How to invoice a brand as a UGC creator

Most brands won't pay until an invoice lands in their inbox. A good invoice gets approved on the first pass, while one that leaves questions open sits in someone's queue for weeks. Here's how to set up a brand deal so getting paid is the easy part.

Agree the terms before you film

The invoice is the last step. Most payment problems start earlier, when a deal is agreed in DMs and half the details are left out. Before you film anything, get these in writing (an email or a signed agreement both count; what to put in a freelance contract has the full clause checklist):

• Deliverables. How many videos, how long, what format (vertical, raw footage, hooks, captions), and for which platforms.
• Rate. A set fee per video or per package (see how much to charge for UGC if you are still choosing yours, or how to start UGC if this is your first brand). Be careful with performance-only deals (paid on views or sales): if the video never runs, you earn nothing for work you already did.
• Revisions. How many rounds are included, and what an extra round costs.
• Usage rights. Where the brand can use the video (organic posts, paid ads, whitelisting), and for how long. Paid usage is usually priced on top of the video itself.
• Payment terms. When you get paid, and whether there's a deposit. "Net 15" means payment is due 15 days after the invoice date; Net 15 and Net 30 are the most common.
• Who gets the invoice. Your contact is often a marketing manager who doesn't pay anything. Ask who handles invoices, and whether they need a purchase order (PO) number on it.

A short email that says "Confirming: 2 TikTok videos, 2 rounds of revisions, organic use for 3 months, $250 per video, 50% before filming and the rest on delivery, due in 14 days" is enough. If a brand won't confirm terms that simple, that tells you something before you've spent a day filming.

What to put on the invoice

A brand's finance team checks every invoice against what was agreed. Give them everything they need so they never have to email you back (billing a client rather than a brand? See how to write a freelance invoice):

• Your details: your name or business name, and your email.
• The brand's details: the company's legal name and the email of the person who pays.
• Invoice number and date. Number your invoices in order (1001, 1002, ...), never reuse one.
• A line for each deliverable, with the price for each.
• Usage rights and whitelisting as their own lines, with their term (see UGC whitelisting for how to price it).
• The total, and the due date.
• How to pay. A card payment link is the fastest option for most brands. If you take bank transfers, put the details here.
• A reference to the campaign or the PO number, if they gave you one.

Here's an example for the deal above:

Separate lines matter. When a brand later asks to run your video as a paid ad, a line that says "organic usage, 3 months" makes it obvious that paid usage is new work, priced separately.

Take a deposit before you film

A common story in UGC groups goes like this: a creator films the video, does five rounds of revisions, delivers the final files, and the brand stops answering. No invoice can fix that after the fact. A deposit at least means you're not doing all of the work for free.

The usual approach:

1. Agree a deposit up front. 50% before filming is a common split for new brands; some creators ask 100% upfront for small first orders.
2. Invoice the deposit first, as its own invoice, and start filming once it's paid.
3. Invoice the balance on delivery, referencing the deposit so the brand sees the full picture.

Brands you've worked with before and who pay on time can earn better terms. New brands, especially ones that found you through a DM, should start with a deposit. Not sure a brand will pay at all? Vet it before you film. If a brand offers only commission or pay-per-views instead of a fee, read performance-based UGC pay before you answer.

Monthly retainers

When a brand keeps you on for a set number of videos a month, don't negotiate a new invoice every time. Agree a monthly amount, what it covers (for example 4 videos a month), and the day each month you invoice. Then send the same invoice on the same day every month. (The full setup, from scope to notice period, is in the UGC retainer guide.) Brands like predictable bills, and you'll spot a missed payment right away.

Sending it

• Send it as soon as the work is approved, not at the end of the month. The payment clock only starts when the invoice arrives.
• Send it to the person who pays, and copy your contact so they can push it through.
• Use a clear subject line: "Invoice 1002 from [your name]: Serum launch videos, due Oct 31".
• Make paying easy. A link they can pay by card in a minute gets paid faster than bank details someone has to type into their bank's website.

When a brand pays late

Brands pay late more often than they refuse to pay. Usually the invoice is stuck with someone who forgot about it. (For how long brands typically take, see when UGC brands pay and how to get paid.) A calm, regular follow-up works better than one angry email:

1. The day after it's due: a short, friendly note. "Hi, just checking that invoice 1002 for the Serum videos reached the right person. It was due yesterday. Here's the link to pay."
2. A week later: the same note, this time to the finance contact as well. Ask if anything is missing for them to approve it.
3. Two weeks later: be direct. Say when you expect payment, and that you can't start new work for them until the invoice is paid.

For wording you can copy for each step, see the overdue invoice email sequence. Keep everything in writing. If you agreed a late fee before you started, this is when you can apply it. Adding one afterwards rarely goes well.

Taxes, briefly

You're running a small business, so keep a copy of every invoice you send and every payment you receive. Brands in the US often ask for a W-9 before they pay a new creator, so have one ready. Whether you need to charge sales tax on your work depends on where you and the brand are based. Ask an accountant if you're not sure.

A checklist before you hit send

• The deliverables, rate, revisions, usage and payment terms were agreed in writing
• One line per deliverable, with usage and whitelisting listed separately
• Invoice number, date, due date and total are on it
• It's going to the person who pays, with your contact copied
• The brand can pay by card from the invoice itself
• You know when you'll follow up if it isn't paid

Juggling several brands? Here is a simple system for tracking every collab, with work and payment status kept apart.