No purchase, no pay

"No purchase, no pay" (or "no prey, no pay") was a phrase used by pirates and privateers, of the 17th century in particular, to describe the conditions under which participants were expected to join expeditions or raids.

But if a raid was successful, then loot was often shared equitably and democratically with clear ratios based on seniority and length of service.

[4] The phrase was used extensively to describe arrangements for pirates working on the Spanish Main in particular.

The concept is said to have encouraged increased risk-taking as pirates made a calculated decision to attack more valuable targets with a better risk-reward ratio.

[5] Hender Molesworth, Governor of Jamaica, is known to have issued privateer and even pirate-hunting contracts with strict "no purchase, no pay" clauses.