How to Price Your First UGC Deal: the Rate Formula with a Worked Example

The first time a brand replied to me with "what's your rate for three videos?", I typed a number, deleted it, typed a smaller one, and sent that. I had no idea what I was actually selling. I just knew I didn't want to scare them off.

That's how most beginners price their first deal. One number, pulled out of the air, sent in a panic. And the problem isn't only that the number is usually too low. The problem is that one number hides everything you're handing over: how long the brand can use the video, whether they can run it as an ad, whether they get your raw clips, whether they can post from your account.

After 6+ years of doing UGC and 1000+ brand deals, the single biggest pricing change I made wasn't raising my rate. It was splitting my quote into lines. That's what I teach every new creator I coach, and it's what this post walks you through, with one full example you can copy the shape of.

If you want the ranges for what beginners are charging right now, I already broke those down in what beginner UGC creators charge in 2026. This post is the next step: how to turn a brief into a quote a brand can actually say yes to.

Why one number is the most expensive way to quote

When you send a brand a single total, three things happen.

First, they can't see what costs what. So when they push back, the only thing you can move is the total, and you end up discounting your actual creative work.

Second, they assume everything is included. If your $450 quote didn't say "organic use only," a lot of brands will read it as "we can use this forever, anywhere, including ads."

Third, you forget things. Raw footage is the classic one. You hand over every clip you filmed, which is some of the most reusable material in the whole deal, and it never shows up on the invoice.

A line-item quote fixes all three. The brand sees exactly what each piece costs, you have something to remove instead of something to discount, and nothing leaves your hands without a price on it.

The UGC rate formula

Here is the formula I use, written in plain words. Every line is its own item on the quote, and a line only appears if the brand actually asked for it.

1. Base line = your base per video × number of videos
2. Usage line = base line × (your usage multiplier − 1), blank if the brand only wants organic use
3. Paid ads line = your paid ads add-on, if you price paid use separately from usage
4. Whitelisting line = your monthly whitelisting fee × number of months
5. Raw footage line = your raw footage add-on, if they want unedited clips
6. Exclusivity line = your exclusivity fee × number of months, if they ask you to avoid competitors
7. Rush line = your rush add-on applied to everything above it, if the deadline is shorter than your standard
8. Revisions line = your extra revision fee × extra rounds beyond the one you include

Quote total = the sum of every line that isn't blank.

That's it. It looks like a lot, but on most first deals you'll only use three or four of these lines.

What each line actually means

Base per video. This is the price for one video, organic use, standard length, one round of revisions. It's your creative fee. You set it once, before you talk to anyone, and you don't change it mid-call. If you're not sure where to start, the ranges in my beginner rates post are a reasonable reference point, but your base should reflect your own time, skill and costs.

Usage. Usage is how long and where the brand can use your video after you deliver it. Organic use on their own social accounts is the starting point. Paid use, longer time frames and perpetual rights are worth more, because the brand gets more value out of the same video. You define a few tiers (for example 3, 6 and 12 months, plus perpetual) and give each one a multiplier.

Paid ads. Some creators fold paid use into the usage tier. Others charge for it as its own line. Either works, as long as you pick one method and stick to it. In the example below, I fold it into usage.

Whitelisting. This is when the brand runs ads from your account, so the ad shows your name and handle. On Meta this runs through partnership ads, and you grant the permission from your own professional account. Per Meta's developer documentation (updated June 2026), that permission can cover one post or your whole account. On TikTok it's Spark Ads, where you generate a code for a specific post and choose how long it's valid. Because this permission runs over time, it's priced per month.

Raw footage. Your unedited clips. Brands love raw footage because their editors can cut it into a dozen new ads. Price it.

Exclusivity. If a brand asks you not to work with competitors for a period, you're turning down future work. That has a cost, and it goes on its own line.

Rush. If they need it faster than your normal turnaround, the rush add-on applies to the total of everything above it.

Revisions. One round is included in your base. Extra rounds are their own line.

A worked example, line by line

Let's price a real-shaped brief. The numbers here are round, illustrative figures I picked so the math is easy to follow. They're not a recommendation for your rate, and they're not a promise of what any brand will pay. Results vary. Nothing here promises brand deals, clients, or income.

The brief: A skincare brand wants 3 videos. They want to run them as paid ads for 6 months. They'd like to run 2 months of those ads from your TikTok account. They want your raw clips. Normal deadline. No exclusivity mentioned.

Your settings (decided before the call):

• Base per video: $150
• Usage multipliers: 3 months 1.3 · 6 months 1.5 · 12 months 1.8 · perpetual 2.0 (paid use included)
• Whitelisting: $75 per month
• Raw footage: 30% of the base line
• Rush: 25% (not needed here)

The math:

• Base line: $150 × 3 = $450
• Usage line (6 months paid): $450 × (1.5 − 1) = $225
• Paid ads line: blank, because paid use is inside the usage tier
• Whitelisting line: $75 × 2 months = $150
• Raw footage line: 30% × $450 = $135
• Exclusivity, rush, revisions: blank

Quote total: $960

And here's how it looks when you paste it into your reply:

3 UGC videos (organic use, 1 revision round): $450

Paid usage, 6 months: $225

Whitelisting via Spark Ads, 2 months: $150

Raw footage, all 3 videos: $135

Total: $960

What happens when they push back

This is where the line items earn their keep. Say the brand replies, "Our budget is closer to $700."

With a single number, your only move is to lower it, which means lowering the value of your creative work. With line items, you ask a better question: "Happy to work with that. Which of these do you want to keep?"

If they drop the raw footage and the whitelisting, the quote becomes $450 + $225 = $675. Your base stayed exactly where it was. The brand got a smaller package, not a cheaper you.

That one move is the reason I'll never go back to quoting a lump sum.

The checklist I run before every quote

Before you send any quote, run through these. It takes two minutes and saves you from the mistakes I see most often when I review students' first deals.

• [ ] I set my base and add-ons before this conversation, not during it
• [ ] Usage is listed as organic only unless the brand confirmed paid use in writing
• [ ] Whitelisting is priced per month, with a start and end date
• [ ] Raw footage is either on its own line or clearly excluded
• [ ] Exclusivity is either priced or clearly not included
• [ ] The included revision round is stated
• [ ] Every line the brand didn't ask for is removed
• [ ] The quote matches what the contract will say (more on that in my post on how to read a UGC brand contract)

Mistakes I see on first quotes

Copying someone else's numbers. Another creator's rate reflects their speed, their niche and their portfolio. Use ranges as a reference, then decide your own base.

Changing your base mid-call. If you go into a call without your settings written down, you will discount under pressure. Everyone does. Decide first.

Forgetting that whitelisting keeps running. If you charged for one month and the permission is still active in month three, the brand is getting free ad time from your account. Match the permission length to what you charged, and check it when the period ends.

Giving raw footage away as a "bonus." It feels generous. It's also the material a brand can keep cutting into new ads for as long as they hold the rights.

Saying yes to exclusivity without pricing it. If you can't work with another skincare brand for three months, that's real work you're turning away.

How this fits into your first 90 days

Pricing is one piece of landing a first paid deal. You also need a portfolio that shows a brand what you can make, a pitch that gets a reply, and a simple way to deliver and get paid. When I coach new creators, I see the same pattern: the ones who set their pricing structure early negotiate more calmly, because they're not inventing numbers on the spot.

Want the full system behind the formula?

If this formula clicked for you, the 90-Day UGC Growth Roadmap is the next step. It's $27, and it's the day-by-day plan I built for creators going after a first paid brand deal with no experience or following required. It includes scripts, pitch decks, pricing calculators and a contract outline, and by day 90 you'll have built a starter portfolio, an onboarding and delivery system, and a ready-to-send rate card. Get the 90-Day UGC Growth Roadmap here.

FAQ

How much should a beginner UGC creator charge for one video?

There's no single right number, because your base should reflect your own time, skill and costs. I keep current beginner ranges in my beginner UGC rates post. Pick a base inside a range you can defend, then build everything else on top of it with line items.

Is usage the same thing as whitelisting?

No. Usage is the brand's right to use your video on their own channels, including as an ad from their account. Whitelisting is permission to run ads from your account, under your name and handle. They're priced separately because they're different permissions, and whitelisting is usually charged per month.

Should I charge extra for raw footage?

Yes. Raw clips let a brand's editors build new ads from your filming without hiring you again. Put it on its own line, either as a flat fee or a percentage of your base line, so it's visible and easy to remove if the budget is tight.

What do I do if the brand's budget is lower than my quote?

Ask which lines they want to keep instead of lowering your base. Removing raw footage, shortening usage or dropping whitelisting brings the total down without discounting your creative work.

Do I need a contract for my first UGC deal?

Yes, even a simple one. Your quote and your contract should describe the same things: number of videos, usage length, whitelisting months, raw footage, revisions and payment terms. If they don't match, the contract is what counts.