What a custom request is
A custom request is content made specifically for one buyer: certain poses, a certain outfit or nail colour, a chosen background, a short clip, or a theme they’ve described. Because you’re making it to order, it takes more of your time than selling an existing set, and you can usually charge more for that.
Custom work also brings extra risk. A vague brief can lead to a dispute, personalised requests can threaten your privacy, and some “customers” are really testing whether you’ll deliver before paying. A simple process solves most of this. You don’t need to be rigid or unfriendly, you just need to follow the same steps every time.
Your process is: get the brief, check your boundaries, quote, take payment through the platform, make the content, deliver, then close the order. Don’t start work until the payment step is done.
Decide your policy before the first request
Requests are much easier to handle when you’ve made the decisions in advance. Take 20 minutes to write a simple policy for yourself, then summarise the relevant parts in your profile.
Your yes, maybe and no lists
Here’s an illustrative example. Your own lists should reflect what you’re comfortable with and what your platform’s rules allow.
| Yes | Maybe, for a higher price | Always no |
|---|---|---|
| Set poses and angles | Buying a specific item | Your face or anything identifying |
| Nail colours you already own | Short deadlines | Using your real name or location |
| Socks, sandals, shoes you own | Longer videos | Meeting up or sending items by post |
| Backgrounds in your home | Outdoor locations | Anything involving a minor or anyone else without consent |
| Short pre-agreed clips | Exclusive rights | Anything illegal or against platform rules |
Keep the “no” list short and firm. When something isn’t on any list, it’s a “not yet” until you’ve thought about it. You don’t owe a decision while someone’s waiting in your messages.
Set your practical limits
Decide these once so that you’re not working them out under pressure:
- Minimum order: the lowest price you’ll accept for a custom order, so that small jobs are worth your time.
- Turnaround: a standard delivery time that fits around your life. Under-promise, so that you can deliver early.
- Rush fee: the extra charge for anything faster than your standard time.
- Revisions: how many small changes are included, and what counts as a new order instead.
- Rights: whether the buyer gets exclusivity or you can reuse the content.
- Weekly capacity: the number of custom orders you can handle at once.
- Refunds: your position within the platform’s own rules.
Step 1: get the brief in writing
A clear brief protects both of you. Ask for it in the platform’s messaging, so that there’s a record if there’s a dispute later. Most misunderstandings happen because neither side said exactly what they expected.
What the brief should include
- Type of content: photos, video or both
- Quantity, or length for video
- Poses or angles
- Footwear, socks or nail colour, if any
- Setting or background
- Any audio requirements (we’d suggest no voice, for privacy)
- Deadline
- Whether they expect exclusivity
Brief request template
“Thanks for getting in touch. To give you an accurate quote, could you let me know: (1) photos or video, (2) how many photos or how long a clip, (3) any poses, footwear or nail colour you’d like, (4) when you need it by? I’ll reply with a price and delivery date.”
Save this as a template. Buyers who are serious will generally answer, while those who only want free content or a private chat will often fall away at this point, which saves you time.
If a brief is vague, write back a summary yourself: “So that’s 6 photos, barefoot on a plain sheet, red nails, delivered by Friday. Is that right?” Getting a clear yes is a simple way to prevent most disputes.
Step 2: check it against your boundaries
Read the request properly before you get to price. Check it against your lists and your platform’s content rules, and ask yourself three questions:
- Can I make this without revealing who I am or where I live?
- Am I comfortable with it, including if the content leaked and was seen outside this sale?
- Does it fit my platform’s rules and the law where I live?
If any answer is no, decline or offer a changed version. Requests can begin mildly and escalate over several messages, so check each new request separately instead of assuming that it’s fine because the last one was.
Requests that need extra care
- Personalised content: holding up a sign, saying a name or adding a handwritten note can create identifiable material. Handwriting and voices can also be recognised. If you offer this, consider a digital caption instead.
- Location-specific shots: a recognisable park, beach, hotel or workplace can reveal where you are. Use a generic setting or decline.
- Items worn or sent by post: shipping requires an address on one side or the other and takes the sale outside normal digital delivery. Check your platform’s rules before even thinking about it. Many sellers simply say no.
- Real-time video or calls: these are hard to control, can be recorded and may reveal your surroundings. Use the platform’s official tools if at all, or decline.
- Other people in shots: you’ll need their adult status and clear consent, and platform rules may require documents. For most sellers, it’s simpler not to include anyone else.
Refuse and report any request involving a minor, anyone who appears underage or references to childhood or school age in connection with content. Do the same for non-consensual scenarios or illegal activity. Don’t negotiate or try to redirect the request. Save the evidence and use the platform’s reporting tools.
Step 3: quote a fixed price
A clear fixed price avoids awkward negotiations later on. The pricing guide explains how to set your normal rates. For custom work, build your quote from what the job actually takes.
A simple quote formula
Quote = your time × hourly target + costs + extras, then check the take-home after the platform’s cut
Include all your time: planning, foot care if needed, setup, shooting, editing, messaging and delivery. Then add any specific costs, such as a nail polish you don’t own, and any extras like a rush fee or exclusive rights.
Worked example
This is an illustration, not a market price. Suppose a buyer wants 6 photos in a specific nail colour within two days.
| Item | Illustrative amount |
|---|---|
| 45 minutes of work at a $30/hour target | $22.50 |
| Nail polish you had to buy | $8.00 |
| Rush fee for two-day delivery | $10.00 |
| Subtotal | $40.50 |
| Quote, rounded | $50.00 |
| Take-home after a 20% platform cut | $40.00 |
If you need $40.50 after fees, the quote has to be high enough to cover the cut. In this example, $50 almost does it. You can divide your target by what you keep: $40.50 ÷ 0.80 is about $50.63. Fees differ by platform, and custom offers may have their own fee. On Feetpik, for example, custom offers carry a slightly different service fee that’s shown before you accept. Check the earnings calculator and your own platform’s terms.
Quote template
“I can do this: [what’s included], delivered through the platform by [date], for [price]. That includes [number] small revision. I’ll start as soon as the custom offer is paid. Let me know if that works for you.”
Include an expiry date if your schedule fills up, such as “this quote is good for 7 days”.
Handling price pushback
Buyers may ask for a discount. You don’t need to justify your price at length. The best response is usually to change the scope rather than cutting your rate, since this protects the value of your time.
“My price for that is $50. If you’d like something smaller, I can do 3 photos for $30 with the same nail colour.”
If they keep pushing or start guilt-tripping you, it’s fine to end the conversation:
“I understand if that doesn’t work for you. My prices are the same for everyone, so I’ll leave it there. Thanks for asking.”
Avoid doing “one cheap job” in exchange for promised future orders. Those future orders rarely have any guarantee behind them, and that promise is also a common opening for buyers who never pay.
Step 4: take payment through the platform
Use the platform’s custom-offer or paid-message features wherever they’re available, because these create a record and keep you covered by its rules. Payment terms differ between platforms, so make sure you understand them before you take on large orders, and also read about holds and chargebacks.
Before you start work, check that the money is actually showing in your account. A screenshot isn’t a payment, and neither is a promise that it’s coming.
Common payment tricks
| What they say | What’s often going on | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| “I’ve paid, here’s the screenshot” | Fake proof | Check your balance only |
| “Send it first, I’ll pay after” | No payment is coming | Stick to payment first |
| “Let’s use another app to avoid fees” | Removes your protection | Stay on the platform |
| “I overpaid, send back the difference” | Reversal scam | Never send money back yourself |
| “Send one sample to confirm quality” | Free content | Point them to public previews |
If you’re not sure about a buyer, run through the scam checker. You lose little by refusing a suspicious order, since a genuine buyer can pay on the platform.
Very large or unusual offers
Treat any offer far above your normal prices with caution, especially if it comes with urgency, a long story or a request to leave the platform. Ask yourself why this person would pay so much for something they could get elsewhere for less. Accept a big order only if it’s paid fully and normally through the platform, and consider how its terms deal with reversals.
Step 5: make and check the content
Work from the written brief. Keep it open while you shoot, then check each item off at the end. Follow your usual shooting routine, and take a few extra shots so you can choose the best.
Pre-delivery checklist
- Does it match the brief for quantity, length, poses and nail colour?
- Is everything sharp and well lit?
- Have you removed location data?
- Are tattoos, reflections, room details and mail out of the frame?
- For video, does the audio reveal anything? Mute it if so.
- Is the file in a format your platform accepts?
- Did you save a copy, along with the brief, in case of a dispute?
Watermarks on custom content
Some sellers add a small watermark with their username to custom content, particularly if it’s not exclusive. It doesn’t stop reposting, but it can make copies easier to find and prove. If your buyer has paid for clean files, agree that in advance. See protecting your content for more.
Step 6: deliver and close
Deliver through the platform so that there’s a record of when the content was sent. Avoid email, cloud links or messaging apps, because they can expose personal details and leave you with no evidence if there’s a complaint.
Delivery template
“Here’s your order: [what’s included], as agreed. If anything doesn’t match what we discussed, let me know within [number] days and I’ll take a look. Thanks for ordering.”
After that, keep the order record for your bookkeeping, along with the price and fees. Custom income is generally treated like your other selling income, so make sure it goes into your tax records.
Handling revisions and disputes
Most problems can be sorted out quickly if you have the brief in writing and stay calm.
Revisions
A revision means fixing something within the original brief, such as swapping one blurry photo or adjusting a crop. A new pose, nail colour or outfit is a new request. Be clear about that distinction.
“Happy to swap that photo, since it isn’t quite what we agreed. A different nail colour would be a new shoot, so I’d quote that separately at [price].”
A buyer says it’s not what they asked for
- Check the brief. Compare it with what you delivered.
- If you made a mistake, say so and fix it promptly. Fast, simple fixes generally end the matter.
- If you delivered what was agreed, politely point to the written brief and offer a paid change.
- If they threaten a chargeback or a bad review, stay polite, don’t send anything extra to appease them and contact platform support with your evidence.
A buyer asks for a refund
Follow your platform’s process rather than arranging your own. Sending money directly can expose your details, and it could leave you exposed to a separate chargeback. If you’re asked to pay someone back outside the platform, treat this as a red flag.
You can’t meet the deadline
Tell the buyer before the deadline, not after it. Offer a new date or use the platform’s cancellation or refund process if they’d rather not wait. Illness and bad weather happen, and most reasonable buyers will accept an early, honest message.
Illustrative message:
“I’m sorry, I won’t make Friday’s delivery. I can have it with you by Tuesday. If that doesn’t work, I can cancel the order through the platform so that you’re refunded.”
A buyer becomes abusive or threatening
Stop responding, save the messages and use the report and block tools. If someone threatens to expose you or demands more content, don’t pay or send anything else. Follow the steps in our scam guide and contact the police if the threats continue.
Ready-to-use decline messages
You never have to explain your reasons in detail. A short, polite refusal is enough, and it’s harder to argue with than a long explanation.
Outside your boundaries: “Thanks for asking, but that’s not something I offer. I’d be happy to do [alternative] instead.”
Too much work right now: “I’m not taking new custom orders this week. My public sets are available if you’d like something straight away.”
Off-platform requests: “I only sell and deliver through this platform. If you’d like to order, I can send a custom offer here.”
Free samples: “I don’t send free samples, but you can see previews on my profile.”
Personal questions: “I keep my personal life private, but I’m happy to talk about your order.”
Persistent pressure: “I’ve given you my answer on this, so I’ll end the conversation here. Take care.” Then block if needed.
Managing your time
Custom orders can take over your schedule if they’re not managed. Set specific times for answering messages, and limit how many orders you take at a time. A simple list with the buyer’s username, what’s included, price, deadline and status is all you need to keep track of them.
Look out for repeat requests. If several buyers ask for the same theme, make it a standard set or a menu item. You’ll then make one piece of content that can sell repeatedly, instead of repeating the work for each buyer. Don’t do this with content that a buyer has paid to have exclusively.
A simple custom menu
An illustrative menu for your profile might look like this:
| Option | What’s included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Quick custom | 3 photos, your choice of pose, from my existing polish and footwear | $25 |
| Standard custom | 6 photos with a chosen theme | $45 |
| Video custom | Short pre-agreed clip with no voice | $40 |
| Rush | Delivered within 48 hours | +$15 |
Treat these numbers as a layout example only, and set your own prices based on your market. A menu saves on back-and-forth and sets clear expectations.
Common mistakes
- Starting before you’re paid. This is the single most expensive mistake you can make.
- Accepting vague briefs. Get the details in writing, even for small orders.
- Underpricing to win the job. Custom work takes time, and low prices can attract difficult customers.
- Saying yes under pressure. You can always take time to think about it.
- Moving off the platform. This removes your record, and it’s how many scams begin.
- Offering unlimited revisions. Set the limit in your quote.
- Forgetting the privacy check. Personalised content can reveal more than regular sets.
- Promising exclusivity casually. If you’ve sold it as exclusive, don’t reuse it, so price this properly.
FAQ
How much should I charge for custom feet pics?
There’s no official price, so charge according to your time, costs and market. Check what similar sellers on your platform charge, set a minimum order and make sure your take-home is worthwhile after fees. The pricing guide gives you a framework.
Should I always take payment first?
Yes. Don’t begin work until the payment shows in your platform balance. A screenshot or a promise doesn’t count, and refusing to pay first is one of the clearest warning signs.
What if a request makes me uncomfortable?
Decline it. You don’t have to explain why, and you can use one of the templates above. If it involves a minor, non-consensual content or anything illegal, also report it to the platform straight away.
Can I reuse custom content?
That depends on what you’ve agreed and on your platform’s terms. If the buyer paid for exclusive rights, don’t reuse it. If not, you can usually reuse it, but state your position in the quote so that there’s no confusion.
What if the buyer leaks what I made?
Save the links and any evidence, report the buyer to the platform and consider sending a takedown notice. Our guide to protecting your content explains how, including the privacy issues to think about first.
Should I offer video calls or personal messages?
Many sellers don’t, because they’re harder to control and carry a higher privacy risk. If you’re considering offering them, check your platform’s rules, use only official tools and avoid anything that reveals your voice, face or location.
Disclosure: this site has a commercial relationship with Feetpik, one of the platforms discussed here. What that means.