When Do Surrogates Get Paid?

Becoming a surrogate is a life-changing act of generosity and a major commitment, making financial transparency essential. With a structured, escrow-protected payment schedule, you can focus on helping intended parents grow their family while ensuring your own financial needs are supported.

Our surrogacy specialists will make sure you are financially supported at every turn of your surrogacy journey. To get a comprehensive surrogate compensation breakdown for your journey, contact us today.

You’ll begin receiving your monthly base compensation within five days of a confirmed fetal heartbeat. However, your financial support actually begins much earlier in the process.

Before the pregnancy even begins, you’ll receive smaller milestone payments for completing key steps, such as a successful medical screening. Additionally, a monthly allowance typically begins within one month of signing your legal surrogacy contract.

This ensures that you aren’t out-of-pocket for any surrogacy-related expenses as you prepare for the embryo transfer.

Do Surrogates Get Paid Monthly or per Milestone?

The answer is both. A professional surrogacy payment schedule is designed to provide both steady, predictable income and specific bonuses tied to the progress of the journey. At American Surrogacy, we structure payments to ensure you have a consistent flow of support through three distinct channels:

Base Compensation: This is the primary payment for your time and commitment. It’s paid in 10 equal monthly installments once a pregnancy is confirmed.
Monthly Allowance: A set stipend for miscellaneous expenses arrives every month to ensure the process never costs you your own money. Receiving this separately from your base pay ensures that your primary compensation stays in your pocket.
Milestone Bonuses: One-time payments are triggered by specific events to celebrate and support each new phase of the process.

Do Surrogates Get Paid Before or After Birth?

Surrogate payments happen before, during, and after the pregnancy.

It is a common misconception that surrogates receive a lump sum only after the baby is born. In reality, the majority of your compensation is distributed throughout the second and third trimesters.

This structure is designed to support you as your pregnancy progresses. By the time you reach the delivery room, most of your base compensation has already been paid out.

The final installment and any remaining reimbursements, such as post-delivery recovery support, are typically finalized in the weeks following the birth.

How Surrogate Payment Schedules Are Structured

Your specific payment schedule is not a guessing game; it is a legally binding document. Before any medical procedures begin, you and the intended parents will sign a surrogacy contract that outlines every dollar you will receive.

Base Pay

Base pay is the core of your compensation package. This amount is distributed in 10 equal monthly installments to provide financial stability throughout your pregnancy.

These payments begin as soon as a fetal heartbeat is confirmed by your physician, ensuring that your primary compensation is active during the most significant stages of the journey.

Milestones

Milestones are specific, one-time payments or allowances triggered by reaching key physical or medical steps in the surrogacy process. This structure rewards the progress you make and helps manage the changing needs of your body and schedule. You can receive payments for:

Successful Medical Screening: This initial payment acknowledges the time and effort you put into the comprehensive health evaluation process.
Monthly Allowance: This begins as soon as the legal contract is signed and continues through 6 weeks after delivery. It is designed to cover your day-to-day pregnancy needs and recovery.
Starting Medications: You receive a payment when you begin the fertility medication cycle to prepare for the transfer.
Embryo Transfer: This milestone payment happens around the time of the transfer procedure itself.
Third Trimester Self-Care: This is a dedicated payment to help you stay comfortable and cared for as you reach the final, most physically demanding stage of pregnancy.
C-Section Delivery: If a C-section becomes medically necessary, you receive an additional payment for the increased recovery time and surgical procedure.
Multiples: If you are carrying twins or more, you receive additional compensation to account for the increased physical requirements of a multiples pregnancy.

Reimbursements

Reimbursements are designed to keep the journey financially neutral for you, ensuring that no surrogacy-related cost ever comes out of your family’s budget. You will be repaid for:

Lost Wages: If you or your partner need to miss work for medical appointments, bed rest, or recovery after delivery, these wages are replaced.
Travel and Lodging: If you need to visit a distant clinic for the transfer or screenings, all transportation and hotel costs are covered.
Breastmilk Shipping: If you choose to provide milk for the baby after delivery, all costs for supplies and shipping are fully reimbursed.
Out-of-Pocket Costs: Any co-pays, deductibles, or medical bills associated with the surrogacy pregnancy or delivery are paid for through the escrow account.

Do Any Surrogacy Agencies Offer Monthly Allowances or Stipends?

Yes, reputable full-service agencies provide a monthly allowance. At American Surrogacy, we believe you should never have to dip into your personal savings to cover surrogacy-related needs.

Your allowance typically begins one month after your contract is signed and continues until approximately six weeks after delivery.

This stipend covers the many small costs that add up, including phone calls, prenatal vitamins, specialized skincare, and local transportation to appointments.

What Happens to Surrogate Pay If the Transfer Fails or There’s a Miscarriage?

This is a sensitive but important question. We understand the emotional weight of these situations, and our goal is to ensure you feel financially protected during a difficult time.

Surrogate Pay After Failed Transfer

If an embryo transfer does not result in pregnancy, you still receive your monthly allowance and the specific milestone payment for the transfer itself. This payment recognizes your time, physical preparation, and commitment to the procedure.

If you and the intended parents choose to try again, your payments for the next transfer cycle will proceed as scheduled, ensuring you are supported through every attempt.

Surrogate Pay After a Miscarriage

In the unfortunate event of a miscarriage, you are paid all base compensation installments up until the point the pregnancy ended. You do not have to repay any funds already received. These payments are yours to keep as you take the time to heal.

If the journey continues with another transfer, base payments will resume once a new heartbeat is confirmed, and we will work closely with you to ensure you have the medical and emotional support needed during the transition.

How a Surrogacy Escrow Account Ensures You Receive Payments on Time

One of the biggest benefits of working with an agency is financial security. You should never have to ask intended parents for money, as that can create unnecessary tension.

Instead, we use a surrogacy escrow account. This system acts as a protective shield for your interests, ensuring your financials are handled professionally.

Intended parents are given two secure options for managing your payments. They can choose to utilize our expert in-house accounting services, where our internal team oversees every disbursement directly. Alternatively, they may opt to use a third-party escrow agency that specializes specifically in fertility-related funds.

Regardless of the account option, the process is the same for you. Before you begin medications, the intended parents deposit the full amount into a secure account, ensuring funds are available from the start. This protects your compensation even if their finances change.

How American Surrogacy Supports You with a Clear Payment Schedule

At American Surrogacy, we pride ourselves on being a full-service partner. Our role is to act as your advocate, ensuring that the relationship between you and the intended parents remains focused on the human connection while we handle the logistical details.

We go deeper than simple payment processing by offering:

Our systems are automated and overseen by specialists to ensure your monthly installments and milestone bonuses arrive exactly as scheduled.
We ensure all funds are fully secured in escrow before you take a single medication.
We provide itemized statements and are always available to explain how a reimbursement was calculated or when a specific milestone payment will be triggered.

Our goal is to ensure that surrogacy never places a financial burden on your family, allowing you to focus on the incredible gift you are giving.

Ready to Explore What Your Surrogate Pay Could Look Like?

Every surrogacy journey is unique, and your compensation should reflect your specific circumstances and needs. Whether you are just starting to research or you are ready to take the first step, we are here to provide the clarity and support you deserve.

Contact us today to speak with a specialist and receive a personalized breakdown of our surrogate compensation and payment schedules.