Guide
Influencer kill fee when the brand cancels
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.
Kill fee % by stage
Stages beat vibes. “We killed it early” means nothing unless early is defined. Use objective triggers: brief accepted in writing, shoot wrapped, first edit delivered, post live. Percentages below are working ranges on the content fee — usage and rush already paid may have separate non-refundable rules.
| Stage when brand cancels | Kill fee % of content fee | What you keep / deliver | Typical deposit math |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brief accepted (no shoot yet) | 15–25% | Release the date; no files owed | $2,000 job, 50% deposit: kill 20% = $400 → refund $600 of deposit |
| Shoot done (no edit yet) | 60–75% | Optional raw handoff only if paid as add-on | 70% of $2,000 = $1,400; $1,000 deposit kept; invoice $400 |
| Edit sent (first cut delivered) | 75–90% | Brand may buy the cut as UGC with a fresh licence | 85% = $1,700; deposit applies; balance due on cancel notice |
| Posted / delivered live | 100% | Full fee; kill fee N/A — this is delivery | Chase as unpaid invoice, not as kill |
Rush premiums already paid for a cleared weekend are typically non-refundable even at the brief-accepted stage — you already declined other work.
Cancel vs pause vs brief rewrite
Brands blur these on purpose. A pause longer than your hold window is a cancel at the current stage. A rewrite that changes SKU, location, or talent is not a free reset — it is either a change order or a kill-and-rebook. If they accepted a Reel brief and return with a 3-location YouTube integration, kill the Reel at brief-accepted percentage and quote the new job clean.
Weather / force majeure
Define it. Outdoor shoot rain-outs reschedule once inside 7 days at 0% kill; after that, brief-accepted kill or a hold fee of 10% per week.
Talent illness
Your illness: offer one reschedule. Their product recall: their cancel — stage % applies.
Internal rebrand
Not force majeure. If legal kills the campaign after your shoot, they buy the kill percentage.
Write the clause so AP can pay it
AP pays line items that look like invoices. On cancel, send INV-KILL-1042 for the kill balance within 48 hours, due upon receipt. Reference the stage and the SOW paragraph. Creators who only DM “you still owe me something” wait months.
- Spell stages in the SOW with the same labels as your rate card.
- State that kill fees are due on the cancel notice date, not Net 30.
- Separate usage: if they keep a cancelled cut for ads, that is a new licence.
- Do not waive kill fees for “future work” unless that future work is signed and prepaid.
- Ask a tax specialist how to report kill-fee income; it is still income.
Kill fees protect the inventory of your time. Pair them with deposits or a platform payment hold so the percentage is collectible, not theoretical. A 70% kill on a $0 deposit is a collection project — which means you are back on a recovery timeline instead of a clean cancel invoice.
Worked cancel: $2,400 package · 50% deposit
| Stage when they cancel | Kill % | Amount due | Vs $1,200 deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| After brief accepted, before shoot | ~25% | $600 | Refund ~$600 |
| After shoot, before first edit | ~70% | $1,680 | They owe $480 more |
| After first cut delivered | ~85% | $2,040 | They owe $840 more |
| After posted / accepted | 100% content fee | $2,400 | They owe $1,200 more (or full if no deposit) |
Illustrative bands — put your exact % in the SOW. Deposit applies toward the kill; you do not also collect 100% delivery.
Related guides
Contracts & delivery
Kill fee questions
+Walk a $2,400 deal cancel after shoot with a 50% deposit?
Deposit $1,200 already paid. Shoot-done kill ~70% = $1,680 due. They owe $480 more; you keep the $1,200. If they cancel at brief-only (~25% = $600), you refund $600 of the deposit per your SOW — write the stage table before the fight.
+What percentage applies if they cancel after the shoot?
A working range is 60–75% of the content fee once principal photography is done, before a first edit — you already cleared the day and cannot resell that calendar. If a first cut was delivered, move to the 75–90% band.
+Does a kill fee replace the content fee or sit on top?
It replaces the unpaid balance of the content fee for cancelled work. You do not stack 100% delivery plus a kill fee. Deposits already paid usually apply toward the kill fee; refund only the surplus if any.
+Who pays if the brand pauses for product delays?
If they pause more than your written hold window (e.g. 14 days) after brief acceptance, treat it as a soft cancel at the brief-accepted kill percentage, or rebook with a new start gun. Product stuck in customs is their logistics problem unless you sold a waiting retainer.
+Can I keep the deposit when a kill fee triggers?
Yes when the contract says deposits are non-refundable and apply to kill fees. Example: $2,000 fee, 50% deposit ($1,000), cancel at shoot-done (70% = $1,400) → they owe $400 more; you keep the $1,000.
+Should kill fees appear on the rate card or only in contracts?
Both. A one-liner on the card (“Cancellation after brief acceptance: 25% kill fee”) sets expectation; the SOW carries the stage table. Cards without kill language invite free cancellation the night before the shoot.
Cancel less often with prepaid deals
BlueRateCard holds brand funds on the platform before you clear the shoot day. You keep 100% of your rate; brands pay 5% per deal, capped at $100. Free for creators. Waitlist open.