UGC retainer: what to agree and how to bill it every month
What a monthly UGC retainer covers, what to write down before the first video, and how to invoice the same brand every month without renegotiating.
Updated Nov 5, 2026 · 5 min read
In short
A retainer is a fixed monthly fee for a fixed amount of work. Write down the number of videos, the revisions, the usage rights, the invoice day and how either side can stop, then send the same invoice on the same day every month. Start with a trial month if the brand is new to you.
On this page
A retainer means a brand pays you the same amount every month for a set amount of work. For you it is steadier income and fewer pitches. The catch is that nothing keeps it tidy unless you write the rules down, and you bill the same brand again and again. Here is how to set one up and get paid on it.
What a retainer is (and isn't)
A retainer reserves your time each month for a fixed fee and a defined scope. Instead of selling one video at a time, you sell, say, four videos a month for one price. Creators in Influencer Marketing Hub's roundup describe flat-fee retainers anywhere from about $1,200 to $3,500 a month, depending on volume and how much production each video needs. Those are examples from creators who shared their numbers, not a rate card. Your own number should come from your per-video rate (see how much to charge for UGC) times the videos you agree to, with a small discount for the steady work if you want to offer one.
A retainer is not "unlimited videos for a monthly fee" and it is not open-ended access to you. The point of the fixed scope is that both sides know what the fee buys.
What to agree before the first video
Vidovo's starter agreement outline is written from the brand's side, but its checklist is the one a creator should insist on too. Get these in an email or a signed agreement:
- Videos per month, with length and format (for example 4 videos, 30 seconds, vertical).
- Revisions. How many rounds are included in each video, and what counts as a reshoot instead of a revision.
- Approval window. How long the brand has to approve a video. Without one, work can sit in review until the month is over.
- Usage rights. Organic posts only, or paid ads and whitelisting too, on which platforms and for how long. Paid usage is normally priced on top, and whitelisting has its own fee.
- Extra work. What an additional video costs, so a request for a fifth video is a quote and not a favour.
- Unused videos. If the brand sends no briefs this month, do the videos roll over or are they lost? Decide it now. "Use it this month or lose it" is simple and protects your income.
- Exclusivity. If the brand wants you to avoid competitors, say which category and for how long, and price it.
- Payment terms. The monthly fee, the day it is invoiced, and how many days the brand has to pay.
- Ending the retainer. A notice period (14 or 30 days are common examples) so neither side is trapped, and so you are not suddenly without income overnight.
For a longer deal, or a client who isn't a UGC brand, see the retainer agreement guide for a fuller template. A short confirmation email is enough: "Confirming our retainer: 4 vertical videos a month, 1 round of revisions each, organic use for 3 months, $800 a month, invoiced on the 1st and due within 14 days, cancel with 30 days notice."
Try a trial month first
If a one-off client asks about a retainer, or you want to offer one, a single trial month lowers the risk for both sides. One month tells you whether the brand briefs on time, approves in a reasonable window and pays when due. If it goes well, roll into the monthly agreement. If it doesn't, you have lost a month and not a quarter. If the brand wants to pay part of the retainer only on results, see performance-based UGC pay first.
Bill in advance, not in arrears
Whether you invoice at the start of the month or the end changes your risk a lot. If you invoice at the end, you are doing a month of work on trust. If you invoice at the start, the brand has paid before you film.
For a new brand, ask for the month's fee at the start of the month. If they push back, a middle ground is half at the start and half on delivery. Either way, put the invoice day in your confirmation email so that it does not feel like a surprise later.
If a brand pays late, the follow-up steps in the invoicing guide work the same for a retainer: a friendly note the day after the due date, a second one a week later, and a direct message about pausing new work after that. UGC payment timing covers what brands typically do.
What goes on a retainer invoice
A brand's finance team will match each month's invoice against the agreement, so make that easy:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly UGC retainer, October (4 videos, organic use 3 months) | $800.00 |
| Extra video outside the retainer, approved Oct 12 | $250.00 |
| Amount due by Nov 15 | $1,050.00 |
(The amounts are an example.) Name the month, say what it covers, and list anything outside the retainer as its own line. A new invoice number each month, the brand's legal name and the person who pays make it easy to approve.
Keep a simple monthly routine
(If you have several brands, the collab tracking system shows how to keep each month's videos and invoice in one place.)
Retainers go wrong quietly. A month slips by without briefs, or an invoice goes unsent because nothing prompted you. A routine fixes most of that:
- First of the month: invoice goes out for the month.
- Week 1: confirm this month's briefs are in. If they are not, remind the brand now, in writing.
- Delivery dates: deliver each video as it is ready, not in one batch at month end.
- End of the month: check what was delivered against what was agreed, and flag any shortfall caused by the brand, so the rollover rule is clear.
When the retainer ends
Brands do change budgets. If you get a notice, check it against the notice period you agreed, finish the videos already briefed, send the last invoice and save the brand's details. A brand that ended a retainer on good terms is a good one to pitch again.
If the brand stops answering rather than giving notice, treat it as late payment: invoice what is owed, follow up in writing, and stop new work until the open invoice is paid.
Taxes, briefly
Retainer income is income. Keep a copy of every invoice and record every payment, and ask an accountant how it should be reported where you live. Brands in the US often ask a new creator for a W-9 before paying, so have one ready.
Checklist
- Videos per month, length and format are written down
- Revisions, approval window and extra-work price are agreed
- Usage rights and exclusivity are named, with their term
- The invoice day, due date and notice period are in your confirmation email
- You invoice at the start of the month for new brands
- Each month's invoice names the month and what it covers
Common questions
- How much should a UGC retainer cost?
- Start from your per-video rate times the videos per month, with a small discount for steady work if you want to offer one. Price paid usage, whitelisting and exclusivity on top.
- Should I invoice a retainer at the start or the end of the month?
- For a new brand, at the start of the month, so they pay before you film. Invoicing at the end means doing a month of work on trust.
- What happens to unused videos in a UGC retainer?
- Decide it in writing before the first month. The simplest rule is that unused videos don't roll over, which protects your income when a brand sends no briefs.
- How do I end a UGC retainer?
- Give the notice period you agreed (14 or 30 days are common), finish the videos already briefed, and send the last invoice.
Set the retainer up once, get a new invoice every month
On the brand's page, add a subscription: the monthly amount and the day it starts. Each month the brand gets an invoice by email with your name on it and pays by card, no account needed. It is not charged automatically, so the brand still pays each invoice, and you can pause or cancel it any time. Your first 3 invoices are free.
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