Getting paid is the least glamorous part of UGC and the one that causes the most trouble. In France the problem is rarely that the client refuses to pay: it is that nobody wrote down when, how and against what payment happens.

How payment actually works

Bank transfer is the standard, against an invoice, with an agreed term. Instant person to person payments are used for small jobs with local businesses, but they do not replace the invoice.

For foreign clients, a platform or marketplace avoids high transfer fees and keeps the agreement on record.

The terms you will meet

With brands and agencies, payment at thirty days is common, and forty five days end of month appears in large groups. That is not reluctance: it is their accounting circuit.

What you can negotiate is the starting point. Having the clock run from delivery rather than from an open ended approval completely changes your cash flow.

Late payment penalties, your best tool

In France, invoices between professionals must state the penalties applicable in case of delay along with a fixed recovery indemnity. That is not decorative.

You will almost never have to apply them. But their presence on the document changes the accounts department's behaviour, because it signals that you know the rules.

The deposit, your best protection

For a new client, fifty per cent on order and the balance on delivery. It filters out those who were never going to pay and covers your production time.

With recurring clients you can move to monthly invoicing. With international clients you do not know, keep the deposit.

What must be in writing

  • What is delivered: number of pieces, duration, formats, language.
  • How many rounds of changes are included and what an extra one costs.
  • Where the material may run and for how long.
  • Price, tax wording and payment date.
  • What happens if the project is cancelled after filming.

The vast majority of disputes come from one of those five lines being missing.

When the client is late

First a polite reminder with the invoice attached and the due date restated. Then a phone call, far more effective than email number four. Finally a written notice that work in progress is paused, recalling the penalties stated on the invoice.

And one simple rule: do not deliver final high quality files until the agreed payment is made. Sending watermarked versions for review is normal practice.

Where to go next

Getting paid well is a skill separate from filming well. Our guide on how to become a UGC creator places this piece within the whole craft.