The Six Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Paid UGC Brand Deal

1. What exactly is the scope?

List every deliverable with format, length, aspect ratio and quantity. Ask whether raw footage, alternative hooks, cut-downs or extra aspect ratios are included — each is extra work and, for a brand running ads, extra value. Note what the brand must supply (product, script, talking points, brand guidelines) and by when, because your deadline depends on it.

2. How many revisions are included?

Agree a revision cap, for example “up to two consolidated rounds of feedback”. Consolidated means one set of notes per round, not a stream of messages from different people. Define the difference between a revision (adjusting what was briefed) and a new request (a different script, product or concept), and agree who approves and how long the brand has to respond. If feedback is late, do not treat silence as approval — agree what happens instead. See handling scope creep.

3. Is usage organic only, or paid too?

Organic usage generally means the brand posts your content on its own social accounts, website or email without paying to promote it. Paid usage means the brand spends money to put it in front of people as an ad, which usually reaches far more viewers and is often priced separately. Ask for the duration and when it starts, the territories and platforms, whether the brand may edit or add text and music, and what an extension costs when the term ends. The usage rights checklist goes further.

4. Will ads run from your handle?

Whitelisting (also called creator-handle ads, and offered on some platforms as Spark Ads or partnership ads) lets the brand run ads that appear to come from your account. That is different from the brand posting your video on its own page: your name and audience are attached to the ad. Ask how access is granted, how long it lasts, how it is ended, whether you can see the ad copy and targeting, and who handles comments. Handle access is commonly agreed and priced separately from the content itself.

5. Is there exclusivity, and what if it is cancelled?

Exclusivity stops you working with competitors, so it costs you potential income. Pin down the category, any named competitors, the territory and the period, and whether it is reflected in the fee. Then ask what happens if the campaign is cancelled or paused: what is payable if the brand cancels before you start, after you have filmed, or after delivery, and what happens if the product never arrives.

6. What triggers payment?

Confirm the fee, currency and tax treatment, and the legal entity that will pay you — it may be an agency or a parent company rather than the brand name in your DMs. Then agree the invoice trigger (signature, delivery, approval or go-live), the payment terms, and the event that starts the clock: “Net 30” needs a starting point. Ask for the PO or campaign reference and the accounts payable email or portal. If you want a deposit or split payment (for example part on approval and the rest on go-live), agree it now; it is much harder to introduce later.

Worked example (illustrative)

This is a made-up scenario to show the questions in use; the figures are placeholders, not suggested rates.

A skincare brand messages Maya: “We'd love three UGC videos for our new serum, fee A$[X], can you deliver in two weeks?” Maya replies with the clarification email below. The answers reveal that the brand wants three 30-second vertical videos plus raw footage, two consolidated revision rounds, and paid ads on two platforms for six months — including three months from Maya's handle. They also ask for 90 days of skincare exclusivity. Payment is via their agency, Net 30 from receipt of invoice, invoiceable on approval.

The original message mentioned none of that. Maya now quotes the content, the paid usage, the handle access and the exclusivity as separate lines, proposes 50% on approval and 50% on go-live, and asks for the agency's legal name, PO number and AP email. Whatever the brand agrees goes into the written agreement before she films. If the brand declines the extras, she has a clear, smaller deal instead of an open-ended one.

Copy the checklist

Use it each time a brief arrives. Tick only what is confirmed in writing.

Paid UGC brand deal — pre-acceptance checklist

1. SCOPE
[ ] Every deliverable listed: format, length, aspect ratio, quantity
[ ] Raw footage, hooks, cut-downs or extra versions — included or extra?
[ ] Who supplies product, script, talking points and brand assets, and by when
[ ] Delivery deadline(s) and delivery method

2. REVISIONS
[ ] Number of revision rounds included (e.g. "up to two consolidated rounds")
[ ] What counts as a revision vs a new brief
[ ] Who approves, and how long the brand has to give feedback
[ ] What happens if feedback is late (silence is not approval)

3. USAGE RIGHTS
[ ] Organic only (brand's own channels) or paid ads too?
[ ] Duration (from which date?), territories and platforms
[ ] May the brand edit, cut or add text/music?
[ ] Fee for extending usage after the term ends

4. WHITELISTING / CREATOR-HANDLE ADS
[ ] Will ads run from your handle (whitelisting / Spark Ads / partnership ads)?
[ ] Access method, duration and how access is revoked
[ ] Whether you see or approve ad copy and comments moderation
[ ] Separate fee for handle access

5. EXCLUSIVITY AND CANCELLATION
[ ] Category, competitor list, territory and length of any exclusivity
[ ] Fee for exclusivity (it limits your other income)
[ ] Cancellation: what is payable if the brand cancels before/after you start
[ ] What happens if the brand pauses or the product never arrives

6. PAYMENT TRIGGERS
[ ] Fee, currency and tax treatment; who the paying legal entity is
[ ] Invoice trigger: signature, delivery, approval or go-live
[ ] Payment terms and the event that starts the clock ("Net 30 from ___")
[ ] PO/reference, accounts payable email or portal, deposit or split

Copy a clarification email

Polite and specific works best. Adapt the wording to your voice and send it yourself. This is a clarification message, not contract language — confirm the answers in your actual agreement before work starts.

Subject: A few details before I confirm — [campaign name]

Hi [name],

Thanks for sending the brief — I'd love to make this work. Before I confirm, could you help me pin down a few details so we're aligned from the start?

1. Scope: is it [number] × [length] videos in [aspect ratio], with raw footage [included / not included]?
2. Revisions: I include [number] consolidated revision rounds. Who will approve, and how long is the feedback window?
3. Usage: is this organic use on your own channels only, or will the content run as paid ads? If paid, for how long and in which countries?
4. Creator-handle ads: do you plan to run ads from my handle (whitelisting / Spark or partnership ads)? If so, for how long and how is access ended?
5. Exclusivity and cancellation: is there any category exclusivity, and what is payable if the campaign is cancelled after I start?
6. Payment: which legal entity will I invoice, when can I invoice (delivery, approval or go-live), what are the payment terms from that point, and where do invoices go (AP email or portal, PO number)?

Once we've agreed these, I'll confirm the schedule and we can put them in the agreement.

Thanks,
[your name]

About this guide

This guide is general educational information written by DUE. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not suggest what you should charge. Terms such as whitelisting, Spark Ads and partnership ads vary by platform and change over time; check the platform's current documentation. Tax treatment depends on where you and the brand are based — Australian creators can start with the current Australian invoicing guidance. For a significant agreement, seek independent professional advice.