How to invoice a brand as a creator (and get paid on time)

Plenty of creators do the work, publish the post, and then wait months to be paid because the invoice was wrong, went to the wrong person, or was never chased.

Invoicing isn't complicated. It's just a set of details that a finance team needs in order to pay you, and if any of them are missing, your invoice sits in someone's inbox rather than in their payment run.

Here's exactly what to send, when, and what to do when it goes quiet.

What must be on the invoice

A finance department is processing hundreds of these. Missing details mean it gets set aside, and nobody tells you.

Your details. Your name or business name, address, and tax registration number if you have one.

Their details. The correct legal entity name, not the brand name. Large companies often trade under a name that differs from the one on the purchase order, and paying the wrong entity is a problem for them.

An invoice number. Any consistent sequence. INV-001, INV-002. It matters more than it sounds, because both sides refer to it.

Invoice date and due date. Write the actual due date, not just "Net 30". Make it impossible to misread.

A line-by-line description. What you delivered, specifically. "1 x Instagram Reel, published 14 March" plus "30-day organic usage licence" plus "2 x Instagram Stories". Vague descriptions cause queries, and queries cause delays.

The amount, per line and as a total, with the currency stated. If you're invoicing internationally, "$" is ambiguous, so write USD or CAD or AUD.

Tax, if you charge it, shown as its own line.

Payment details. Bank details, or a payment link. Make paying you the easiest possible action.

A purchase order number, if they gave you one. This is the single most common reason an invoice stalls at a large company. If they mentioned a PO number anywhere, put it on the invoice.

Send it to the right person

The marketing contact you've been emailing usually cannot pay you.

Ask, before you deliver: "Who should I send the invoice to, and is there a PO number or a portal I should use?" Some large brands require you to submit through a supplier portal and will simply ignore an emailed invoice.

Send it to accounts payable, and copy your marketing contact. The contact is the person who can chase it internally, which turns out to be most of what gets invoices paid.

When to send it

As soon as you've delivered, unless the contract says otherwise. Not at the end of the month, not when you get around to it. Payment terms usually start from the invoice date, so a week of delay is a week added to when you get paid.

If your agreement includes a deposit, invoice for that before you start work, and don't start until it clears. A deposit is not rudeness, it's standard commercial practice and it filters out the brands who were never going to pay.

Terms that get you paid faster

Net 15 rather than Net 30. Ask. Plenty of brands agree, especially smaller ones, and it halves your wait.

50% up front for larger projects. Normal, and it protects you from the worst outcome.

A stated late fee. Even if you never enforce it, its presence changes how the invoice is treated. Check what's enforceable where you are.

Multiple ways to pay. A bank transfer plus a card link removes friction. Some brands find a card payment far easier to approve than a new supplier bank record.

Plain language. "Within 15 days" is clearer than "Net 15" to a marketing contact who doesn't process invoices daily.

When it goes past the due date

Most late payments are administrative rather than malicious. The invoice went to the wrong inbox, the approver was on leave, or it missed the payment run. Assume that first, because a friendly chase works far more often than an angry one.

A schedule that works:

Three days after the due date. Short and light.

Hi Sam, just a quick nudge on invoice INV-014 for the March Reel, which was due on the 3rd. Let me know if you need anything from me to get it processed. Thanks!

Two weeks after. Slightly firmer, and ask a direct question.

Hi Sam, following up on INV-014, now two weeks past due. Could you let me know when it's scheduled for payment, or point me to the right person in accounts payable? Happy to resend if it's been misplaced.

One month after. State the position plainly and set a date.

Hi Sam, INV-014 is now 30 days overdue. Could you confirm a payment date by Friday? If it's easier to resolve with someone in finance directly, I'm happy to be introduced.

Keep every one of these polite. You are almost always dealing with someone who wants to pay you and is buried, and the relationship is worth more than the satisfaction of a sharp email.

If it reaches 60 days, escalate beyond your contact, reference the agreement, and be explicit that you'll pause future work until it's settled. That's a reasonable position and most brands respond to it.

Keep the record straight

Two things save real time later.

Number your invoices in one continuous sequence across all clients. It makes your own year-end far simpler and it looks professional.

Log what you were paid, when, and for what. Not for its own sake, but because at tax time you need a total, and because when a brand comes back next year you want to know instantly what you charged and what was included.

If you're chasing more than one or two invoices at a time, the chasing is what eats your week. Vantr builds the invoice from the deal so the deliverables and licence terms are already on it, sends the reminders on a schedule, and logs the payment against the deal when it lands. It's free to start. A numbered template and a calendar reminder do the same job. The important part is that the reminders actually happen, because unchased invoices are the single largest source of unpaid creator work.

Common questions

Do I need to be a registered business to invoice a brand?

In most places you can invoice as an individual or sole trader. Requirements differ by country and by how much you earn, and some brands prefer to work with a registered entity. Check what applies where you live, and speak to an accountant if you're not sure.

What if they never gave me a contract?

Invoice anyway, referencing the email where the scope and fee were agreed. A specific email exchange is evidence of an agreement. Then get a contract for the next one.

Should I charge tax?

That depends entirely on where you live, where they are, and whether you're registered. It is not something to guess at. Ask an accountant once and you'll know for years.

How long should I wait before chasing?

Three days after the due date is not rude. Waiting a month is how invoices get forgotten.