Before You Accept a Brand Deal: 10 Terms to Check

Most brand-deal disputes don't come from bad intentions. They come from things nobody wrote down: "I thought you'd make changes", "We assumed we could run it as an ad", "Payment goes out at the end of the quarter".

Agreeing these ten terms before you start prevents almost all of them. Get the answers in writing. An email or a message thread is far better than a phone call you'll both remember differently.

1. Deliverables, exactly

"A Reel" isn't a deliverable. "One Instagram Reel, 30–45 seconds, in Hindi, showing the product in use, posted on my account" is. Pin down:

• the format and how many (Reel, Story set, Collab post, YouTube integration…);
• length, language and platform;
• the mandatory caption elements: hashtags, @tags, links, a discount code;
• anything that must be shown or said, and anything you must not say.

2. Deadlines and posting dates

• When is the draft due?
• How quickly will the brand give feedback?
• When does it go live: a date, or a window ("between 6 and 9 pm on the 14th")?

If the brand is late with feedback, the posting date should move too. Say so upfront.

3. Draft approval and revisions

Most brands want to approve a draft first. That's reasonable, but agree:

• how many rounds of changes are included (two is common);
• what counts as a change: fixing the product name is a change; "Can you reshoot it at the beach?" is a new brief;
• what happens after that: further rounds at an agreed price.

4. Pay, payment date and method

The most important line in the deal:

• the amount for each deliverable, and whether it includes GST if you're registered;
• when you'll be paid: within a set number of days of approval or posting, not "after the campaign";
• how: UPI or bank transfer, and whether the brand needs an invoice;
• any advance, especially with a brand you haven't worked with before;
• what happens if a payment is late.

"Net 60 from the end of the month" means you could wait three months for money you earned today. Know that before you agree to it.

5. Usage rights

Who can use your content, where, and for how long? The common levels are:

• no reuse: the content stays on your channels;
• organic reposting: the brand can repost it on its own social accounts and website;
• paid ads: the brand can run it as an ad, including a partnership ad from your handle;
• full rights (buyout): the brand can use, edit and distribute it anywhere.

Each step up is worth more, and should be paid for. Always agree a time limit ("paid ads for 3 months") and the platforms involved. "Perpetual rights in all media" for the price of a single Reel is a bad deal.

6. Exclusivity

Exclusivity means you can't work with competing brands for a period. It costs you income, so:

• define the category narrowly ("sunscreens", not "all beauty products");
• set the duration and when it starts: from the posting date, from signing, or both before and after;
• charge for it, usually per month.

7. Keep-live period

How long must the post stay up with the tags, links and disclosure intact? 30, 60 or 90 days, or forever? After that, can you archive it? Brands often expect "forever" without saying so. Agree a number.

8. Raw footage and files

Some brands want the unedited footage or project files to recut into their own ads. That gives them far more than the finished post, so price it separately, and link it to the usage rights you've agreed.

9. Products

If a product is involved:

• do you keep it or return it, and who pays for return shipping?
• what happens if it arrives damaged or late, and does the deadline move?
• remember that a product is a material connection: the post needs a disclosure even if it's your only payment.

10. Disclosure and claims

• Which label will you use, and will the "Paid partnership" tag be switched on? (It should be. See our disclosure guide.)
• Which claims does the brand want you to make, and can they back them up? You can ask for proof of "clinically proven" or "no.1 in India" before you say it on camera.

Bonus: what if it's cancelled?

Ask what happens if:

• the brand cancels after you've started: you should be paid for work done (a "kill fee");
• you can't deliver: illness or a family emergency. Agree how much notice you'll give, and whether the deal is moved or cancelled.

Red flags

• No written terms at all, or terms that change after you've delivered.
• Unlimited revisions, or approval by "the team" with no named person.
• Payment "after the campaign" with no date.
• Rights "in all media, worldwide, forever" at a single-post price.
• Requests for your password, an OTP or your UPI PIN. No genuine brand needs them.
• Pressure to skip disclosure.

Copy-ready message

Before I start, can we confirm:

1. Deliverables: [format, count, length, language]
2. Draft due [date], feedback within [X] days, live on [date]
3. rounds of changes included
4. ₹[amount] per [deliverable], paid by [UPI/bank] within [X] days of approval
5. Usage: [no reuse / organic / paid ads] for [period] on [platforms]
6. Exclusivity: [none / category] for [period]
7. Post stays live for [X] days
8. Raw footage: [not included / ₹ extra]
9. Product: [keep / return]
10. Disclosure: Paid partnership tag + "#ad" upfront

How Hyppe helps

On Hyppe, a brand sets all of these terms in the work post: deliverables, hashtags, tags, links, disclosure, draft approval, revision rounds, keep-live period, exclusivity, usage rights, raw footage and product. You see them all before you apply. When you're hired, they're frozen into the collaboration's agreement, so they can't quietly change afterwards. Every approved delivery starts a 3-day payment deadline for the brand.