Here are realistic ranges, why to set the price in dollars and invoice in pesos, and what usage rights add.
Pricing in dollars, invoicing in pesos
That is the most widespread practice, and it deserves explaining.
The price is thought out in a stable currency, because a rate set six months ago in a moving currency means nothing today.
The invoice is issued according to the rules applying to your situation, and that is checked with an accountant: the status, the type of client and the place of the service change the answer.
Three practical consequences. Write the reference currency and the conversion date into the quote. Plan for the conversion rate applied to be that of an identifiable day, not that of the transfer day. And keep the record of every conversion with the invoice, your accounting will need it.
Reference ranges
Three levels, to adjust for the category and the complexity of the product.
The entry level: a simple video, one product, one setting, delivered in one format, with no advertising rights. That is the price serving as the base for everything else, and it should never fall below what a full working day costs you.
The middle level: a batch of three videos shot in the same session, with two formats delivered and one month of paid distribution. The unit price falls, the total rises.
The top level: regular production for a brand, with a monthly calendar, one-year rights and limited sector exclusivity. That is where stable income sits.
The figure that really counts is none of the three: it is what is left after tax, contributions, conversion fees and unbilled hours. Work it out once, it often changes how an offer reads.
What is invoiced separately
Five lines, systematically.
Advertising rights, with a written duration and territory.
Sector exclusivity: no longer being able to work for a competitor has a cost, and it is priced.
Extra formats: each version is an edit, not an export.
Travel and waiting time, at the hourly rate.
And revisions beyond two rounds, announced in the quote.
One line never to give away: total and perpetual assignment. It costs you all the future sales of the same video, and it almost never pays what it is worth.
The pricing mistakes that cost a lot
Four, and they come up constantly.
Announcing a price without stating the use, which makes negotiation impossible later.
Aligning your rate on the cheapest creator visible online, without knowing what that price covers.
Accepting payment after publication: the video is delivered, your work is done, the client's publishing calendar is not your concern.
And invoicing a batch as one video multiplied: the batch has to be cheaper per unit, but not to the point of erasing the discount you already give on preparation time.
What each line of a price covers
| Component | What it pays for | How it is billed |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Script, location check, any purchase | A flat fee per order |
| The shoot | Time on site and the gear | Per video |
| The edit | Cutting, subtitles, exports | Per version |
| The licence | Media, duration, territory | As a separate extra |
What must appear when invoicing in foreign currency
The currency used, the reference rate and the date it applies. Without those three, the amount received differs from the amount agreed and nobody is at fault.
What is re-read before sending a quote
What is included, what is not, the validity date and the payment date. Four lines that remove half the exchanges that follow.
How to move up a bracket
Three levers, in the order in which they work.
The first is proof: showing a commercial result, not a successful video. A falling return rate or a falling cost per acquisition is worth more than ten examples.
The second is repetition: a brand ordering every month accepts an annual rise far more easily than a one-off client.
The third is specialisation: a category you know, with its constraints and its vocabulary, is paid more because it requires fewer approvals.
One last honest marker: a rate rise is not requested, it is announced, on a fixed date, with notice. Regular clients almost always accept it, and those who refuse would have left eventually anyway.
Sources
Checked on 4 September 2026. Thresholds and rates change: where this guide and the official source disagree, the official source is right.
