear. If you are asked to pay in a way that leaves no trace and no name, treat that as a term of the deal worth negotiating rather than a formality.
Start small with a seller you have not worked with. A $40 first order that runs cleanly tells you more than any amount of checking, and it costs less than being wrong about a $300 one.
What a good seller looks like
They answer questions about numbers without getting defensive. They tell you what they cannot do as well as what they can. They have a stated turnaround and stick to it. They send proof without being chased. They are usually not the cheapest quote you get.
None of that is exotic. It is what any working professional looks like, and it is visible within a couple of messages if you ask direct questions.
Where to start
You can shortcut most of the first three checks by starting from a profile that already carries them. Browse creators on Only Safe Promo to see verification status, trust score and reviews from completed orders in one place, then message the seller with your questions about terms before you commit to anything.
