Rate card

A rate card is a creator’s standard price list for different types of content, such as a Reel, a static post or a YouTube integration, usually shared with brands during initial outreach.

It can be a one-page PDF or a page in your media kit, priced in rupees, and it tells a brand what each deliverable costs before negotiation starts.

It gives brands a starting point for negotiation and saves you from quoting a fresh price for every enquiry, though rate cards are usually adjusted for usage rights, exclusivity and campaign scope.

It also helps agencies shortlist creators by budget. A clear rate card makes you easier to book.

Say you are a Lucknow-based food creator. A simple rate card could read like this. The numbers are placeholders for your own prices, not market rates:

• Instagram Reel (30–60 seconds): ₹12,000
• Story set (3 frames with link sticker): ₹4,000
• Static post or carousel: ₹6,000
• YouTube dedicated video: ₹35,000; integration (60–90 seconds): ₹15,000
• Add-ons quoted separately: usage rights, whitelisting, boosting, exclusivity and extra revisions
• Terms: 50% advance on signing, balance on posting; GST extra where applicable

There is no official rate for creators in India, so build yours from your own numbers:

• Time and cost: hours to script, shoot and edit, plus props, travel and any help you pay for.
• Results: your recent reach, views and engagement on similar content, from your own analytics.
• Past deals: what brands have actually paid you, and which offers you accepted or turned down.
• Demand: if you are booked out, raise prices; if you keep losing deals on price, check whether the rate matches what you deliver.
• Proof: a verifiable record of past collaborations, such as reviews from brands on CredFluence, backs up the number.
• GST: you generally need GST registration once aggregate turnover crosses ₹20 lakh in a financial year (lower in some special-category states). Ask a CA how to show tax on your quotes.

When a brand says your rate is above its budget, change the package rather than just the price:

• Offer fewer deliverables, such as a Reel without the Story set.
• Shorten or drop usage rights and exclusivity.
• Offer a relaxed timeline in place of a rush fee, if your schedule allows.
• Ask for a larger advance in return for any discount you give.

• Treat the rate card as a starting point, not a final price. Usage rights, exclusivity and turnaround time should all move the number.
• Review and update rates periodically as your audience and engagement change, rather than quoting the same number for years.
• Keep a private, more detailed version with tiered pricing for whitelisting, boosting and usage rights add-ons.
• Put payment terms on it, such as an advance or NET 30, so money is part of the first conversation.
• Don’t discount silently. If a brand wants a lower fee, cut deliverables or usage to match, so your rates keep their meaning.

A media kit shows who you are: your audience, stats, past collaborations and content samples. A rate card shows what you charge. Some creators combine them in one document; others send the media kit first and share rates once a brand is interested. Either works, as long as your prices and numbers are current.