Guide
Get paid before you shoot
This page is not legal, tax, financial, or other professional advice. For a live deal, talk to a lawyer and a tax or finance specialist in your jurisdiction — BlueRateCard is not either.
1. Put payment terms on the SKU, not in a later email
Every package on the card should say when money moves: 100% platform payment hold on checkout, or 50% deposit on signature and 50% held on the platform before the shoot. If terms only live in your head, the brand’s AP policy will win. Under $2,000, 100% before production is normal. Above that, 50/50 is the weakest you should accept — and the second 50% should not be “after our campaign report”.
2. Choose deposit or platform hold on purpose
Deposit: they pay you, you are on the hook to deliver, they trust you. Use it with repeat buyers. Platform payment hold: a processor captures the fee on the platform, you film, release on delivery (not licensed third-party escrow). Use it with new brands, agencies, and anyone who mentioned “we’ll pay on invoice”. Apple Pay / Google Pay on mobile still counts if the platform shows a real held balance — the brand funding via wallet is not the same as a screenshot of a bank transfer they “sent”.
3. Do not start until funds exist
Existing is not “the intern said finance approved it”. Existing is a hold, a cleared deposit, or a wire you can see — not a card authorization that may expire in about a week. A single auth does not fund a multi-week shoot or four milestone releases; you need a captured platform balance (or separate funding per milestone). Product shipping can happen in parallel only if you already have the fee secured — otherwise you are a free warehouse. If they cannot fund a $600 Reel, they cannot fund it after you spend Saturday shooting either.
4. Use the brief veto window
Money first does not mean you must say yes to a script you will not read on camera. A 48-hour review after payment lets you decline and refund. Film after you accept the brief, not after they paid a vague “campaign”. If they dump a 12-page script on hour 47, that is a new brief — reset the clock or add a rush fee.
5. Release on delivery, not on vibes
Delivery is the files posted or the UGC handed over per the SKU, plus the included revision round if they used it. It is not “when engagement looks good”. If they want a performance holdback, that is a different deal with a bonus — not a delay on the content fee. On a platform hold, trigger release the day you deliver, then do the optional extra Stories they forgot to buy as a new checkout.
Worked path: $1,200 Reel, new brand
| Step | What happens | Money |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Quote | Reel + paid usage 90d on card | $1,200 + $480 = $1,680 |
| 2. Checkout | 100% platform payment hold before shoot | $1,680 held |
| 3. Brief veto 48h | Accept script or refund | Hold stays / refund |
| 4. Film + deliver | Post + 1 revision | — |
| 5. Release | Platform hold releases on delivery | You receive $1,680 |
50% wire + Net 45 on the rest is how the second half vanishes. New brands: full platform hold.
Phrases that mean “pay later”
- “We’ll raise a PO next week” — no PO, no shoot. Ask for the PO number before you hold the date.
- “Net 30 from post” — you are financing their campaign. Price it or switch to a platform payment hold.
- “Our agency pays when the client pays” — you are in their float. Brand-funded platform hold, not a promise from the middle.
- “Just start, we’re good for it” — if they are good for it, checkout hold is easy.
Still choosing between escrow, a deposit, and Net terms? Use the escrow vs deposit vs Net terms comparison before you accept their AP default.
Tiny deals still count
Under $300
100% before you open the camera app. The cost of a bounce is a wasted afternoon, which is the whole fee.
$300–$3,000
100% platform payment hold or 50% deposit + 50% held. Do not film the second SKU until the first released cleanly.
Above $3,000
Written agreement plus platform payment hold. 50% deposit into your account is acceptable with a repeat client; still hold the rest.
Related guides
Payment & recovery
Upfront payment questions
+What is the difference between a deposit and escrow?
A deposit is money in your account before work — you are trusted, they are exposed if you vanish. A true escrow is money locked with a licensed third party until delivery. A platform payment hold (captured balance with delayed payout) is the common marketplace pattern — both sides are covered until release. Prefer a real hold over Net terms for people who have never worked together.
+When should I start production if funds are in a platform payment hold?
When the platform shows the payment secured on its balance (captured / held for the deal), not when they emailed “we paid”. A short card authorization can expire in about a week — do not shoot against an auth that may lapse mid-production. Screenshot the hold. Then the 48-hour brief clock can start.
+What happens if I decline the brief after they paid?
On a card with a veto window, decline returns the brand’s funds and you do not owe the work. Card refunds usually take several business days to show on their statement — not “instant cash.” Do not deposit-and-ghost — that is how creators get banned from brand lists.
+Is 50% upfront enough on a $4,000 deal?
It is standard. A 100% platform payment hold is cleaner: they fund the whole fee, you still only receive it on delivery. 50% wire + 50% “net 45 after post” is how the second half disappears into AP.
+Do I still invoice if they paid through checkout?
Keep a record for tax. You may still issue a zero-balance invoice marked paid via checkout / platform hold. You should not wait on a separate Net-30 cycle for the same SKU.
Let checkout be the contract
BlueRateCard has the brand pay before you start. Funds are held on the platform until you deliver, you get 48 hours to veto the brief, and you keep 100% of your rate. Brands pay 5% per deal, capped at $100. Free for creators.