Payment terms for creators: deposits, Net 30 and kill fees explained

Agreeing a fee is only half a deal. The other half is when and how you get paid, and that's the half most creators skip. It's how you end up delivering a campaign in March and seeing the money in July, or spending two weeks on a video that the brand cancels the day before it goes live, with nothing to show for it.

Payment terms fix that. They're a few lines in your agreement, and they're completely normal to ask for. Here's what each one means, what's common, and exactly what to say.

The terms you'll see, in plain words

Term	What it means
Net 30	Payment is due 30 days after a starting point, usually the invoice date
Net 15, Net 60, Net 90	Same idea, different number of days
Due on receipt	Payment is due as soon as they get the invoice
Deposit or upfront payment	Part of the fee paid before you start the work
Balance	Whatever's left after the deposit
Milestone payments	The fee split into chunks tied to stages of the work
Kill fee	What you're paid if the brand cancels after you've started
Late fee	An extra charge if they pay after the due date
PO (purchase order)	A reference number some companies need before they can pay an invoice

The single most important thing to check in any "Net" term is when the clock starts. "Net 30 from invoice date" and "Net 30 from end of campaign" can be months apart. So can "Net 30 from receipt of an approved invoice", because approval can take as long as the brand likes.

Why payment terms matter so much

Say you agree a three-month campaign worth 6,000 USD, all paid at the end, on Net 60 from the campaign end date. You start in January. The campaign ends in March. You get paid in late May.

That's roughly five months of work before you see a cent, and the brand has been holding your money the whole time. If they cancel halfway, or go out of business, you may never see it.

Now say the same deal is 50% upfront and the balance on Net 30 from each invoice. You get 3,000 USD in January and the rest by April. Same fee, very different life.

Deposits: how much and how to ask

A deposit protects you from a brand disappearing, and it proves they're committed. It's standard in freelance creative work, and brands that work with creators regularly are used to it.

Common starting points

These are rules of thumb, not fixed standards. Adjust for the deal and the relationship.

Situation	A common starting point
New brand, first deal	50% upfront
Small one-off deal	50% or even 100% upfront
Repeat brand you trust	25% to 50% upfront
Large campaign over several months	A deposit plus milestone payments
Heavy upfront costs (travel, props, crew)	Enough upfront to cover those costs, at minimum

For small deals, asking for full payment upfront is perfectly reasonable. It's often less admin for the brand, too.

How to ask

Don't make it a big deal. State it as part of your normal terms, alongside the fee.

Great, for the Reel and two stories the fee is 1,200 USD. My standard terms are 50% on signing and the balance on delivery, payable within 15 days of each invoice.

Happy to send the agreement over when you're ready.

Notice it doesn't say "would you mind if" or "I usually try to". It's just how you work. That tone matters: a deposit presented confidently is usually accepted, and a deposit presented apologetically invites pushback.

If they push back

Some larger companies have rigid finance processes and say they can't pay upfront. Options:

• Offer a smaller deposit: "I can do 25% upfront if that works better for your process."
• Split into milestones: payment on script approval, then on delivery.
• Tie the deposit to signing, not to the start date: some finance teams find that easier.
• Ask for a shorter balance term in exchange: "Without a deposit, I'd need the full fee on Net 15 from delivery."

If a brand refuses any deposit, any milestone and any reasonable payment term, treat it as information about how they'll behave when the invoice is due.

Net 30, Net 60, Net 90: negotiating the long ones down

Many brands, especially larger ones and agencies, have standard payment terms of Net 60 or Net 90. It's rarely personal. It's how their finance department works.

That doesn't mean you have to accept it. Terms are negotiable, and asking costs nothing.

What to try

Just ask. A surprising amount of the time, a brand can offer shorter terms for smaller suppliers and individuals. Ask plainly:

Thanks for sending the agreement. Everything looks good apart from the payment terms. As an individual creator, I work on Net 30 from invoice. Could we update that clause?

Offer a trade. If they genuinely can't shorten the terms, ask for something in return:

• A deposit, so less of the fee is waiting on the long term
• A higher fee to reflect the wait (some creators add a percentage for anything longer than Net 30)
• Fewer usage months or narrower usage rights
• Payment on milestones rather than one lump at the end

Fix the start date. If you can't shorten Net 60, make sure the clock starts on something you control, like the invoice date, rather than something they control, like "invoice approval".

I can work with Net 60, but could we have it run from the invoice date rather than approval? That way we both know exactly when it's due.

Get a supplier setup done early. Ask for any supplier or vendor forms at the start. A lot of "Net 60" invoices actually take 90 days because the creator wasn't in the system yet.

When to walk away

Long terms plus no deposit plus a brand you've never worked with is the riskiest combination. For a small deal, that might be fine. For a big one that ties up weeks of your time, it's reasonable to decline, or to insist on a meaningful deposit.

Kill fees: getting paid when a brand cancels

A kill fee (sometimes called a cancellation fee) is what you're owed if the brand cancels the project after you've agreed to it. It exists because by the time a brand cancels, you've usually already:

• Blocked out time and turned down other work
• Written scripts, shot footage or bought props
• Maybe even delivered drafts

Without a kill fee, a cancellation leaves you with none of that time back and none of the money.

Common structures

A kill fee is usually tied to how far along the work is. A common pattern:

When the brand cancels	A common starting point
After signing, before any work starts	25% of the fee, or the deposit is non-refundable
After concept or script approval	50% of the fee
After filming or first draft delivered	75% to 100% of the fee
After final delivery	100% of the fee

Plus any expenses you've already incurred, like travel or props, which should be reimbursed on top.

If you took a deposit, a simple approach is making the deposit non-refundable and adding stages above it.

Kill fees vs the brand's right to reject

Brands will often want the right to reject content that doesn't meet the brief. That's fair, but it shouldn't become a way to cancel for free. Watch for clauses that let them reject for any reason with no payment. A balanced agreement usually:

• Gives you a set number of revision rounds to fix issues
• Defines what counts as meeting the brief
• Still pays a kill fee if they walk away after you've done the work in good faith

Milestone payments for bigger campaigns

For campaigns over several weeks or months, one payment at the end puts all the risk on you. Milestones spread it out.

A hypothetical three-month campaign worth 9,000 USD might split like this:

Milestone	Payment
Signing the agreement	30% (2,700 USD)
Month one deliverables live	25% (2,250 USD)
Month two deliverables live	25% (2,250 USD)
Final deliverables live	20% (1,800 USD)

Each milestone gets its own invoice with its own payment term. If the brand stops paying mid-way, you stop working, and you've only been exposed for one stage rather than the whole thing.

Monthly retainers are a simpler version: a fixed fee each month, invoiced at the start of the month, for a set amount of content.

Sample contract language

These are examples of wording creators commonly use. They're a starting point, not legal advice. Laws on contracts, late fees and interest vary by country and state, and for larger deals it's worth having a lawyer review your standard agreement once so you can reuse it.

Deposit and balance:

The Brand will pay 50% of the total fee upon signing this agreement. The remaining 50% is due upon delivery of the final content. Each invoice is payable within 15 days of the invoice date.

Payment term start date:

Payment terms run from the date of invoice. Invoices will be issued on the dates set out in the payment schedule.

Kill fee:

If the Brand cancels this agreement after signing, the Creator will retain the deposit. If cancellation occurs after concept approval, the Brand will pay 50% of the total fee. If cancellation occurs after content has been delivered for review, the Brand will pay 100% of the total fee. In all cases, the Brand will reimburse pre-approved expenses already incurred.

Late payment:

Invoices not paid by the due date will incur a late fee of 1.5% per month on the outstanding amount, or the maximum permitted by law, whichever is lower.

Usage conditional on payment:

All usage rights granted under this agreement take effect upon receipt of payment in full.

Expenses:

Pre-approved expenses, including travel and props, will be invoiced separately at cost and are payable on the same terms as the fee.

That last usage clause is quietly one of the most useful lines you can add. If a brand doesn't pay, it means they don't have the right to keep running your content.

Putting it into practice

A simple set of default terms you can adapt for most deals:

1. Small deals: 100% upfront, or 50% upfront and 50% on delivery.
2. Medium deals: 50% on signing, 50% on delivery, Net 15 or Net 30 from invoice.
3. Large or long campaigns: deposit plus milestones, each on Net 30 from invoice.
4. Always: a kill fee schedule, a late fee clause, and usage rights that begin on payment.

Write your defaults down once, so you're not inventing them each time a brand says yes. Then when a brand sends their own contract, compare their terms against yours and push back on the gaps. If you'd rather not build this from scratch each time, Vantr lets you send a contract for e-signature and then invoice deposits and balances against the same deal.

Mistakes to avoid

Accepting the brand's first contract without reading the payment section. It's often buried near the end. Read it specifically.

Starting work before the agreement is signed. Once you've delivered, your leverage to negotiate terms drops to almost nothing.

Not invoicing the deposit immediately. If the terms say 50% on signing, send that invoice the same day they sign.

Forgetting that "Net" can start late. Always check what starts the clock.

Not asking because it feels awkward. Brands negotiate payment terms with every supplier they have. You're one more supplier. Asking is normal.

Frequently asked questions

Is asking for a deposit unprofessional?

No. Deposits are standard across freelance creative work. Presenting one as part of your normal terms is professional. Most brands that regularly work with creators expect it.

What if the brand uses its own contract?

That's common, especially with bigger brands. Read the payment, cancellation and usage sections closely and ask for changes where they don't work for you. A contract being their template doesn't make it non-negotiable.

Can I charge more for Net 90?

You can ask. Some creators price longer terms higher to reflect the wait. The worst answer is no, and at that point you can decide whether the deal still makes sense.

Do I need a kill fee for small deals?

It's still worth including, even if it's just "the deposit is non-refundable once work begins." It takes one line and protects the time you've blocked out.

The short version

Agree on when you get paid, not just how much. Ask for a deposit as a normal part of your terms, negotiate long Net terms down or trade them for something, define exactly when the clock starts, and include a kill fee, a late fee and usage rights that begin on payment. Write your defaults down once and use them every time. It's a few lines in an agreement, and it's the difference between getting paid for your work and hoping to.