Creator glossary

What is a rate card?

A rate card is a document a creator shares with brands that lists their prices for different deliverables, giving both sides a clear starting point for a deal.

A rate card does two jobs at once. It saves you the awkward, ad-hoc scramble of working out a price every time a brand slides into your DMs, and it signals that you run your content as a professional service with set prices, not a hobby you'll do for whatever's offered. Having one ready is often the difference between quoting with confidence and quoting low because you were put on the spot.

What to include on a rate card

A good rate card is clear and quick to scan. Include:

Your details — name, handles, and the platforms you work across.
Your audience — follower counts, and engagement or average reach. Brands want to see the numbers behind the price.
Deliverables and prices — a line for each type: a single Reel, a TikTok, a story series, a YouTube integration, a UGC video, and so on.
Bundles — package prices for multi-post campaigns, which give brands a reason to book more.
What's priced separately — a clear note that usage rights, exclusivity, and rush turnarounds are quoted on top of the base rate.

How to set your rates

Your base rate comes down to a few things: your reach and engagement, the deliverable type and how much work it takes to produce, and what's standard for your niche and platform. On top of that base sit the extras — usage rights scaled to scope and duration, a premium for exclusivity that limits your other work, and a surcharge for fast turnarounds. The mistake most creators make is quoting only the base and forgetting the extras, which is where a lot of the real value lives.

A rate card is a starting point, not a fixed price

Think of your rate card as an opening position rather than a locked menu. It anchors the conversation and stops you underquoting, but individual deals will flex up or down depending on scope, fit, and how much the brand wants. The important thing is that the flexing starts from a considered number you can defend, not a figure you plucked out of the air. If you're not sure where to start, the UGC rate calculator gives you a transparent baseline to build your card from.