Payment terms and deposits for photographers
Typical terms: Weddings and portraits: a booking fee to secure the date and the balance 2–4 weeks before the event. Commercial work: 14–30 days after delivery.
Deposits: 25–50% booking fee, usually non-refundable, to hold the date.
Agree your terms in writing before you start. The late payment clause generator writes them for you.
What to include on a photographer's invoice
Specific to your work
- The usage licence — what the client can do with the images, where, and for how long. Licensing is often worth more than the shoot itself.
- Shoot date and location, so the invoice ties clearly to the job.
- Whether delivery of the full-resolution files is conditional on payment.
Every UK invoice needs
- Your name or business name, address and contact details — and if you're a limited company, its registered name and number.
- The client's name and address (for a company, its exact registered name — check it here).
- A unique, sequential invoice number, and the invoice date.
- A clear description of the work, the date(s) supplied and the amount for each item.
- The total, the due date and how to pay (bank details or a payment link).
- If you're VAT-registered: your VAT number, the VAT rate and amount — use the VAT calculator.