---
title: How Shortlist Makes Money (and What It Never Sells)
url: https://theshortlistlocal.com/how-we-make-money/
updated: 2026-10-29
---

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[Shortlist*.*](https://theshortlistlocal.com/)

- [How selection works](https://theshortlistlocal.com/how-selection-works/)
- [For businesses](https://theshortlistlocal.com/claim/)

1. [Home](https://theshortlistlocal.com/)
2. How we make money

How we make money

# How we make money

Businesses pay us for three things. None of them buys a place on a shortlist, or a better one.

Updated **October 29, 2026**

01 Income

## Where the money comes from

Enhanced profiles **Yearly**

More photos, project details and listing monitoring. Labelled “Enhanced profile” on the page.

Quote requests **Per lead**

A flat fee per request a business accepts. You choose who receives yours, and see the names first.

Owner tools **Monthly**

Review requests and lead follow-up, sold separately.

02 Never

## What money never buys

- A place on a shortlist
- A higher position
- Removal of a fair, sourced fact
- Advance notice of an update

Paying businesses drop off lists like any other when they no longer meet the bar. We accept no gifts, free work or hospitality from listed businesses.

03 Labels

## How paid things are labelled

An enhanced profile says so on the profile. Quote forms say who receives your details. If we ever run an advertisement, it is marked “Sponsored” and sits outside every list.

[How selection works](https://theshortlistlocal.com/how-selection-works/)

04 FAQ

## Questions about money

### Who pays Shortlist?

Businesses. For enhanced profiles and for quote requests they accept. Never readers.

### Does a paying business get a better spot?

No. The shortlist is decided before we look at who pays. Paid things carry a label.

### Do you sell my details?

No. A quote request goes only to the businesses you tick. Nobody else gets it.

## Homeowners

- [All shortlists](https://theshortlistlocal.com/)
- [Ask for quotes](https://theshortlistlocal.com/quote/)

## Shortlist

- [How selection works](https://theshortlistlocal.com/how-selection-works/)
- [Corrections](https://theshortlistlocal.com/corrections/)
- [How we make money](https://theshortlistlocal.com/how-we-make-money/)
- [About](https://theshortlistlocal.com/about/)
- [Contact](https://theshortlistlocal.com/contact/)

## For businesses

- [Claim your free profile](https://theshortlistlocal.com/claim/)
- [Fix a fact](https://theshortlistlocal.com/corrections/)

Shortlist is an independent guide. Businesses can pay for an enhanced profile or for quote requests; no one can pay for a place on a shortlist or for its order. [How we make money](https://theshortlistlocal.com/how-we-make-money/).

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