Guide·9 min read · updated Oct 3, 2026
Getting paid: the 90 days, explained.
The job is done, the photos are live, and the money arrives… in two or three months. That’s the norm of the trade, not an anomaly. What changes everything is knowing where each payment stands, when to remind, and how to read the statement that arrives at the end of the month.
A model’s fee usually arrives 60 to 90 days after the shoot, sometimes 120, because the agency invoices the client and pays you once the client has paid. Remind at day 60, 85 and 91, read every agency statement line by line, and know the terms of the market you shot in. Odette keeps that clock on every job and drafts the reminders; you send them.
Written by the Odette team · reviewed by Arthur Feingold, Swapp Studio. About Odette
Time is a bar, not a surprise.
Three real payments, three colours, three actions. The rule is mechanical so it doesn’t depend on the mood of the day.
Three reminders, three tones.
The same file, at 60, 85 and 91 days. Each draft is ready on the day; you check, you send — in your language or the client’s.
Subject: Invoice no. 14 — Café Riviera
Hi Camille,
A quick reminder about invoice no. 14 (€480), issued on 4 May for the shoot of 2 May, which is coming due. Let me know if everything is in order on your side, or if a document is missing.
Have a lovely day,
Odette
Subject: Invoice no. 14 — past due
Hi Camille,
Invoice no. 14 for €480 is now past its due date. Could you let me know the planned transfer date? I’m attaching the invoice to make processing easier.
Thanks in advance,
Odette
Subject: Invoice no. 14 — reminder no. 2
Hi Camille,
Without payment of invoice no. 14 (€480) within eight days, the late fees stated on the invoice and the fixed €40 recovery indemnity will apply, under article L441-10 of the French Commercial Code.
I remain available for any question,
Odette
A reminder at 60 days offends nobody: an accounts department gets twenty a day and processes the clear ones first. It’s the absence of a reminder that surprises — and leaves an invoice at the bottom of the pile. At 85 days, you give everything needed to pay without searching: number, amount, due date, attachment. At 91, you mention the legal framework, calmly: in France, late fees and the fixed €40 indemnity are due automatically, without having to be claimed. Saying so is already obtaining them.
SourcePayment terms between businesses and late-payment penalties — service-public.gouv.fr, on article L. 441-10 of the Code de commerce (in French)
Reading your agency statement in six questions.
The monthly statement shows fees collected, commission, deducted expenses and net paid. Every line compares to something: a job, a contract, a transfer.
Illustrative figures. Exact contributions appear on your payslip.
How to read it
Terms by market.
A $1,200 fee rarely arrives as $1,200: currency, bank fees, withholding tax, and a delay that changes from country to country.
| Market | Usual terms | Worth knowing | The right reflex |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 30 to 90 days end of month | Statutory late fees, €40 indemnity — the law is on your side | Remind at 60, 85, 91 |
| Italy | 60 to 90 days | Withholding tax common on fees | Go through the local agency |
| United Kingdom | 30 to 60 days | Faster payment culture; the agency sometimes withholds | Remind from 45 days |
| United States | 30 to 90 days | 30% withholding for non-residents; “net 30” often theoretical | Ask for the payment date at booking |
| Japan | End of contract | Balance paid after season expenses are deducted | Compare the final statement to the contract |
| Switzerland | 30 to 60 days | Reliable payments; CHF currency | Note the rate on the booking day |
Observed orders of magnitude, not rules: every client has its terms. The one constant: note them at booking.
“Nothing to chase — yet.”
Odette, on a good monthFrequently asked
Can I ask for a deposit?
Working direct, yes — 30% on signature is common with small brands, and a deposit changes the relationship: a client who has paid part pays the rest. With an agency, the agency negotiates terms; you can ask it to.
What if nothing arrives after 90 days?
A written reminder with late fees (D+91), then a second one eight days later. Then collection: a payment order for a clear invoice, or a collection agency. Odette keeps the dated history of your reminders as evidence.
Doesn’t reminding damage the relationship?
A courteous reminder at 60 days is expected by any accounts department; it’s the absence of a reminder that surprises. Tone does everything: light at 60, precise at 85, firm and polite at 91.
Does my agency owe me late interest?
The agency contract sets the payout terms; if it says nothing, ask in writing. In practice, a readable monthly statement and a reachable booker settle 90% of cases.
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Money in the app: the bar, the invoice, the statement.
