> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.qlero.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is the difference between a Payee, an Account and a Contract?

> The three levels your statement is built on, and what each one holds.

Qlero keeps your deal, your earnings and your payment details in three connected records.

**Contract.** One deal. It holds the royalty rates that turn sales into your earnings, and the costs charged against that deal.

**Account.** The balance. It shows what you’ve earned, what’s recouped, and whether you’re in the clear.

**Payee.** You, the party that gets paid. Your payable balance and your payments sit here. A payee can have several accounts.

Money moves upwards: a contract earns, its balance transfers to its account, and the account transfers to you.

Most artists have one of each and never need the distinction. It starts to matter when you have more than one deal with the same record company, because two contracts can sit under one account and share its recoupment, or sit under separate accounts and recoup independently. Which of those applies is part of your deal, so your record company can tell you how yours is set up.

## Next steps

* Read the same period at each level with [What is the dropdown next to my name?](/artists/statements/statement-levels).