A photographer won’t get paid unless they send an invoice to the customer. For some silly reason, most businesses refuse to send out cheques just for the fun of it. After a photo assignment is completed, send an invoice. There’s no grace period required. It’s not necessary to wait a few days or weeks to avoid looking greedy.
Your invoice must contain your contact information, a date, an invoice number and your tax number(s). The invoice should spell out what the photo assignment was. A photo editor may not remember every assignment. The customer’s accounting department won’t know what your invoice is for.
Sometimes the person who hires you is not the person who will receive the invoice. So make sure you know to whom the invoice is sent. Always ask the customer if they require a Purchase Order number or any other reference number included on the invoice.
Invoice Details
It’s never a good idea to use the phrase “Sold to” on an invoice.
Professional photographers don’t sell pictures but rather they license their work. If your invoice says “Sold to”, a customer could argue that it means they bought and own the photos.
Instead of using the word “expenses” on your invoice (and estimate), use “costs”, “charges” or “production charges.” Expenses are what a company reimburses to its employees. The photographer is not an employee but an independent business.
Photographers should mark up some/most/all of their expenses. This is a common business practice and is another small step toward making a profit.
There’s no reason to give expense receipts to a customer because you’re not an employee. You are required to retain receipts for your tax records. Some ad agencies may demand receipts and will refuse to pay markups even though they will turn around and mark up its expenses to its client.
You should indicate your preferred method(s) of payment. Don’t forget to state when you expect to be paid otherwise a customer can rightfully take forever to pay. You might use the always popular, “Balance due upon receipt” or you might be more poetic:
Money is needed,
And time is short.
Pay up real quick,
Or I’ll see you in court!
Some companies require at least 30 days, or much longer, to pay. Some have legitimate reasons for this and some don’t.
Repeat the Terms
The usage rights granted should be listed on the invoice. Don’t assume the customer still has your original estimate which stated these rights.
Similarly repeat your Terms and Conditions either on the back of the invoice or on an attached second page. In either case, you need to indicate on the face of invoice that there’s more on the reverse side or on an attached page.
Since the invoice will be separated from the photos, usage rights should also be added to digital files as IPTC data. Usage rights should be added as a text file on every disc containing the images.
Invoice Delivery
There’s no reason to wait before sending an invoice. When you buy anything, you have to pay right away. When your photography work is done, send an invoice.
The invoice can be sent with a cover letter or e-mail which includes the usage rights, a reminder that your Terms and Conditions are attached, and a thank-you to the customer for their business.
Every contact with a customer is a marketing opportunity. So your cover letter should include a casual “Please remember to call me for your next photo assignment” or something similar. Attach a business card whenever possible.
Have customers make their cheque payable to your business, not to you. It’s more professional and it’s important to put incoming money through your business account to produce a cash flow.
Interim Invoices
If you have a photography job that will span many months or longer, consider sending interim invoices. This is where you partially bill the customer, let’s say, at the end of each month. Interim billing allows you to have some cash flow rather than having to wait many months to get paid.
Interim billing is especially important if you have a long-running job with high, ongoing expenses. You can’t be expected to carry large expenses for months. You’re a photographer not a bank.
