Creator invoice template: every line a brand expects
A brand's finance team does not know you. They check your invoice against what was agreed, next to fifty others.
The clearer each line is, the faster it moves. This template gives you every field a brand expects, so nobody writes back with a question.
- Copy the template, then fill in each field once.
- Give every deliverable its own line, with the platform and the date.
- Put usage and exclusivity on their own lines, with how long they last.
- Show the deposit already paid and the balance due.
- For a client abroad, give a pay link or the right bank details.
The template
Copy it, and replace everything in square brackets. For a walk through the whole process, from agreeing terms to late payers, read how to invoice a brand as a creator.
- Title: Invoice
- Invoice number: [0001, then 0002 and so on]
- Issue date: [The day you send it]
- Due date: [The date agreed, for example 14 days later]
- From: [Your name or business name, email, address if needed]
- Bill to: [Brand or agency name, billing contact, address]
- PO number: [If the brand gave you one]
- Campaign: [The campaign or project name they use]
- Lines: [One deliverable or extra per line, with its amount]
- Total: [Currency] [amount]
- Deposit paid: [Amount, and the date it was paid], or none
- Balance due: [Currency] [amount]
- How to pay: [Pay link, or bank details]
- Tax: [Only if you are registered for a sales tax]
Fill in your own details. A field you do not need, such as PO number, can go.
Deliverables, one line each
"Content, 1" tells the brand nothing, and the invoice waits while finance asks your contact what it means.
Write each line so someone who was not on the call can check it:
- The platform and the format: Instagram Reel, TikTok video, YouTube integration.
- The length or the count: 45 seconds, three Stories, 20 photos.
- The date it went live, or the date you delivered the files.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Instagram Reel, 45 seconds, posted 4 Nov | USD 400 |
| Three Instagram Stories with link sticker, 5 Nov | USD 150 |
| TikTok video, 30 seconds, posted 6 Nov | USD 300 |
| Total | USD 850 |
The lines should match your rate card and your quote word for word.
Usage rights and exclusivity
Anything beyond a post on your own feed is worth its own price.
Put each of these on its own line:
- Paid usage: the brand runs your content in its ads. Say for how long: "Paid usage of the Reel, 90 days".
- Organic usage: the brand reposts your content on its own accounts, for a set time.
- Exclusivity: you agree not to work with competitors. Say the category and the time: "Category exclusivity, skincare, 30 days".
- Raw files, if you hand them over.
Separate lines show the brand what it is paying for, and stop "usage" from quietly becoming forever. To set these prices, see usage rights and whitelisting: how to price them.
Deposit and balance
If you took a deposit, the balance invoice should show the whole deal, then take off what was paid. The brand sees the full total and the amount left in one place.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Deliverables, as above | USD 850 |
| Paid usage, exclusivity and raw files | USD 350 |
| Total | USD 1,200 |
| Deposit paid on 20 Oct, invoice 0041 | − USD 600 |
| Balance due by 17 Nov | USD 600 |
A few rules:
- The deposit has its own invoice, sent when the deal is agreed, with its own number.
- Each payment gets a receipt. Our freelance receipt template has one for each.
If you do not ask for a deposit yet, our guide on how to ask for a deposit has the words to use.
Payment details for another country
Many creators invoice brands in other countries: a creator in Lagos with a brand in Paris, or one in São Paulo with an agency in New York. The "How to pay" field matters most here. You have two main choices.
A pay link. The brand pays by card from the link, with nothing to copy into a banking system. Card fees apply, so check what you receive after fees.
Bank details. The brand sends an international transfer. Ask your bank which details it needs for payments from abroad. They usually include:
- Account name, exactly as your bank holds it.
- Bank name and address.
- Account number, or IBAN where your country uses one.
- SWIFT or BIC code, the code that identifies your bank across borders.
- Any routing or branch code your bank asks for.
Transfers can take days, and banks in the middle may take fees. Agree in writing who pays them. For the full picture, read getting paid by clients abroad.
In Piku, an invoice starts from your Rate, so the deliverable lines are already written. You add extras like usage, set a deposit by percent or amount, and each part becomes its own invoice with a pay link and a PDF. The brand pays by card or mobile money, a receipt sends itself, and reminders go out if it is late. The fee is 2% of each paid invoice, never more than $25. See how invoices and receipts work.
Questions
What should a creator invoice include?
An invoice number, the issue and due dates, your details and the brand's, one line per deliverable, any usage or exclusivity, the total in the agreed currency, and how to pay.
Should usage rights go on the invoice?
Yes, when the brand pays for them. Give paid usage and exclusivity their own lines, with the time they last, so the brand's finance team can see what it is buying.
What bank details does a client abroad need?
Usually your account name, your bank's name, your account number or IBAN, and the bank's SWIFT or BIC code. Ask your bank which details it needs for payments from abroad.