Payments

Generally, the minimum professional per performance fee for one-act plays is $100, and the minimum nonprofessional is $75. If, however, you would like to secure a performance license for an evening that includes more than two one-act plays or multiple short plays, such as 10-minute plays, please Contact Us in advance before applying for a license. In many cases, more than two one-act plays or multiple short plays in an evening will be eligible for a custom Advance fee. So let us know what your plans are, and we'll provide you with a custom Advance fee and instruct you how to submit your application for the rights so that the custom fee will be applied to your order.
Please review the Payments page, which includes professional and nonprofessional Advance Payment Calculators to estimate costs.
Professional
For professionals, Advance Payments are nonrefundable because professional restrictions require that we deny requests for performance licenses while a restriction is in place, resulting in lost revenue opportunities for the author. The Advance Payment therefore serves as a hedge for the author against those potential losses. If, however, there are special circumstances with your production, feel encouraged to let us know, and we will take them into consideration. In addition, performances cancelled due to illness, extreme weather conditions, or other force majeure events or circumstances beyond your control are refundable. Contact Us to request a refund.

Nonprofessional
For nonprofessionals, Advance Payments are fully or partially refundable only if requested prior to any performances. If, however, there are special circumstances with your production, feel encouraged to let us know, and we will take them into consideration. In addition, performances cancelled due to illness, extreme weather conditions, or other force majeure events or circumstances beyond your control are refundable. Contact Us to request a refund.
If your Advance Payment is greater than or equal to $5,000, we can implement a payment plan upon your request. The standard payment plan requires half of the Advance be paid within 30 days of the order being placed with the balance due 30 days prior to the opening date. If the standard payment plan does not work for you, let us know, and we'll try to accommodate. To request a payment plan, after you've submitted your order using either check, bank transfer, or purchase order as the payment method, Contact Us.
Gross Box Office Revenue ("GBOR") is defined as any and all receipts from all sources whatsoever for the sale or distribution of tickets for performances of the play(s), excluding only the following allowable deductions:

  1. Documented federal, state, and local taxes that are imposed upon the admission;
  2. Documented credit card (AmEx, Visa, MC, etc.) fees and discounts taken from the in-house sales of the theater (not to exceed 5%);
  3. Documented fees and discounts paid in connection with the theater's in-house subscriptions: if tickets for the play(s) are sold on a subscription basis (for which the producer receives less than the full price that would be received if the ticket were sold at the box office), GBOR for the play(s) shall be calculated by multiplying the number of subscription tickets sold for the play(s) by the full price of the ticket (calculated using the undiscounted box-office price), and then subtracting any discounts received by subscribers for such tickets;
  4. Documented fees and discounts paid in connection with the theater's group sales (not to exceed 10% of the price of the ticket);
  5. Documented fees and discounts paid in connection with third-party off-site internet sales (e.g., Groupon, Goldstar) (not to exceed 10% of the price of the ticket);
  6. Documented federal, state, and local government mandated restoration or historic preservation fees (not to exceed any cap then pertaining that may have been imposed on such fees by any theatrical union);
  7. Documented Ticketmaster and similar fees on a per ticket basis; and
  8. Documented sums that are subsequently refunded or uncollectible due to dishonored checks, invalidated credit card receipts, or for any other such similar reason.
No other deductions of any kind whatsoever are allowable. For example, the following items, without limitation, may NOT be deducted from GBOR: surcharges and/or operation costs connected with telephone and/or internet sales; agency commissions and ticket-broker fees; ticket-printing expenses; mailing fees; telephone expenses; and any other expenses or fees not specified above as allowable deductions. For professionals a statement of GBOR, broken down by week, must accompany the Final Payment. For nonprofessionals a statement of GBOR for the run must accompany Final Payment. The Payments page provides downloadable Professional and Nonprofessional Box Office Statement Excel spreadsheets to make quick and easy work of documenting your GBOR. You may then submit these completed spreadsheets with your Final Payment, if any is due, through the upload links on the Payments page.
Professional productions are granted exclusive performance rights for a play usually within a 50-mile radius of their venue. Nonprofessional productions generally do not receive exclusivity. In addition, professional royalties are calculated on a weekly basis whereas nonprofessional are calculated for the run. In the past, professionals were required to remit royalties on a weekly basis. In order to reduce the burden of paperwork associated with royalties compliance, both professional and nonprofessional royalties are now paid in just two installments: 1) the Advance Payment, remitted at issuance of the performance license or within 30 days, and 2) the summary Box Office Statement and Final Payment, if any is due, remitted within three business days of the closing date.
Our invoices/licenses include a W-9 form. If you need one in advance of placing an order, it may be downloaded here: W-9 Form - Broadway Play Publishing Inc.
Yes. If your organization or educational institution requires a purchase order, you may choose purchase order as the payment method on the checkout page. In addition, you may choose purchase order as the payment method when you submit your summary Box Office Statement and Final Payment (if any is due).

In both cases, you will be sent invoices referencing your purchase order numbers for you to submit to your accounting department for payment.

If your accounting department requires that you submit an invoice to them before they will generate a purchase order number for you, simply follow the instructions above and enter the text "Number to follow" in the purchase order number field on the checkout page and complete your checkout. When your organization provides you with the purchase order number, submit it to us via the Contact Us page, along with your order number for our reference, and we will add the purchase order number to your invoice. Note that shipment of books and other items will not occur until the purchase order number has been submitted.

Lastly, be aware that purchase of ePlays or other downloadable items must be done by credit card or PayPal. If your order also contains books or performance-rights applications for which you would prefer to use a purchase order number, then you should split the items up into two orders. Only one payment method may be used per order.

Yes, absolutely. Just be aware that purchase of ePlays or other downloadable items must be done by credit card or PayPal. If your order also contains books or performance-rights applications for which you would prefer to pay by bank transfer, check, or using a purchase order number, then you should split the items up into two orders. Only one payment method may be used per order.

If your order does not include a performance license, your order will be shipped and marked Paid and Completed when payment has been received.

If your order includes a performance license as well as books or other items, your order will be shipped and marked Pending Box Office when payment has been received. The Pending Box Office status indicates that we are awaiting submission of your summary Box Office Statement and Final Payment, if any is due, following the close of your production.

If your order includes only a performance license, your order will be marked Pending Box Office when your payment has been received. The Pending Box Office status indicates that we are awaiting submission of your summary Box Office Statement and Final Payment, if any is due, following the close of your production.

In all cases you may log into your My Account page to check the status of your order(s).