DUE editorial / Practical guide
The Post Is Live. What Still Has to Happen Before You’re Paid?
Go-live closes the content step, not necessarily the billing or payment steps.
The short answer
A live post completes the content step, not the payment. You still need any required approval, the agreed billing trigger, an issued invoice that Finance accepts, the due date to pass, and money actually received before the collab is paid.
From live content to received money
1. Done
Content posted or agreed assets delivered. Save the link and date; this does not itself prove payment is due.
2. Approval or acceptance
Only if the agreement requires it: get the named person's approval or acceptance. Otherwise move on.
3. Invoiceable
The agreed billing trigger has happened: delivery, go-live, approval or another specified milestone.
4. Invoiced
Issue and actually submit the valid invoice to the agreed Finance/AP destination. A draft is not sent.
5. Accepted by AP
Confirm Finance received and accepted it; resolve a missing PO, wrong entity or rejected submission.
6. Due
Calculate the due date from the agreed start event and terms; outstanding is not necessarily overdue.
7. Paid
Check actual bank/payment records and the amount received. A promise or remittance note alone is not cash received.
Content posted → approval/acceptance if required → billing trigger reached → invoice issued → Finance/AP accepts it → payment due → money actually received. The agreement may place approval elsewhere or not require it at all.
Where a live post can get stuck
Your campaign post is live on 2 October. The agreement says invoice on go-live, with no further approval required. You issue the invoice on 3 October, but the brand's portal rejects it for a missing PO. The work is invoiceable and the invoice was attempted, but AP has not accepted a valid submission. Ask for the PO and resubmit; calculate the due date from the event your actual terms specify, not from the post date by habit.
Copy the post-live handover
After-post checklist and owners
After the post goes live — [campaign] [ ] Live link / delivery proof and date: ____ [ ] Is approval or acceptance required by the agreement? yes / no; owner and status: ____ [ ] Billing trigger and date reached: ____ [ ] Invoice number, date, amount and currency: ____ [ ] Sent to AP email / portal on: ____ PO/reference: ____ [ ] AP receipt/acceptance confirmed by: ____ on: ____ [ ] Agreed due-date start event: ____ actual due date: ____ [ ] Payment records checked through: ____ amount actually received: ____ Next action: ____ Owner: ____ Follow-up date: ____
Give each open step an owner
If approval is required, ask the approver. If the invoice is rejected, ask AP what is missing. If the valid invoice is accepted but not yet due, monitor it. If overdue, check recent receipts and follow up on the facts. A promised payment date is a follow-up commitment, not proof of receipt.
Track your next collab
Keep the live deliverable, invoice and payment record together. You decide when to invoice and confirm what has actually been paid.
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