Payoff 
A successful mission generates some sort of reward. Most missions will award some intel (but only recon missions are guaranteed to award intel).
- Assault missions weaken the conspiracy. Rewards are usually crew xp and promotions.
- Supply missions strengthen your crew. Usually the reward is an asset or contact.
- Recon missions produce information, so they always provide intel.
- Defence missions thwart the conspiracy, so rewards can be a mixture of intel, assets, and promotions.
The GM section has guidance on generating mission rewards, but you can usually expect to gain 1-3 intel on a standard mission, or double that on a recon mission.
The director will record any intel that has been awarded - any intel they can’t store in the vaults will need to be spent immediately.
The rewards given out should always be what was originally promised. Don’t give them false intel, don’t reward them with a double agent or fake asset, don’t make picking up the reward some sort of trap. These types of things are staples of spy fiction, but the players will be dealing with enough problems. When it comes to getting paid, just give them what they earned.