Sell media and one-time unlocks

Put a one-time price on a photo, video, audio track, link or community and let fans pay to unlock it.

Written By AloPortal

Last updated About 2 hours ago

Not everything has to be a membership. With Pay to unlock, fans pay once to get a single piece of content, like a video lesson, a photo set or a download link, and keep it.

✨ Quick answer: in Portal designer, add something to your portal. When the Access & pricing window opens, turn on Pay to unlock, enter a price, confirm, then press Save all.

🛍️ What you can sell

Item	Good for
Picture, Audio, Video	Photo sets, music, meditations, video lessons
Gallery (Pro)	A bundle of photos or videos sold together
Link	Files you host elsewhere, like an ebook, presets or templates
Discord or Telegram	Paid entry to your private community
Posts and courses	Writing or a full program, sold on their own

🛠️ Sell a media item

Open Portal designer

On the Creator side, click Portal designer in the left sidebar. On a phone, tap the menu at the top-left first.

Click the Media tab

Click the Media tab above the canvas.

Pick a media type

Pick Picture, Audio or Video (or Gallery on Pro) from the panel on the left. On a phone, tap Add in the bottom bar first.

Turn on Pay to unlock

The Access & pricing window opens first. Turn on Pay to unlock, enter your price and confirm (the button reads Set one-time unlock).

Upload your file

Upload your file in the editor that opens.

Press Save all

Press Save all in the save bar. It shows on your portal's Media tab with an unlock button.

Links and communities work the same way. On the Portal tab, add Link, Discord or Telegram from the Monetization group of elements (on a phone, tap Add). To set or change a price later, click the Monetize button in the section's header to reopen Access & pricing.

✅ Good to know: an item can also be part of a membership. In Access & pricing, choose one or more plans as well as a price, and members get it included while everyone else can buy it on its own.

💳 Prices

The lowest price is $3 USD (or about the same in your currency, for example C$4).
One-time items can go up to $2,000.
AloPortal's fee for your plan applies to each sale, and Stripe's processing fee is charged to your Stripe account. See Payouts and fees explained.

⚠️ Heads up: one-time sales need payouts set up first. Until then, Pay to unlock can't be turned on.

🔒 How fans buy

A fan taps the unlock button, signs in with their email code and pays, without leaving your page. The item unlocks right away and stays in their account, so they can come back to it any time.

❓ Questions

Can I upload a PDF or a zip file to sell?

Not directly. Host the file somewhere like Google Drive or Dropbox, add it as a Link, and put a price on the link. Fans get the link once they pay.

Is there a limit on how much I can upload?

Yes, storage and video depend on your plan. See Plan limits: Alo AI, video, email and storage.

Do buyers get a refund if they ask?

Sales aren't refunded by default. You can refund any payment yourself: on the Creator side, click Payouts in the left sidebar, then the Transactions tab.

Payouts and fees explainedWhat a sale costs and when you're paid Plan limits: Alo AI, video, email and storageAllowances for Alo AI, video, email, storage Make a block members-only or sell it onceLock a block to plans or sell it Connect your Stripe accountSet up payouts so fans can pay you

🆘 Need a hand?

Message us from the app: click Help & feedback at the bottom of the left sidebar. On a phone, tap the menu at the top-left first. We'll help you out.

Still need help? Ask the team