Video Production Invoice Template: Deposit and Final Bill

Free video production invoice template: a 50% deposit invoice and a final invoice with change orders and overtime, plus net terms and late fee wording.

By the CreativeBase team · Updated October 21, 2026 · 6 min read

This free video production invoice template comes as two invoices: a 50% deposit invoice the day the quote is approved, and a final invoice on delivery that adds change orders and overtime, subtracts the deposit and states the balance. Both are filled in for a fictional one-day commercial.

In short:

Deposit invoice: short, points to the approved quote, holds the shoot date until paid.

Final invoice: approved quote, contingency used, change orders, minus the deposit, with a real due date.

Print net terms, a late fee clause and "rights transfer on payment in full" on both.

The numbers follow our video production quote template, so you can watch one quote become two invoices. The same layout works as a simple videography invoice: fewer lines, same fields.

Invoice 1: the deposit invoice

Send this the day the quote is approved. It is short on purpose. The detail lives in the quote it points to.

Header

Field	Example
Invoice number	INV-2026-118
Invoice date	September 18, 2026
Due date	September 25, 2026 (due on receipt, no later than 7 days)
From	Your company legal name, address, email, phone
Bill to	Northline Coffee (fictional), accounts payable email, billing address
Client PO number	If the client issued one, put it here. Many brands will not pay without it.
Job	"First Pour", 30-second spot and cutdowns
Reference	Quote Q-2026-041, approved September 18, 2026

Lines

Description	Amount
Deposit, 50% of approved quote Q-2026-041 ($44,398.50)	$22,199.25
Amount due	$22,199.25

Note on the invoice: "Crew, locations and equipment are booked on receipt of this deposit. Shoot date October 10, 2026 is held until September 25."

That last line matters. It ties the shoot date to payment, which is the whole point of a deposit. The AICP's payment guidelines start both of their standard plans (50/50 and 50/25/25) with half up front, and advise holding deliverables until the first 50% is paid (AICP payment guidelines).

Invoice 2: the final invoice

Send this when you deliver the final files. It closes the job, so it has to reconcile the approved quote, every change order, any contingency used, and the deposit.

Header

Field	Example
Invoice number	INV-2026-131
Invoice date	October 28, 2026
Due date	November 12, 2026 (net 15)
From / Bill to / PO	As on the deposit invoice
Job	"First Pour", 30-second spot and cutdowns
Reference	Quote Q-2026-041, change order CO-03
Delivered	30s master, 15s cutdown, two 9:16 versions, delivered October 28, 2026

Lines

Description	Amount
Approved quote Q-2026-041, excluding contingency	$42,114.00
Contingency used: crew and equipment overtime, shoot day ran 1 hour over (10 crew at 1.5x hourly, plus kit)	$845.00
Change order CO-03: additional half shoot day for product close-ups, approved October 6, 2026	$7,500.00
Contract total	$50,459.00
Less deposit paid, INV-2026-118, September 22, 2026	−$22,199.25
Balance due	$28,259.75

The unused contingency ($2,284.50 quoted, $845.00 used) comes off the bill. Saying so on the invoice is the easiest goodwill you will ever earn, and it is why clients accept a contingency line on the next quote.

If the client asked for a detailed final invoice, attach the line-item budget by section (A to T) as page 2 rather than crowding the first page.

Sales tax: some states tax parts of video production (often the sale of a finished product rather than the service). If yours does, add a tax line under the contract total. Check with your state's revenue department or your accountant.

Payment details block

Put this at the bottom of both invoices.

Field	Example
Pay by	ACH or wire transfer (preferred), or check
Bank	Bank name, account name, routing and account number
Checks payable to	Your company legal name, mailing address
Reference	Please include the invoice number with your payment
Questions	Billing contact name and email

Never send bank details in a separate, unexpected email. Invoice fraud often starts with a fake "our bank details changed" message, so keep them on the invoice itself and tell clients you will never change them by email alone.

Terms to print on the invoice

Net terms. "Payment due net 15 from the invoice date." Net 15 or 30 is normal for independent companies; big brands and agencies often run net 45 to 60. Find out before you quote. Waiting 60 days on a balance you already paid crew for is a cash problem, not a paperwork one. For slow payers, ask for a bigger deposit or 50/25/25 with a payment on the shoot day.

Late fee. Usually enforceable only if it was in the quote the client agreed to, so put the same sentence on both:

"Balances unpaid after the due date accrue a late fee of 1.5% per month on the outstanding amount, or the maximum rate allowed by law, whichever is lower."

1.5% sits inside the 1% to 2% a month most US businesses use, but some states (Washington and Arkansas among them) cap it lower (Paidnice state late fee guide). Not legal advice; for a large balance, ask a lawyer.

Ownership. "Usage rights and ownership of final files transfer on payment in full." Your strongest lever with a slow payer.

Kill fee. Match your quote's cancellation terms. A common crew-booking standard is 50% with 25 to 48 hours' notice and 100% with 24 hours or less, plus costs spent (Crew Company booking policies). Bill it as its own invoice.

The W-9 note

US clients often ask for your W-9 before they pay, so they can file a 1099-NEC. For payments after December 31, 2025, that threshold rose from $600 to $2,000 a year (IRS instructions), but many AP teams want a W-9 from every vendor anyway. Send it with the deposit invoice, by a secure channel, and add "Our W-9 is attached." Then collect one from every crew member and vendor you pay.

How to fill in the invoice

Copy the client's legal entity, billing address and PO number from the approval.
Reference the quote number and approval date.
On the final, list the quote, contingency used, and each change order with its approval date.
Subtract the deposit with its invoice number and date paid.
Write the due date as a date, not "upon receipt".
Add the payment block and terms.

What every video production invoice needs

Invoice number, invoice date and a real due date
Your legal name and the client's legal entity
The client's PO number, if they issued one
The quote it bills, by number
Change orders with their approval dates
Deposit paid, subtracted
Payment details on the invoice itself
Net terms, late fee and ownership wording

Common mistakes

No deposit, so you bankroll crew, locations and rentals
A change order that first appears on the final invoice. See change orders in video production
No PO number, so the invoice never leaves the client's AP queue
Billing the brand name instead of the legal entity
"Due upon receipt" with no date
Bank details sent in a separate, unexpected email, which is how invoice fraud starts

Make it in CreativeBase

An invoice retyped from a quote in another file is where change orders get forgotten and deposits double counted. In CreativeBase the invoice is the end of one chain, so it comes from the same numbers as everything before it.

Quote to invoice. The client approves the quote and each change order on a link or in the client portal, with name, time and figure recorded. Turn the approved quote into an invoice in the Budget tab and email it. Numbering is automatic and your company billing details are on it.
Payment milestones. Deposit, middle and final (50/25/25 by default), marked paid or overdue by hand. Send a payment reminder when one is late.
No production needed. Finance has New invoice for a retainer or a kill fee.
Finance and reports. What you are owed, what is overdue, what you owe crew and vendors, profit by production, and a wrap report with collected and outstanding.
The crew side. Crew send invoices and W-9s through their Crew Pass. At year end Finance flags 1099s, and you can download a tax pack or send your accountant a read-only link.

Plainly: clients do not pay online through CreativeBase. Invoices go out as PDFs with your payment details, and you mark them paid. There is no sales tax or VAT line, no e-signature, and no QuickBooks or Xero sync. Accounts start with a short call where pricing is set, and your first production can be a free trial.

Questions people ask

What should a video production invoice include?

Your business details, the client's billing details, an invoice number and date, the job and quote number, line items or a reference to the approved quote, change orders, deposits paid, the balance due, the due date, payment instructions and late fee terms.

Is a videography invoice different from a production invoice?

Only in size. A freelance videography invoice may be one line for a shoot day and an edit. A production invoice reconciles a quote, change orders and a deposit. The same fields apply to both.

Should I invoice a deposit before the shoot?

Yes. Send a 50% deposit invoice as soon as the quote is approved, and do not book crew or locations until it is paid. The AICP's payment guidelines start both of their standard plans with half on award.

What payment terms are normal for video production?

Deposit due on receipt or before the shoot date, and the balance net 15 or net 30 from delivery. Large brands and agencies often impose net 45 to net 60, so ask before you quote.

Can I charge a late fee on an unpaid invoice?

Usually, if the late fee was in your quote or contract before the client agreed to the job. 1.5% per month is common, but some states cap interest, so write it as that rate or the legal maximum, whichever is lower.

Can clients pay an invoice online through CreativeBase?

No. CreativeBase creates and emails the invoice as a PDF with your payment details, and you mark payments by hand. Clients pay you by bank transfer, check or however you already take payment.