Guide
Proof of delivery for brand payment disputes
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.
Evidence pack checklist
Folder name idea: YYYY-MM-Brand-SKU-delivery. Drop each item the day you deliver.
- Signed SOW / checkout receipt stating deliverables, fee, and due terms.
- Final brief version (PDF or email) you actually shot against — dated.
- Live URL(s) for organic posts, or unlisted/private links if that was the deal.
- Screenshot or export of post insights page showing publish time (optional but useful).
- Brand approval email/Slack: “approved to post” or “files accepted” with timestamp.
- File delivery record for UGC: email with link, Drive access log, or WeTransfer confirmation.
- Revision log: what they requested, what you changed, when you resent — caps the “endless edits” story.
- Invoice PDF with matching invoice number, amounts, and payor legal name.
- Payment chase thread: reminder dates and any partial-payment receipts.
- Usage/whitelisting grant emails if those were separate paid lines — proves scope delivered.
Delivery vs quality vs performance
| Claim type | What proves your side | What does not |
|---|---|---|
| “You never delivered” | URL + timestamp + approval-to-post | Your memory of a verbal “looks good” |
| “Quality isn’t what we wanted” | Brief match + included revision used/expired | Their later taste change after go-live |
| “It didn’t convert” | SOW with flat fee (not CPA) + delivery proof | Their ROAS dashboard as a reason to withhold the fee |
| “Wrong caption / missing disclosure” | Approved caption doc + your correction offer within SLA | Silent hope they will not notice FTC issues |
If the SOW was performance-based, you need those metrics definitions in writing — most creator deals should not be.
Timestamps that matter
Brief accepted
Starts production clocks and veto windows. Save the email, not just the Canva link.
Files sent / post published
This is delivery for most fee triggers. Same calendar day as the invoice when you can.
Approval received
Kills “we never signed off.” If they posted via partnership tools, capture that confirmation too.
Invoice due
Anchors late-payment policy. Without a due date, “late” becomes a feeling.
Practical example: You post a Reel at 14:03 on 3 Aug, email AP the URL at 14:10 with invoice INV-218 for $1,850 due 17 Aug. Brand approved the cut on 2 Aug at 19:41. That four-timestamp chain beats a month of “circling back” when someone claims the files were lost in spam.
Build the pack even when they pay
Evidence packs are cheapest on happy deals. When the platform payment hold releases against delivery, you still keep the folder — tax, disputes six months later, or a reused asset argument. Creators on BlueRateCard stay free; brands pay 5% capped at $100 for the rail that makes “did you deliver?” a boring yes.
If a dispute is already live, assemble the pack before the next emotional email. Send facts once. Then follow your demand or small-claims path with a lawyer’s input where the balance justifies it.
Related guides
Contracts & delivery
Proof of delivery questions
+What counts as proof of delivery for a Reel deal?
A live public URL (or unlisted link if that was the SOW), the post timestamp, and any written brand approval that preceded go-live. Add the brief version you followed. Views and “performance” are not delivery.
+How long should I keep approval emails and timestamps?
At least through the payment clear date plus your local limitation period for contract claims — practically, archive for 3–7 years on larger deals. Cloud folders beat screenshots lost in a camera roll.
+Do screenshots of DMs count as delivery evidence?
They help as supporting colour, especially for scope changes, but they are weaker than email/SOW plus a live URL. Export DM threads with dates visible; do not rely on DMs as your only contract.
+What if the brand claims they never received the files?
Send delivery via tracked channels: email with attachment or a link that logs access, plus a same-day confirmation note. For UGC, require a written “files received” reply before the revision clock starts.
+Should proof of delivery live in the same thread as the invoice?
Yes when possible — one AP-friendly thread: deliverable links, approval, invoice, reminders. Fragmented Slack + IG DMs + a random Drive folder is how disputes get fuzzy.
Release against delivery, not vibes
BlueRateCard releases the platform payment hold when delivery conditions are met — creators keep 100% of rate, brands pay 5% capped at $100. Free for creators on the waitlist.