Submission fees can help cover the costs of running a project, but they can also be a barrier for some creators. Fee waivers are a way to ensure that talented contributors aren’t excluded simply because they can’t afford the cost of entry. Offering fee waivers demonstrates fairness, inclusivity, and support for your creative community.
Why Offer Fee Waivers?
Not all creators are in the same financial position. Waiving fees in certain circumstances helps you:
Remove barriers for underrepresented voices
Encourage wider participation and diversity
Show empathy and transparency in your submission process
Best Practice in Dapple
If you want to offer a fee waiver in Dapple, the simplest and most secure method is to create a duplicate of your project without the submission fee.
Here’s how to do it:
Duplicate your existing project – This ensures the submission form, stages, and settings match your main project.
Remove the fee – In the duplicate project, edit the payment settings so there’s no fee to submit.
Set the link to “Private” – This ensures that only people you share it with can access it.
Send the link directly to the creator – Copy the private link and send it to the person who has been granted the fee waiver.
This method keeps your main project publicly visible with its normal fee structure, while giving selected creators a clear, fee-free route to submit.
Tips for Managing Fee Waivers
Have clear criteria – Decide in advance who qualifies for a fee waiver (e.g., students, low-income creators, people from specific regions).
Be discreet – Always handle waiver requests privately to avoid putting the creator in an uncomfortable position.
Track waived entries – You should add a creator tag so that it it's attached to their creator profile that they've previously been exempted from fees. You can filter by project to see how many waivers you have given too.
Offering fee waivers is a small step that can make a big difference for creators and for the inclusivity of your project.