A UGC invoice bills a brand for the videos you made and the rights they bought. It needs your details and theirs, a unique invoice number, the brand's PO number if they gave you one, one line per deliverable, usage and whitelisting as separate lines, a due date and exactly how to pay. Here is a filled-in example, then every section explained.
Free to use. A template to adapt, not tax or legal advice. See every section.
Example UGC invoice
A hypothetical invoice from a fictional creator to a fictional brand. The amounts are placeholders that show the layout, not suggested rates. Swap in the numbers from your own agreement.
The example, in numbers
Line items
$2,450
Usage and whitelisting
$850
Subtotal
$3,300
Deposit already received
−$1,250
Balance due
$2,050
Terms
Net 15, due November 27, 2026
Hypothetical figures from the fictional invoice shown. They illustrate the arithmetic, not what to charge.
InvoiceINV-0428Issued November 12, 2026 · Net 15 · PO PO-7731
FromJamie Morgan@jamiemakesjamie@jamiemakes.co
Bill toNorthwind OutdoorAlex Rivera, Brand Marketingap@northwind.example
1
Deliverables
Description
Qty
Rate
Amount
Vertical UGC video, up to 30 seconds, edited and ready to post
4
$500
$2,000
Raw footage from the shoot
1
$300
$300
Extra hook variations
3
$50
$150
2
Rights
Usage rightsPaid usage for 90 days from first use
$450
WhitelistingAds through creator's account for 30 days
$400
3
Total
Subtotal$3,300
Deposit received−$1,250
Balance due$2,050
4
Terms
Net 15: payment due by November 27, 2026. Overdue balances accrue a late fee of 1.5% per month. Billed under signed agreement UGC-0428.
5
Payment
Pay by Bank transfer (ACH): ACH · Routing ending 0210 · Account ending 4471. Due November 27, 2026.
Thanks for a great collab. Content delivered November 12 via the shared folder.
✦
Thank you
Thank you for the collaboration.
Made with UGC Invoices · ugcinvoices.com
Fictional creator, brand and amounts. Not a rate guide.
What a UGC invoice has to do
An invoice is the document a brand's accounts payable team actually pays from. The marketer who hired you approves it, but finance matches it against a purchase order, a vendor record and often the signed agreement. If any of those don't line up, the invoice waits in a queue until someone asks you to fix it.
UGC is billed differently from a sponsored post because the brand is buying files and a licence, not a slot on your feed. That is why the example separates production (videos, raw footage, hook variations) from rights (paid usage and whitelisting). Splitting them shows the brand what each part cost and makes it simple to bill an extension later without reopening the whole deal.
Before the first invoice, most brands ask for tax details. US creators working with US brands commonly provide a Form W-9, and creators outside the US are usually asked for a W-8BEN instead. Send it as soon as the deal is confirmed, because many finance teams can't set you up as a vendor, or pay you, without it.
For creators and for brands
If you’re the creator
Use the same legal or business name on the contract, the tax form and the invoice. A name that doesn't match the vendor record is one of the most common reasons a first invoice is sent back.
Write the due date as a calendar date, not only as "Net 15". It removes any argument about when the clock started.
Put payment details on the invoice itself. Every email asking "how do we pay you?" adds days.
If you’re the brand or its finance team
Tell creators up front where invoices go, which legal entity to bill and whether a PO number is required. Creators can't guess your process.
Check that the usage term on the invoice matches what your media team plans to run. Anything longer is a new purchase.
Collect the W-9 or W-8BEN before the work starts so the first payment isn't held up by vendor setup.
Every section of a UGC invoice, explained
The sections below follow the order of the example invoice. Each one says what to write and what the other side will check.
From: your details
Your legal name or business name, the handle the brand knows you by, an email for payment questions and a mailing address. If you invoice through an LLC or other company, use that name and make sure it matches your tax form.
Creators: If your handle and legal name differ, include both. The marketer knows the handle and finance knows the legal name.
Brands: Confirm the payee name matches the W-9 or W-8BEN on file before approving.
Bill to: the brand
The brand's legal entity name (which may differ from the brand name on the packaging), the person who approved the work and the accounts payable email if there is one.
Creators: Ask your contact where invoices should be sent. An invoice that only reaches the marketer is often forwarded late.
Brands: Put the billing entity and AP address in the brief or the contract so it's right the first time.
Invoice number, issue date and terms
A unique number for every invoice (INV-0428, then INV-0429 and so on), the date you issued it, and the payment terms such as Net 15. Finance systems flag duplicate numbers, and a clean sequence keeps your own records straight.
Creators: Never reuse a number, even for a corrected invoice. Issue a new number and note which invoice it replaces.
PO number and contract reference
Many brands raise a purchase order before work begins and can only pay invoices that quote it. If you were given a PO number, put it near the top. Add the reference of the signed agreement too, so anyone checking the invoice can see what was agreed. If the deal isn't signed yet, get that done before you invoice, for example with UGC Contracts (ugccontracts.com).
Creators: Ask for the PO number when the deal is confirmed, not when you're chasing payment.
Brands: If your process requires a PO, issue it before the creator starts. A missing PO is a delay on your side, not theirs.
Deliverables
One line per thing you made, described clearly enough that someone outside the deal understands it: how many videos, how long, what format. Quantity times rate equals the amount. Raw footage and hook variations get their own lines instead of being folded into the video price.
Brands: Check each line against the deliverables in the contract. If something was added mid-project, the invoice should say so.
Rights: usage and whitelisting
Paid usage and whitelisting are rights rather than production, so they sit in their own section with the term written out, for example paid usage for 90 days from first use. The wording should match the licence in your contract.
Creators: Writing the term on the invoice gives you a dated record to point to if ads are still running after it ends.
Brands: If you expect to run the content longer, ask for an extension price now rather than after the term lapses.
Subtotal, tax, deposit and balance due
Show the subtotal, any sales tax or VAT you're required to charge, any deposit already received and the balance due. Whether tax applies depends on where you and the brand are based and how the work is classified, so check with an accountant rather than guessing.
Creators: Show the deposit as already received so the brand doesn't pay it twice.
Payment terms and method
The due date, any late fee your contract allows, and exactly how to pay: bank transfer details, a PayPal or Wise address, or a payment link. Finance teams pay what's on the page, so include everything they need to send the money.
Brands: If you can only pay by one method, say so before the invoice arrives.
Sample wording you can copy
Line items and terms written the way finance teams read them. Replace the bracketed parts with the details from your own deal.
Line item: videos
[4] vertical UGC videos, up to [30] seconds each, 9:16, edited with captions, delivered [November 12] via [shared folder]
Line item: raw footage
Raw, unedited footage from the [November 8] shoot, delivered as original files
Line item: usage rights
Paid usage rights on [TikTok and Meta] ads for [90] days from first ad spend, per agreement [UGC-0428]
Payment terms
Payment due within [15] days of the invoice date, by [November 27, 2026]. Overdue balances accrue a late fee as set out in agreement [UGC-0428].
Email to send with the invoice
Hi [Alex],
Attached is invoice [INV-0428] for the [four videos] delivered on [November 12], quoting PO [PO-7731]. The balance of [amount] is due by [November 27], and payment details are on the invoice.
Could you confirm it has reached accounts payable? Thanks again for the collaboration.
[Jamie]
Make your UGC invoice
Add your videos, usage and whitelisting, and the builder lays out a clean invoice you can download or share.
Your name and contact details, the brand's legal name and billing contact, a unique invoice number, the issue date, payment terms and due date, the PO number if the brand uses one, one line per deliverable, usage rights and whitelisting as separate lines, any tax, any deposit received, the balance due and your payment details.
Do I need a PO number on a UGC invoice?
Only if the brand uses purchase orders, but many do, and their systems often can't pay an invoice without one. Ask your contact whether there is a PO number when the deal is confirmed and put it near the top of the invoice.
Should usage rights be a separate line on a UGC invoice?
It helps. Listing paid usage and whitelisting separately, with their terms written out, shows the brand what the rights cost and gives both sides a dated record of when they end. It also makes an extension a simple new invoice.
Do UGC creators need to fill out a W-9?
US creators paid by US brands are commonly asked for a Form W-9 so the brand has their taxpayer details. A brand may then issue a Form 1099-NEC to contractors it pays above the IRS reporting threshold in a year. Creators outside the US are usually asked for a W-8BEN instead. Check with an accountant for your situation.
Can I invoice before I deliver the content?
If your contract includes a deposit, yes: invoice the deposit when the agreement is signed and the balance on delivery. Otherwise most creators invoice once the final files are delivered and approved.
How should I number my invoices?
Any system works as long as every number is unique and they run in order, for example INV-0428, INV-0429. Don't reuse a number for a corrected invoice. Issue a new one and note which invoice it replaces.