Rate Card

A rate card is the one-page document a creator sends a brand the moment a real conversation starts. It lists base prices by content type — Reel, Story, Carousel, static post — and then itemizes the modifiers that turn a $1,500 quote into a $4,000 contract: usage rights, exclusivity, whitelisting, revisions, rush fees. Without a rate card, every deal is renegotiated from scratch and brands anchor low.

The cleanest 2026 rate cards quote off median reach, not follower count, and always carry a niche multiplier. Brands buy views; followers are a vanity input.

2026 base rates by follower tier (Reel, organic-only, lifestyle baseline)

• Nano (1K-10K): $50-300 per Reel, $25-150 static, $15-75 per Story frame.
• Micro (10K-100K): $250-2,000 per Reel, $100-500 static. Reels priced 2-3x static.
• Mid-tier (100K-500K): $2,000-10,000 per Reel.
• Macro (500K-1M): $10,000-50,000 per Reel.
• Top-tier (1M+): $50,000-500,000+ per Reel.

Niche multiplier on top: finance, B2B SaaS, and health command 1.5-4x the lifestyle baseline at the same audience size — that's the CPM spread leaking through to a flat fee.

The line items most creators forget

• Usage rights: +50-100% for paid social, +100-200% for perpetual.
• Exclusivity: +25% (30d), +50% (90d), +100% (annual).
• Whitelisting: +30-50% on top of base.
• Revisions: 1-2 free, $50-200 per round after.
• Rush fee: +25-50% for <5-day turnaround.
• Concept ideation: a separate $200-500 line; not bundled into shoot fee.

What creators get wrong

• Quoting one number when a brand asks. Always send the rate card — modifiers anchor the upsell.
• Pricing Reels at the same level as static posts. Reels carry the algorithm in 2026; they're worth 2-3x.
• Not refreshing rates quarterly. Reach shifts; so should the floor.

For the most undercharged modifier, see usage rights.