Glossary/Rate card
What is a rate card?
Short answer
A rate card is a creator’s price list: the formats they offer brands, the price of each and what that price covers. The brand sees straight away what it can afford and what to ask about next. It is a starting point for a conversation, not a fixed table — the final figure depends on the scope of the task.
What exactly is a rate card?
An ordered list of services with prices, not a single figure thrown into a message. The creator writes out the formats they deliver and marks what the price covers for each: the number of pieces, the publication time, the number of revisions and whether the brand may later use the recording in paid advertising. Both sides then talk about the same scope before anyone asks for a discount.
What should a rate card include?
Four things, without which a price list does not answer the brand’s questions:
A list of formats with a separate price for each — a story, a reel and a feed post are priced differently.
The scope in the price: the number of pieces, the publication date and how long they stay on the profile.
The number of revisions covered by the rate and the terms for paying for further ones.
The surcharge for rights to use the material in paid advertising and for category exclusivity.
Why is it worth having a rate card?
Because it speeds up the conversation and protects you from pricing made up on the spot. The brand knows immediately whether it is within budget, and the creator does not answer the same question every week. Written rates are also harder to negotiate down without changing the scope — the talk moves from “how much cheaper” to “what exactly are we buying”. We give rate ranges on every niche page.
Where to order it or find tasks
Related terms
Words that come up in the same conversations. Each has its own definition in the glossary.
- Rate per post
- The amount a creator expects for one published piece of material. It depends on the format, the topic, the reach and on whether the brand wants to use the material in advertising later. Read more
- Media kit
- A creator's calling card for brands: who they are, who they speak to, what their stats look like and examples of earlier collaborations. It is what a brand decides on when inviting them. Read more
- Campaign budget
- The money set aside for the whole activation: creators' fees, production and any promotion of the materials. Splitting those three parts up front makes the results easier to judge. Read more
- CPM
- The cost of reaching a thousand people. It lets you compare a creator's offer with another form of advertising, but it does not say whether these are the right people. Read more
Frequently asked questions
Are the prices on a rate card final?
Rarely. It is a starting point: the figure goes up with extra advertising rights or exclusivity, and down when the brand orders a package of material instead of a single post. What gets negotiated is the scope, not the number itself.
Do you have to make a rate card public?
You do not. Many creators send it only on request, together with a media kit. A public price list filters out brands without a budget, but makes it harder to vary rates between industries with different margins.
How often should you update a rate card?
Usually every few months, or after a clear change in your statistics. It is also worth refreshing when a new format comes in or when you start selling rights to use material in advertising regularly.
