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How/can I buy a single image (not a subscription)???

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
August 31, 2016
20 replies
46780 views

I see this has been asked before, but I haven't found the solution in any of these discussion threads.

I want to buy one image for $9.99. Is this possible?

I'm new to Adobe Creative Cloud, am supposed to have 10 free images but have given up on that since it seems you are forced to buy a subscription to get those free images.

Can anyone outline the steps to purchase one image only? No subscription?

Correct answer ashodpm1

Hi Erin,

I was having the same problem, and couldn't find a solution until just now. I used incognito with Google Chrome, so I didn't already appear logged in and no old browsing data would appear, then found the image and started the purchase process. It asked me to use my standard log in data, but this time I got the single image purchase option and everything went through just fine, and just downloaded my image.

Hope that helps.

WendellaBee

Adobe Employee

Locking this thread

WendellaBee

Adobe Employee

@docinbc I am sorry you are disatisfied with Adobe. Yes the company has moved to a subscription model as many other software companies have. Adobe Stock does offer alternatives to a subscription. We have recently added a free collection that can be found here: https://stock.adobe.com/free. We also offer credit packs. You can purchase as few as five credits and you have one year to use them. Many Adobe Stock assets (photos, illustrations and vectors) can be licensed with a single credit. You can purchase credits from https://stock.adobe.com/plans#get-credits

M

MediaMagicStudios

New Participant

Adobe Stock needs to take note of this. I am not going to purchase a 5 credit pack when I need one image. Seriously bad business model. I am now going to spend my money else where with a competitor.

This is especially frustrating after all the surveys asking what customers like, mine I answered that the single purchases are best for me. Thanks for ignoring my survey Adobe. This needs fixing or I will not buy any assests from you in the future.

Duchess Morgan

Participating Frequently

I just spent like a half hour in chat with support to end up being told I had to buy extended license credits - fifty bucks - to buy a standard license to a single image. That's crazy, so I came here instead, read this thread, and get an answer that's almost as crazy.

Basically, the official answer is you have to either buy five "credits" - for five times as many images as I want - for fifty dollars, or sign up for a subscription - for more images than I want. If I want to make _one_ thing, you want me to commit to $360/year.

Oh, but the tech support chat agent kept pointing out I could sign up for a trial and then cancel.

So, seriously... You'd rather give me ten image licenses than give me an honest way to pay you for one?

You know all that griping and complaining people are doing on social media about how much Creative Cloud subscriptions cost? For an agency or a social media sweatshop, it's probably not a big deal, but for freelance artists, that's a big chunk of money every year. I never feel like I get much traction with people when I argue it's worth it.

And now you've got this. Basically the same thing. If you work for a big agency that goes through 750 licenses a month, you're going to get them for a quarter each, (what's the photographer get I that case, a nickel? A dime?) but if you're a little free-lance artist, it's ten bucks each, and you have to buy ten, up front.

And you know the agency is going to charge the client more for the ad or meme or whatever, right? So, that's great.

I get it, of course - I know why volume discounts exist, and I know the value of recurring - especially automatically recurring - sales, and so on and so forth, but... Doesn't it bother anyone there to put on this face of "Ooh, we're a creative company! We support creative people! We're right there with you!" and then do everything you can to crush independent, freelance, or fledgling artists?

And you wonder why people on social media are fiercely proud when they leave you? These people don't talk like someone who drinks pepsi instead of coke, they talk like there's an Evil Empire and they're the resistance. I Know. I have to deal with them looking down their nose at me because I don't use Affinity or better yet, an open source option. Remember when the Adobe users were the cool kids? And now we're the dupes?

And I know this won't make the slightest bit of difference, but I got it off my chest, I guess. I'm gonna go buy one license from some other stock site, because it's December, and I'm a student, and there's no way I'm buying five licenses when I need one for this rare bit of freelance work. It's a helluva thing, I tell ya. Just remember, I came to you first.

Abambo

Community Expert

There are always people who rant about cost. Fact is that the subscription model is very successful and my calculation showed that I am not spending more cash than before... I’m spending less and we even expanded the number of licenses from 4 to 6.

As for the Stock subscription, the model is well established and competition is using quite a similar model. The Adobe payout model is one of the best I have. In average, I get around the double of what I get with the nearest competitor on a per image basis. I won’t get rich, but as I’m not doing photography for stock purposes, I‘m happy with my decent success.

Pictures we buy are bought on basis of credits as we do not have a big need in stock images. It’s easy and transparent. You do not need to take an extended license if you need a standard license.

And one more: When you take the 10 free images offer and you buy your 10 images, Adobe will compensate the image producers even if you do not continue your subscription. Take it as a bonus from a company like Adobe.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

Duchess Morgan

Participating Frequently

I'm confused as to why you'd make that a response to me, since I didn't "rant about cost" I see above where someone said the credit packs are over-priced, but that's hardly a "rant about cost" either. They're not, of course, but that's not the real issue. How much you can get something for, each, doesn't much matter if you're forced to buy many more of them than you need.

I also didn't say the subscription model wasn't successful - obviously it is, or everybody wouldn't be doing it - which brings us neatly to the fact that neither did I say nobody else is doing it. Most of the competition _is_ using a similar model, in that you can buy a subscription on almost every stock site I can think of, but that's really not the point is it? The point, rather, is that while almost everybody has a subscription option, almost everybody also has better and more indie-friendly options for buying a single license.

And if your calculations show you're spending less on a subscription, that would fairly plainly indicate you consistently have need for enough image licenses to make a subscription economically feasible. Not everyone does. I had a subscription for a few years, and saved good money while I did. I've had a change in business focus, and I don't need as many now. Nothing mysterious or anything, different people just have different needs, and it's pretty simple to do the math and see if a subscription will be of benefit.

The information you offered about their rates for photographers was welcome and good to know, but, really, even that's naught to do with what I said. What I mentioned was the low end - I've looked it up. it's like 33 cents, if you're one of their top producers, more like 24 cents if you're an average Joe. And even that's peripheral to the main point - as I said, I understand why those huge discount subs are attractive, both to the buyer and to Adobe, and if anyone's offering, you have to at least carefully consider it. Doesn't stop me from feeling like slime when I buy a license that cheaply, nor would it stop me from feeling a bit hard done by if I had to sell one that cheaply.

sarahc64794182

New Participant

Try cancelling the subscription. It seems it's impossible.

twaritar3263062

Community Manager

Hi Sarah,

Please check the thread: Re: CANNOT CANCEL MY ADOBE STOCK PLAN for more information.

Regards,

Twarita

K

kerrye16720873

New Participant

Yeah, this kinda thing...it's getting old.

S

Still Here

Inspiring

bummed about this. I was buying single images quite often. Pushing me into a bulk-buy, terms required is irritating. My market for choosing photos just grew again.

jbarrios84

New Participant

I think the dumbest thing Adobe can do is rule out freelancers that have that one time need every now and then... Not sure if they realize that buying standard licenses allow them to make more money.... People dont want to commit to any plans... its like all businesses nowadays want to secure monthly recurring income to ensure the financials will be better predictable... however a good majority would not like the idea therefore just buy somewhere else...

HERE'S an Idea! No annual contract, no monthly payment first 3 images at normal price and if purchased more than 3 in the same month you get a discounted price after that... within the same month. Following month starts over...

I would def sign up for that!