The work is done, the files are sent, and now comes the part nobody teaches: actually getting paid for it. A clean invoice — sent at the right moment, with the right details — is most of what stands between "delivered" and "paid."
What belongs on the invoice
Keep it simple, but don't skip anything:
- Who it's from and who it's to. Your name or business, and the brand's name.
- An invoice number. Makes it easy to reference in a follow-up.
- A due date. Net-7 or net-14 is common for UGC; state it explicitly rather than assuming.
- Line items. What you delivered, broken out — "2x UGC video, organic use" and "Ad usage rights, 3 months" as separate lines, not one vague total.
- The total. Add it up and make it impossible to miss.
Send it at delivery, not after. Invoicing right when you hand over the final files keeps the ask tied to work the brand just received — waiting a week or two makes it easier to forget, and easier to deprioritize.
Build one in seconds
Skip rebuilding an invoice from scratch every time — the UGC Invoice Generator is free, takes your line items, and downloads a clean, branded PDF in seconds. No signup, nothing saved.
When a payment goes quiet
Most late payments are oversight, not refusal — an invoice buried in an inbox, an approval stuck with someone else. The move is a short, direct follow-up:
- Wait a few days past the due date before nudging — don't chase the same day it's due.
- Reference the invoice number and date so there's no ambiguity about what you're asking about.
- Keep it friendly and factual — "just following up on invoice INV-0042, due the 1st — let me know if you need anything from me to process it."
Protect yourself before you start, not after
A deposit up front (commonly around 50% for new brands or bigger projects) means you're never fully exposed if a relationship falls apart mid-project. Combine that with clear terms in your contract up front, and invoicing becomes a formality — not the moment you find out whether you'll actually get paid.
How invoicing works on Plug
Inside Plug, invoices pull straight from the deal record — no retyping totals from a contract into a separate document — and payment status tracks itself on the deal instead of living in your memory. See how the whole flow fits together on how UGC deals work on Plug, or generate a free invoice right now.