Surrogate base compensation often begins after the contract’s pregnancy-confirmation milestone, not when you submit an application and not always on transfer day. Other payments—such as an allowance, screening expenses, travel, medication, or transfer fees—may begin earlier.
Your contract should name the trigger, amount, due date, and payment source for each category.
Ashley expected a monthly payment after signing
Ashley signed her agreement and saw that escrow had been funded. She assumed base compensation would begin the next month.
Her contract used a different trigger: pregnancy confirmed by the clinic at the required stage. Before that point, she could receive approved travel, a transfer payment, and other expenses. Base installments had not started.
The milestones before base compensation
- Screening is complete.
- The match is accepted.
- The agreement is signed.
- Required funds are placed in escrow.
- The clinic gives legal and medical approval to proceed.
- Medication and embryo transfer occur.
- The contract’s pregnancy-confirmation trigger is met.
The exact order and trigger can differ. ASRM recommends legal agreements and financial arrangements before treatment begins.1
Payments that may happen earlier
- Approved screening travel or childcare
- Medication-start allowance or expenses
- Embryo-transfer fee
- Monthly allowance, if the contract starts it before pregnancy
- Lost wages for approved appointments
These are not always part of base compensation. Keep each category on a separate line.
Turn the contract into a payment calendar
- Payment name
- Trigger
- Amount
- Due date
- Proof required
- Who sends it
- Who to contact if it is late
What the early months may look like
During screening, Ashley received reimbursement for approved travel but no base compensation. After legal clearance, escrow was funded. At medication start, she received only the payment listed for that stage. The transfer fee was paid after the procedure. Base compensation began later, when the clinic documented the pregnancy milestone named in her contract.
This is not a universal schedule. It shows why “When do I get paid?” needs more than one answer. Ask for your actual milestone dates and confirm whether a payment is compensation, an allowance, a fee, or reimbursement.
What if the transfer is canceled or unsuccessful?
A canceled cycle, completed transfer, negative pregnancy test, and early pregnancy loss may have different payment rules. Review each result before medication begins. Ask which expenses remain covered, whether a transfer payment is still earned, and what must happen before another attempt.
Do not use expected base compensation to cover bills due before the contract’s pregnancy trigger. Build the early-stage budget from money you already have and payments that are clearly guaranteed.
Questions women often ask
Do I get paid for the application or screening?
Do not assume there is an application payment. Approved expenses may be reimbursed. Ask what is covered before spending money.
Is the transfer fee part of base compensation?
It may be separate. Your agreement should say whether it is paid for each attempt and what happens after a canceled or failed transfer.
Who sends the monthly payment?
It is often sent through an escrow account, but the agreement should identify the administrator, schedule, and late-payment process.
Budget from the first guaranteed trigger
Ashley stopped treating the signature date as payday. She used the written trigger. Compare base and total compensation and understand monthly allowances.