How to Invoice a Brand and Get Paid on Time

You delivered the videos. The brand loved them. They said "these are perfect, thank you so much," and then nothing happened for five weeks.

If that has happened to you, you are not bad at business. You are just missing two things almost nobody teaches new UGC creators: a payment structure agreed before you film, and an invoice the brand's accounts team can actually process.

Late payment is not rare. Per Remote's Contractor Management Report 2025, 85% of freelancers say they get paid late at least some of the time. You cannot control a brand's finance department. You can control how clear your paperwork is, when you send it, and what you say when the due date passes.

This post gives you the full invoice template I teach, a worked example, three payment structures with the exact contract wording, and the reminder emails to send when an invoice goes quiet.

Invoicing starts in the contract, not after delivery

Most creators think about invoicing on the day they deliver files. By then the important decisions are already made, or worse, never made at all.

The invoice only follows the agreement. If the contract says "payment due on completion," you have very little to point to when "completion" turns into six weeks of silence. If the contract says "50% on signing, balance due 15 days after final delivery," your invoice is just a reminder of something the brand already agreed to.

So before your first shoot, decide three things:

• How you get paid: deposit and balance, milestones, or a monthly retainer.
• When each payment is due: a specific number of days, not "upon completion."
• What happens if it is late: usually that usage rights start on payment in full.

If you have not read a UGC contract closely yet, start with my walkthrough on how to read a UGC brand contract. Payment terms are one of the clauses I check first.

Three payment structures, with the wording to paste in

Pick one per contract. Paste the wording into the payment clause and fill in the brackets.

1. Deposit plus balance

Best for one-off projects and brands you have never worked with.

"A deposit of [amount] is due on signing and secures the production dates. The balance of [amount] is due [number] days after final delivery."

A deposit does two jobs. It protects you if the brand "loses budget" halfway through, and it tells you the brand is serious. A brand that will not pay any deposit on a first project is giving you useful information.

2. Milestones

Best for bigger packages, like a batch of videos with a draft round.

"Payment is split across milestones: [amount] on signing, [amount] on draft delivery, [amount] on final approval. Work on each milestone begins once the previous payment clears."

The last sentence is the important one. It means you are never more than one milestone of work ahead of the money.

3. Monthly retainer

Best for ongoing work where a brand wants a set number of videos every month.

"A monthly retainer of [amount] covers [deliverables per month], invoiced on [day] of each month and due within [number] days. Unused deliverables [do / do not] roll over."

Decide the rollover question up front. "We didn't send products this month, can we get double next month?" is a conversation you want settled in writing before it comes up.

The UGC invoice template

Here is the full invoice layout. Copy it into a document or spreadsheet once, set your numbering, and send every invoice from it.

Header

• Your name or business name
• Your business address, if your location requires one on invoices
• Your email

Invoice details

• Invoice number: [prefix]-[year]-[number], for example GC-2026-014. Never reuse a number.
• Invoice date and due date. Always both.

Bill to

• The brand's legal company name, which is often different from the name on the packaging
• The accounts or finance contact, if you have one
• A PO number, if they use purchase orders. Ask. Many larger brands cannot pay an invoice without one.

Project

• Campaign name and the date the contract was signed

Line items, one line per deliverable and one per add-on:

• Line 1: the deliverable, for example "UGC video, 30 seconds, concept: morning routine"
• Line 2: any add-on, for example "paid usage, 3 months" or "raw footage"
• Line 3: any deposit already paid, shown as a deduction

Totals

• Subtotal, a tax line only if you are registered to charge tax where you live, and the total due

Payment

• How they pay you: bank transfer or the payment platform you use
• Send account details separately and securely. Never put them in a shared or public document.

Footer line

• "Usage rights listed in the contract begin on payment in full."

That footer line matters more than anything else on the page. If you have read my post on usage rights vs whitelisting, you know usage is often the most valuable part of a deal. Tying it to payment gives the brand a real reason to pay on time.

A worked example

Say a skincare brand books you for two videos plus three months of paid usage, on a deposit plus balance structure. These numbers are only an illustration. Your rates come from your own pricing, not from this example.

• Invoice number: GC-2026-014
• Invoice date: November 3 · Due date: November 18 (15 days after final delivery, per the contract)
• Bill to: the brand's legal company name, the accounts contact, PO 4471
• Project: Holiday serum launch · contract signed October 20
• Line 1: UGC video, 30 seconds, "first-use reaction" concept · qty 2 · $300 each · $600
• Line 2: Paid usage, 3 months, both videos · qty 1 · $200 · $200
• Line 3: Deposit paid October 21 · minus $400
• Total due: $400

Look at why this works for the person paying it. Every line matches a line in the contract. The PO number is there, so it will not bounce back from the accounts team. The deposit is shown, so nobody pays it twice or argues about it. The due date is a date, not "net 15" they have to work out.

New to setting the numbers themselves? My UGC rate formula with a worked example walks through how I build a price from scratch.

When to send the invoice

The same day you deliver final files. Not at the end of the month, and not when you remember.

An invoice that arrives three weeks after the work quietly tells the brand there is no rush. An invoice that lands with the final files makes payment part of the delivery.

My delivery email is short:

"Hi [name], your final files for [project] are in the folder linked here. I've attached invoice [number] for the balance, due [date]. Thank you, this was a fun one to film."

Then log it right away: invoice number, client, project, dates, amount, structure, and which reminder stage you are on. A simple spreadsheet is enough. That record will save you at tax time and every time you need to know who has and has not paid.

What to say when an invoice is late

Put each reminder date on your calendar the day you send the invoice, so you are not deciding whether to follow up while you are annoyed. Keep the tone factual. You are not asking for a favor. You are pointing to an agreement.

On the due date:

"Hi [name], a quick note that invoice [number] for [project] is due today. It's attached again here."

A week past due:

"Hi [name], invoice [number] is now 7 days past due. Could you confirm when it's scheduled for payment?"

Two weeks past due:

"Hi [name], following up again on invoice [number]. Per our agreement, [late term from your contract] now applies, and usage rights start once it's paid in full. Can you send me a payment date?"

Most late invoices are not bad intent. The invoice went to the wrong inbox, it needed a PO, or your contact went on vacation. The first two reminders fix most of those.

If the third reminder gets no answer, it is time for a final notice with a firm date. The full sequence, including that last email and the record sheet that tracks every stage, is in the Pricing and Business Foundations module of the UGC Pro Accelerator.

A note on the law

Some places now protect freelancers on payment. New York State's Freelance Isn't Free Act, in effect since 2024, requires a written contract for many freelance jobs and sets a 30-day default for payment when the contract names no date. Rules differ by state and country, and this is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check what applies where you live, and when in doubt, put a clear due date in every contract so you never have to rely on a default.

The mistakes this prevents

• Starting work with no deposit, then hearing after delivery that the budget disappeared.
• One lump-sum line the accounts team cannot match to a PO, so the invoice bounces back unpaid.
• Waiting weeks to invoice, which tells the brand there is no rush.
• Apologetic chase emails, or none at all, so late payment becomes normal.
• Reused or missing invoice numbers that make your records and taxes harder than they need to be.
• Granting usage rights before payment, which leaves you nothing to hold when an invoice goes quiet.

Want help building the rest of your business side?

Results vary. Nothing here promises brand deals, clients, or income.

If you are just getting started, join the Free 7-Day UGC Challenge. It is free with email registration and runs November 30 to December 6, 2026, with one short task a day and a live call with me on Wednesday, December 2 at 4:00 PM PT. You set a rate you can explain and send your first pitches that week. That is the work that leads to your first invoice.

If you are already booking work and want the full business side, contracts, invoicing, packages and retainers, that is what the UGC Pro Accelerator covers. It is $297 one-time with lifetime access, and it includes the UGC Business Kit with a rate calculator and a deal tracker.

FAQ

What should a UGC invoice include?

Your name and email, a unique invoice number, the invoice date and due date, the brand's legal company name and any PO number, one line per deliverable and add-on, any deposit shown as a deduction, the total due, how to pay you, and a line stating that usage rights begin on payment in full.

When should I send an invoice to a brand?

The same day you deliver final files, unless your contract sets a different schedule, like a deposit invoice on signing or a retainer invoice on a set day each month.

Should UGC creators ask for a deposit?

For one-off projects and new brands, a deposit is a reasonable, common ask. It secures your production dates and protects you if the project is canceled. Put the deposit amount and due date in the contract.

How long should payment terms be?

Pick a clear number of days, for example 15 days after final delivery, and write it in the contract. Whatever you choose, use a real date on the invoice, not "upon completion."

What do I do if a brand doesn't pay?

Follow a factual reminder sequence: a note on the due date, a check-in a week late, and a reference to your contract's late terms two weeks late, then a final notice with a firm date. If the money is significant and the brand stays silent, look into the freelancer payment protections where you live, or talk to a professional.