A good rate on paper means very little if the money arrives 90 days late, depends on undefined "approval", or can be reclaimed weeks after it lands. Payment clauses are where a strong-looking deal can quietly turn into a cashflow problem.
Creators in the 10k to 100k range rarely have the leverage of a big agency, which is exactly why the payment terms matter so much. These are the clauses that decide whether the deal actually pays.
The clauses to watch on payment
- Payment milestones undefined, no clear schedule for when each portion is due. Undefined timing almost always slips in the payer's favour.
- Extended payment terms, net-60 or net-90 windows that push your money months down the line. Net-30 or sooner should be your target.
- Clawback rights on paid fees, lets the brand reclaim money already paid, sometimes for loosely defined reasons. One of the highest-risk payment clauses.
- Fee contingency, ties your payment to performance metrics or conditions you may not control.
- No kill fee on termination, if the brand cancels, you get nothing for work already done. A kill fee protects your time when a deal collapses mid-flight.
- Deposit terms, what an upfront deposit should look like to de-risk the engagement for you.
- No additional compensation, locks the fee even where scope, usage or exclusivity later expands.
- No premium for exclusivity, you give up competing work but the fee does not reflect it.
How to protect yourself
- Get a deposit and a schedule. Aim for part upfront and clearly dated milestones for the rest.
- Shorten the terms. Negotiate net-30 or better, with a late-payment interest line for overruns.
- Insist on a kill fee. If they can cancel for convenience, you should be paid for work completed and time committed.
- Resist clawbacks. If a clawback stays in, tie it to narrow, defined causes and a short time limit, never open-ended discretion.
Quick questions
What payment window is reasonable? Net-30 is a common, healthy target. Net-60 and net-90 shift the cashflow risk onto you and are worth pushing back on.
Should I always ask for a kill fee? If the brand can terminate for convenience, yes. Otherwise a cancellation can leave you unpaid for real work.
The fee is the headline; the payment clauses are the fine print that decides if you ever see it. Check them before you sign, not after the invoice goes unpaid.