Creators · 4 min read · 2 August 2026

Brand deal contracts: the five clauses that cost creators money

Short answer: the fee is the part everyone reads and the least important part of the contract. Exclusivity, usage rights and perpetuity decide what the deal really costs you. Brand deal reviews from £395.

1. Exclusivity written wider than the fee

A category exclusivity clause can lock you out of an entire sector for months. If the brand is paying for one post, exclusivity should be narrow in category, territory and time. Read it as: what am I being paid not to do, and is that worth more than the fee?

2. Usage rights and whitelisting

There is a difference between a brand reposting your content and a brand running it as paid advertising under its own or your handle. Paid usage is worth considerably more than organic, and it should be priced separately with a defined duration.

3. Perpetuity and moral rights

"In perpetuity, worldwide, in all media" means exactly that. Combined with a waiver of moral rights, you can lose control of how your face and name are used long after the relationship ends.

4. Approvals, edits and kill fees

If the brand can demand unlimited revisions or reject the content without payment, your day rate is fiction. Cap the rounds, define what rejection means, and agree a kill fee.

5. Disclosure is your liability too

UK advertising rules require paid partnerships to be clearly and prominently identified, and the obligation falls on the creator as well as the brand. A contract that makes you responsible for compliance while the brand controls the caption is a risk you should negotiate out.