Payment terms explained: advance, net 30 and more

By the My Collabs team · 31 October 2026

The fee is only half of a deal. The other half is when you get paid. A ₹50,000 collaboration paid in 15 days is very different from one paid in 120 days. Agree the payment terms before you start, and write them on every invoice.

Common terms, in plain language

Term	Meaning
Advance	Part of the fee (often 30–50%) paid before you start work.
On posting / on delivery	The balance is due when the content goes live or is delivered.
Net 15 / Net 30 / Net 60	Payment is due 15, 30 or 60 days after the invoice date (or another agreed start point).
Milestone payments	The fee is split across stages, such as on signing, on draft approval and on posting. Useful for longer campaigns.
End of month (EOM)	Some finance teams pay all invoices in a batch at the end of the month, or the following month.

What to ask for

An advance for new brands, large deals, or anything with significant production costs.
Net 15 or Net 30 for the balance. Longer terms tie up your money.
A clear start point: "30 days from the invoice date" is clearer than "30 days from campaign completion".

My terms are 50% in advance to confirm the booking, and the balance within 30 days of the invoice, which I send on the day the content goes live.

When the brand insists on long terms

Large companies often have fixed payment cycles. You can still protect yourself:

Ask for a bigger advance in exchange for accepting the longer cycle.
Price the delay in: a longer wait for money is a real cost.
Ask whether they need you registered as a vendor first, and do it early. Vendor setup is a common cause of delay.

The MSME angle

If you're registered as a micro or small enterprise on the government's Udyam portal, the MSMED Act limits how long a buyer can take to pay: no more than 45 days from acceptance of the work, and 15 days if no date was agreed. Late payment can attract interest at three times the rate notified by the RBI. Mentioning your Udyam registration on invoices often speeds things up. Our late payment guide covers the details.

Make the terms impossible to miss

Put the terms in the agreement and on every invoice, with an exact due date.
Include any PO number the brand gives you. Finance teams often can't pay without one.
Record the due date somewhere that reminds you, and follow up the day it passes.

Track every collab in one place. My Collabs is a free app that shows what each brand has agreed, paid and still owes you, with alerts before deadlines.

Try My Collabs free

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change, so check the current position or ask a professional for your situation.