In the case of commercial surrogacy, a portion of the monetary transfer between the intended parent(s) and the surrogate is given to the latter to compensate for her contribution. Based on a study of the practices of the 10 most important intermediation agencies for surrogacy in the Unites States, the paper studies the amount, form, legal status and use of such compensations, and shows that it cannot be equated with real payment for work. Surrogacy work can thus be interpreted as a form of ‘contested labour’, i.e. an activity that has all the characteristics of work, but actually takes place in a sector where socio-economic institutions prevent the activity from being recognized as such.