I’ve done freelance work of various kinds of many years now.

Often I’m confronted with the decision of whether or not I should lower my price for one client or another.

Sometimes these clients are friends, or just organizations who I like but I know don’t have much funding.

The point is, it can be a complicated decision, but it’s my decision to make every time.

If someone stepped in and tried to make it for me, like in this story, I’d be pretty upset

AITA for not lowering my commission prices for a friend?

So I’m a digital artist trying to get commissions going.

I’m still kinda building up my portfolio stuff but I set my prices where they feel right for where I’m at skill-wise.

My friend saw my rates and asked for a cheaper full-color character piece because “we’re buds” or whatever.

But a lower price just wasn’t feasible for the time.

I told him my prices are set since it’s gotta cover my time and effort you know Even as friends I can’t just hand out free work.

He got all huffy about it, called me greedy and said I wasn’t a real friend if I cared about money over him.

Thing is I offered to do a quick sketch for free but he shot that down said it wasn’t the same.

Still, they’re doubting themselves.

Now I’m stuck wondering.

Was I being unfair here?

Like part of me thinks maybe I should’ve just knocked off a few bucks to keep things chill but then again why should I, right?

When you put hours into something it’s not exactly charity work even for friends yk

Let’s see what the comments make of this:

Why is this conversation never the other way around?

These things are a bonus, not an entitlement.

Like come on, dude.

With generative AI and everything else already trying to choke artists out from making a living, why would you wanna contribute to that trend with your own friend?

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.