On this page
How to fill it in
- Fill in your company, the client, the invoice number and the dates.
- Say which payment this is and which signed agreement it belongs to.
- Put in the amount and, where it applies, the sales tax.
- List the whole payment schedule so the client sees what comes next.
- Add a payment link and your bank details, then send it the day the work starts.
What every production invoice needs
| Part | Why | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Which payment | The client's accounts team matches it to the agreement | "Retainer, 50%" |
| Invoice number | Theirs and yours must agree | 1042, in sequence |
| Due date as a date | "Net 14" makes them do the sum | A real date |
| The project | Several jobs, one client | Coastal Realty brand film |
| Payment schedule | No surprise at the end | Both payments, with what triggers each |
| How to pay | Every extra step is a delay | A link, then bank details |
| Terms | A late fee you will actually apply | 1.5% a month |
Payment schedules by job size
| Job size | A common schedule |
|---|---|
| Under $5,000 | 50% on signing, 50% on delivery |
| $5,000 to $25,000 | 50% on signing, 50% on approval |
| Over $25,000 | 50% on signing, 25% before the shoot, 25% on approval |
| A monthly content retainer | The month's fee at the start of each month |
The sample job is $13,300, so it bills 50% on signing and 50% on approval, before delivery. The second invoice is the same layout with "Balance, 50%" and "Final files are released when this is paid."
Getting paid on time
Fourteen days beats thirty for a small studio. Accept card and bank payments online if you can, because checks add a week. Send the reminders yourself if your software does not: three days before the due date, on the day, and a week after. Say the late fee in the agreement, then apply it once, politely, and it rarely comes up again.
Sales tax on video work depends on the state and on what you deliver, such as a service or a file. The template has a line for it. Ask an accountant where you work which rate applies, if any.
How Cutvey does this
In Cutvey the retainer invoice is raised the moment the client signs the proposal, the balance is raised when the final cut is approved, and the client pays online through your own Stripe account. Reminders go out on a Gentle, Standard or Firm cadence inside working hours on your clock, and the delivery page opens when the balance is paid. Payment schedules, payment plans and retainers are all on the invoice. How invoices work and deposits and payment plans.
Frequently asked
Should the invoice repeat the proposal's line items?
For the balance, yes, in the proposal's own words. If the proposal said "Shoot day, crew of 3", the invoice says the same. Every mismatch is an email from the client's accounts team.
What if the client wants net 30 or net 60?
Large companies often do. Agree it before you sign, and price the wait into the job, or ask for a bigger retainer.
Goes with this stage of a job: Deliver and get paid. More free paperwork on the templates page, and free tools that work in your browser.