Actors invoice for non-union work: corporate videos, commercials, voiceover, indie film, and content shoots. The invoice separates the session fee (the day's work — typically $300–$1,000/day for non-union on-camera) from usage or buyout fees (the right to run the footage — often 100–300% of the session fee depending on media and term). Union (SAG-AFTRA) jobs pay through payroll services instead, so invoices apply mainly to non-union engagements.
Actor Invoice Template
Reviewed by the Agiled editorial teamUpdated June 2026
The acting invoice mistake that costs real money is billing one number for two different things: the day you worked, and the rights to use what was shot. Session and usage are separate lines with separate logic — the session fee is fixed; usage scales with where and how long the footage runs. This template keeps them apart, with fields for the production, role, shoot dates, usage term, agent commission, and expenses. Download it in PDF, Word, Excel, Google Docs, or Google Sheets, or generate a pre-filled version below.
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Your Company Name
123 Business St, City, State 12345
billing@yourcompany.com
INVOICE
INV-0001
Bill to
Client Company
Due
Net 30
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film appearance (full day) | 1 | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Commercial voiceover | 2 | $500.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Rehearsal session | 3 | $200.00 | $600.00 |
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Create online- Non-union day rate
- $300 – $1,000 on-camera; market and role dependent
- Usage / buyout
- Often 100–300% of session fee, by media and term
- Union work
- SAG-AFTRA jobs pay via payroll — no invoice needed
- Terms
- Net 15–30 to production companies; chase at day 20
What to include on a actor invoice
Production, role, and shoot dates
"'Meridian Bank brand film' — Principal, 'Branch Manager' — shot June 3–4." The production title is how the payer's accounting matches your invoice to a budget line.
Session fee per day or half-day
The day's labor at the agreed rate, separate from everything else. Half-days, fittings, and rehearsal days each get their own dated line.
Usage / licensing line with term and media
"Usage: paid social + web, North America, 12 months — $900." Name the media, territory, and term; undefined usage is a perpetual free license in practice.
Overtime and turnaround bumps
Hours past the contracted day (commonly 8 or 10 hours) at the agreed multiplier, with on-set times noted — non-union sets only pay what paper supports.
Expenses with receipts
Mileage to distant locations, self-tape costs for callbacks where covered, wardrobe purchased at production's request — itemized, receipted, at cost.
Agent commission handling
If payment routes through your agent, invoice per their process; if direct, note the gross (your agent's 10–15% is your obligation, not the client's discount).
W-9 and payment details
Production companies 1099 you. Keep the invoice name matched to your W-9 (or your loan-out entity), and include ACH details — checks chase you around tour dates.
Typical non-union acting rates (U.S., 2026)
| Work type | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate / industrial video (day) | $300 – $800 | Internal use at the low end |
| Non-union commercial (session) | $500 – $1,000/day | Usage billed separately |
| Usage buyout (digital, 1 year) | 100% – 200% of session | Broadcast and perpetuity higher |
| Voiceover (non-union, per spot) | $150 – $500 | Plus usage by market |
| Indie film (day, low budget) | $100 – $400 | Deferred deals need contracts, not invoices |
| Background / extra work (day) | $100 – $200 | Usually paid via payroll voucher |
Union scale rates are set by SAG-AFTRA agreements and paid through payroll — the ranges above are for the non-union market where actors invoice directly.
How actor billing actually works
Corporate and branded content: the bread-and-butter invoice
Corporate shoots pay session plus usage on Net 15–30. Invoice the production company (not the end brand) the day after wrap, quoting their job number, with the session and usage lines split. If usage terms weren't fixed before the shoot, fix them on the invoice — 'internal use only, 24 months' versus 'all media in perpetuity' can be a 3× difference in what you should charge.
Voiceover from your home booth
VO invoices add a studio dimension: the session (per spot or per finished minute), usage by market, and pickups — note whether one round of pickups is included, because 'tiny revision' requests multiply. Same-day delivery of files with the invoice attached is the professional norm.
Usage renewals: the income most actors forget
When a 12-month buyout expires and the ad keeps running, that's a new invoice — typically at the original usage rate or a negotiated renewal. Calendar every usage term you sell. Production companies rarely volunteer that the term lapsed; your invoice is what reopens the conversation.
Invoicing mistakes that cost actor professionals money
One number for session plus usage
"$1,500 — acting services" gives away the rights conversation forever. Split the lines: the session fee is for your day; the usage fee is for their media plan. When they want more media later, the split is what makes the renewal billable.
Working without usage terms in writing
If nothing defines where the footage runs, it runs everywhere, forever, for free. Before the shoot — or at latest on the invoice — pin media, territory, and term.
Invoicing the brand instead of the production company
Your contract is with whoever booked you. Invoices sent to the end client bounce around their AP system for weeks before someone forwards them to the production company you should have billed on day one.
Letting deferred-pay promises ride on an invoice
Indie 'deferred payment' deals are contract clauses, not receivables — an invoice can't collect points on a film that never sells. Get deferral terms in a signed agreement and invoice only what's actually payable now.
How to use this template
- 01
Download the template in your preferred format, or generate a pre-filled version with the download studio above.
- 02
Add your professional name (matching your W-9 or loan-out), contact, and payment details.
- 03
Bill the production company, quoting the production title, your role, and shoot dates.
- 04
Line one: session fee per day at the agreed rate. Line two: usage with media, territory, and term.
- 05
Add overtime, fittings, and receipted expenses as separate dated lines.
- 06
Set Net 15–30 terms, send the day after wrap, and calendar any usage expiry you've sold.
Skip this template if…
- SAG-AFTRA jobs — union work pays through payroll services under collective agreements; invoicing doesn't apply.
- Models on agency vouchers — agency billing handles those bookings end to end.
FAQs
Do actors send invoices?
For non-union work, yes — corporate videos, non-union commercials, voiceover, and indie projects are typically invoiced directly to the production company on Net 15–30. Union (SAG-AFTRA) jobs are paid through production payroll services with taxes withheld, so no invoice is involved.
What is the difference between a session fee and a usage fee?
The session fee pays for your working day on set or in the booth. The usage (or buyout) fee licenses the right to run the resulting footage in defined media, territory, and time period — often 100–300% of the session fee. They're separate lines because they're separate products: one is labor, the other is rights.
How much should I charge for a corporate video shoot?
Non-union on-camera corporate work typically runs $300–$800 per day for the session, with usage added by scope — internal-only use at the low end, public marketing with multi-year terms meaningfully higher. Half-days commonly bill at 60–65% of the day rate.
What is a buyout in acting?
A one-time payment covering usage rights — often broad ('all media, in perpetuity') — instead of recurring residual-style payments. Buyouts should be priced to reflect what's being surrendered: an unlimited perpetual buyout is worth far more than 12 months of paid social, and the invoice should name exactly which one was sold.
How does agent commission work on invoiced jobs?
If your agent negotiated the booking, payment usually routes through the agency, which deducts its 10–15% and remits the rest. If you invoice directly, you bill the gross amount and owe your agent the commission separately — the client's price doesn't change either way.
What if a production keeps using my footage after the usage term?
That's a renewal — invoice it. Calendar every usage expiry you sell, check where the spot is running as the date approaches, and send a renewal invoice at the original usage rate or a negotiated figure. Documented original terms (on your booking confirmation and invoice) are what make the renewal collectable.
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