# Cycle vs ledger (/docs/brands/payouts/cycle-vs-ledger)

The two payout models — price and pay each cycle as a unit, or settle each set's growing earnings as deltas until it expires.

The **payout model** decides how a set's earnings turn into payments. Choose it in <UiPath>Settings › Rules › Payout model</UiPath>. The header of <UiPath>Payouts & Cycles</UiPath> shows which one your brand uses: **Cycle model** or **Ledger model**.

## Compare the models [#compare-the-models]

|                            | **Cycle** (default)                                     | **Ledger**                                                                                     |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A set is paid by…          | the cycle its first post falls in                       | every cycle while the set is still active                                                      |
| What a cycle pays          | each set's full base + bonus, minus anything paid early | only the **difference** between what each set has earned now and what it has already been paid |
| Bonus views stop counting… | at the cycle's end date                                 | when the set expires (its **Ledger Expiration** window ends)                                   |
| Cycle action               | **Generate Payouts** / **Recalculate Payouts**          | **Process Ledger Deltas** (with **Preview Ledger Deltas**)                                     |
| End date editable          | Yes                                                     | No                                                                                             |
| Bonus pay board            | Per creator and per set                                 | Not used — deltas are processed with the cycle                                                 |

Pick **Cycle** if you pay a fixed campaign window. Pick **Ledger** if videos keep earning long after posting and you want to keep paying for that growth for a set number of days.

## How the ledger pays [#how-the-ledger-pays]

Each set stays **active** for **Ledger Expiration (days)** after its first post (45 days by default). Every time you process a cycle's deltas, Bloss prices each active set under the cycle's rules and pays:

- **Base pay once.** After a set's base has been paid, later runs never pay base for it again.
- **Bonus as a top-up.** The run pays the set's current bonus minus the bonus already paid. It's never negative, so nothing is clawed back.

Once a set expires, it stops earning more.

### Worked example [#worked-example]

Rules: $20 per pair; tiers of 10,000 views → $10 and 50,000 views → $30; ledger window 45 days. A creator's set first posts on **March 1**, so it's active until **April 15**.

| Run         | Set's views | Earned now (base + bonus) | Already paid | Paid this run               |
| ----------- | ----------- | ------------------------- | ------------ | --------------------------- |
| March cycle | 12,000      | $20 + $10 = $30           | $0           | **$30**                     |
| April cycle | 55,000      | $20 + $30 = $50           | $30          | **$20** (bonus top-up only) |
| May cycle   | 80,000      | — set expired on April 15 | $50          | **$0**                      |

## Process ledger deltas [#process-ledger-deltas]

<Steps>
<Step>

### Preview [#preview]

In the cycle's **⋯** menu, choose **Preview Ledger Deltas**. A message shows how many creator deltas would be created and their total. Nothing is saved.

</Step>
<Step>

### Process [#process]

Choose **Process Ledger Deltas**, then **Start Processing**. Bloss refreshes eligible sets, calculates each creator's delta and updates the payout rows. Large cycles can take a while.

</Step>
<Step>

### Pay [#pay]

Pay the cycle as usual: **Pay via** your provider, or **Mark as Paid**. See [Running a cycle](/docs/brands/payouts/running-a-cycle).

</Step>
</Steps>

Each creator row then shows how many ledger runs and sets it settled.

## Ledger settings [#ledger-settings]

| Setting                      | Meaning                                                                                              |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Mode**                     | **Cycle** or **Ledger**.                                                                             |
| **Ledger Expiration (days)** | How long after its first post a set keeps earning. Default 45.                                       |
| **Auto-run Interval (days)** | Runs don't start on this interval. Start each run with **Process Ledger Deltas**.                    |
| **Enable ledger auto-run**   | Runs don't start automatically, even when this is on. Start each run with **Process Ledger Deltas**. |

Click **Save Payout Model** to apply.

<Callout title="Process deltas from the cycle menu">

  Ledger runs don't start automatically. Start each one with
  **Process Ledger Deltas** in the cycle's **⋯** menu.

</Callout>

## Switching models [#switching-models]

A cycle keeps the payout model it was created with. **Update cycle rules** can't change it: switching a running cycle between cycle and ledger would strand what has already been settled. To change the model, save the new model in Settings and create new cycles. An existing cycle can only be changed by deleting and recreating it.

## Related [#related]

<Cards>
  <Card title="Payout cycles" href="/docs/brands/payouts/pay-cycles">

    Create cycles and read the rules snapshot.

</Card>
  <Card
    title="Changing rules mid-cycle"
    href="/docs/brands/settings/changing-rules-mid-cycle"
  >
    What can and can't be updated on a running cycle.

</Card>
</Cards>