You deserve total transparency regarding your pay when you make the incredible decision to help a family grow.
When you have a clear financial plan, you can focus on the joy of the journey while reaching major goals like buying a home, paying off debt, or starting a college fund for your kids.
Ready to see how your future is protected by a professional contract? Get free information today to learn more about our process and your potential earnings.
This article explains exactly how surrogate payments are structured, how escrow keeps your money safe, and what happens at every stage—from the first confirmed heartbeat to the day you head home from the hospital.
When Do Surrogates Get Paid?
The most common question we hear from women is whether surrogates get paid before or after the birth of the baby. While the largest portion of your compensation happens during the pregnancy, your financial support actually starts much earlier in the process.
At American Surrogacy, you typically begin receiving your base payments within five days of a confirmed heartbeat. However, you don’t have to wait for a pregnancy to see your first check.
You’ll receive smaller payments for specific steps earlier in the journey, such as after you successfully complete your medical screening at the fertility clinic. Once your legal contract is signed, you can learn about the timing of your monthly allowance, which helps cover any miscellaneous costs that pop up before the embryo transfer even occurs.
Understanding Your Surrogate Payment Schedule
Your total compensation isn't just one big check at the end of nine months; it’s a series of payments meant to support you every step of the way.
To understand your surrogate payment schedule, it helps to look at two different types of pay: your base compensation and your progress payments.
Your base pay is usually split into 10 even monthly installments to provide a steady income. On top of that, you receive specific payments for surrogate payment milestones such as:
Compensation for completing your initial health evaluations. A payment to cover the start of the medical protocol. Payment for the day of the transfer procedure. Extra funds for your comfort during the final months. Additional pay if a surgical delivery is required.
Do Surrogates Get Paid Monthly or in a Lump Sum?
A major priority for many women is knowing how much surrogates get paid monthly so they can plan for their own family's future.
To make your budgeting easier, we divide your base pay into 10 monthly installments. This ensures you have a steady, reliable source of money throughout the pregnancy rather than waiting for a single payment at the very end.
Beyond that base pay, you’ll receive a monthly allowance for out-of-pocket expenses.
We also handle reimbursements for specific costs, like maternity clothes or travel to the fertility clinic. It is important to understand how surrogates are paid monthly because it ensures your base pay stays in your pocket as a profit for your family, rather than getting eaten up by the costs of being a surrogate.
How Agencies Manage Surrogate Compensation Payment Schedules
You should never have to "hope" you get paid on time or feel awkward about asking intended parents for money.
One of the biggest benefits of working with an experienced agency is how agencies manage surrogate compensation payment schedules on your behalf. We act as the bridge between you and the intended parents to make sure the financial side of things is handled professionally and on time.
American Surrogacy coordinates with the legal teams and the escrow company to make sure every payment is sent exactly when the contract says it should be.
Because we handle the logistics, you can review your surrogacy contract knowing that your relationship with the intended parents will stay focused on the shared goal of a healthy baby.
How a Surrogate Escrow Account Protects Your Funds
The most important safeguard for your pay is the surrogate escrow account. This is a third-party account managed by an independent company. The intended parents deposit the full cost of the journey into this account before you even start medical prep.
Having funds in escrow means:
You know the intended parents have the funds ready to go. Your checks are sent out based on the schedule in your contract without you having to ask. Because a neutral party holds the money, you don't have to worry about late or missed payments.
American Surrogacy Protects Your Pay Every Step of the Way
At American Surrogacy, we believe your only job should be staying healthy and taking care of yourself. We handle your pay with total honesty.
First, we go over the payment schedule with you clearly before you sign anything. Next, your own lawyer (paid for by the parents) makes sure that schedule is clearly written in your contract.
Finally, we make sure the surrogate escrow account is set up to follow that contract to the letter so that every payment is straightforward and reliable.
Q&A
Do surrogates get paid before or after birth?
You receive payments both before and after birth. You’ll start getting payments for steps like your medical screening and a monthly allowance before you are pregnant.
Your base pay and specific progress payments happen during the pregnancy, and your monthly allowance continues for six weeks after delivery.
How much do surrogates get paid monthly?
Your monthly amount depends on your total base pay, which we take and divide by 10. For example, if your base pay is $55,000, you would receive $5,500 per month once a heartbeat is confirmed.
This is in addition to your monthly allowance and any other bonuses you earn that month. If you want to calculate your monthly pay, our specialists can provide a personalized estimate.
Do surrogates get paid if they miscarry?
You are paid for the time you were pregnant. You will receive all scheduled payments and allowances up until the point your doctor confirms the loss. At that point, payments stop.
However, if you and the parents decide to try again, your monthly base pay will start up again once a heartbeat is confirmed. You can read about pregnancy complications and how they affect your contract here.
Do any surrogacy agencies offer monthly allowances for surrogates?
The answer is yes—American Surrogacy provides a monthly allowance that starts about a month after you sign your legal contract.
This helps you cover the little things that come up during a journey and stays active until six weeks after you give birth.