X is testing a simpler way to pay video creators: show up consistently, post original vertical video, and collect a guaranteed bonus. The new pilot is called the Video Kickstart Bonus, and invited creators who meet its posting target can receive 3,000 dollars, with no requirement to hit a set number of views or engagements.
Allegra Jacchia, a creator product lead, announced the pilot in a post on X on October 15, saying the platform was "doubling down on video." The program is invite-only for now, with invitations rolling out over the following days, and enrollment for the pilot closes on October 30.
The rules reward consistency ahead of virality. To qualify, a creator must publish at least 15 videos across 15 different days during the 30-day campaign period. Each video must be vertical, run for less than three minutes, and be content the creator made themselves. One big video is not enough, and neither is a burst of uploads on a single day: the spread across 15 separate days is part of the test.
According to the program details shared from Creator Studio, there are no performance requirements attached to the payment. Participants do not have to reach a specified number of views, impressions, or interactions to qualify, provided they meet the posting conditions. That makes the bonus unusual among creator incentives, which usually pay only after a post performs.
Creators can also bring work they already have. Videos previously published on other platforms can count toward the 15-video target, as long as they belong to the creator and do not carry watermarks. That lowers the barrier for short-form creators who already post elsewhere and want to try distributing the same original work on X without building an entirely new pipeline.
Reports on the in-app details describe the bonus as a pathway into the Original Content Rewards tier, which would unlock additional monetization for qualifying creators. That connects the pilot to the broader shift in how X pays creators, away from the old revenue-sharing model and toward rewards for original material posted directly on the platform.
For creators who have not received an invitation, there is nothing to apply for yet beyond watching for one as the rollout continues over the next few days. For everyone else, the signal is clear enough: X wants a steady flow of original, vertical, under-three-minute video, and it is willing to pay a flat, predictable bonus to get creators into the habit of posting it.