Safety
Upfront fees for licensing company data: a red flag
Never. Across all the offers we reviewed, cash only ever moves toward the owner. Sellers generally pay buyers nothing, and brokers take their cut from the deal itself.
01
What buyers and brokers say about fees
Buyers mostly say sellers pay nothing, although one free buyer reserves the right to bring in fees later with notice. Broker ads make the same promise. Valuations come free as standard, never as a paid add-on.
02
The middleman's cut comes from the deal
As a rule, the buyer pays the broker when the deal closes, via a commission or referral fee, and those programs are public. A few intermediaries bill the seller instead, typically 8% to 30% of the price, deducted from the payout. Ask whether a broker's fee comes from the buyer or from you.
03
Requests that should end the conversation
04
Costs you might choose to pay
Real costs exist, and they are yours to choose: your IT person's time on the export, your own lawyer's review of the agreement, scanning paper if a buyer wants it. None of them is paid to the buyer or broker.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Do I have to pay to sell my company's data?
No. Buyers charge sellers nothing, and brokers take a share only from proceeds.
Is a free valuation normal?
Yes. Buyers and brokers both offer them. They are estimates, not offers.
What if a broker wants a deposit?
Walk away. No legitimate offer we found requires one.
Find the buyers that fit your company
Answer a few questions about your size, tools and history. We show which buyers want a company like yours. Free, no files.
Keep reading
Sources
Every number on this page links back to one of these.
- 1Mode, company data programdata.mode.inc
- 2Pewter, company websitepewterdata.com
- 3Polyshares, company websitepolyshares.com
- 4Ventra, terms of servicejoinventra.com
- 5micro1, company referral program pagemicro1.ai
- 6Meta Ad Libraryfacebook.com
Spot something wrong? See our corrections policy. Some buyers pay us a referral fee. How we make money.