1. The short version
- Send the invoice the day you deliver, with the due date on it. The 30-day clock starts there.
- Chase once, politely, in writing, on the due date. Most late payments are lost invoices.
- If a Member is still unpaid, IU writes to the brand formally, gives it 14 days, follows up once, and records the outcome on the brand’s record.
2. Before it happens
Agree the payment terms in writing before you start: the fee, the due date (30 days from delivery, Fair Deal, Article I), a deposit on larger work (Fair Deal, Article II) and a late fee. The agreement template has all of it.
3. Step by step
- On delivery, send the invoice (template) to the person who signed off the work and to accounts.
- On the due date, reply to the same thread: the invoice, the date it was due, and a request to confirm the payment date.
- Seven days later, write again and copy the person who briefed you. Keep it factual.
- Still nothing? Members report it to the union with the agreement, what was delivered and the invoice.
4. What the union does
IU reads the agreement, then writes to the brand in the union’s name: what was delivered, what is owed, and a 14-day deadline. You are copied. If there is no answer, IU sends a second notice. The outcome — paid, resolved another way, or no answer — goes on the brand’s record, which every creator can read before saying yes.
5. Method
Figures use the average views of 8,277 YouTube channels IU tracks, refreshed at least every 30 days. Rate floors use IU’s published pricing method at its low end; ranges are shown only where a group has at least 20 channels. This guidance comes from creators, for creators; it is not legal or financial advice.
Cite as: InfluencerUnion, “When a brand doesn’t pay: the union’s process”, influencerunion.com/academy/when-a-brand-doesnt-pay (2026).