# How to make an influencer rate card for X (and negotiate your first brand deal)

> A rate card lists your prices for a post, a thread and a video, plus add-ons like usage rights and what's included. How to set each price for X (about $2 per 1,000 followers is a common starting point), what to charge for a first deal, how often to raise rates and how to negotiate.

**A rate card is a short price list brands can read in one glance: your price for each format (on X, a post, a thread and a video), what's included, and what costs extra, such as ad usage rights or exclusivity. A common starting point for X is about $2 per 1,000 followers per post; adjust up for a valuable niche and strong engagement. Raise your rates when demand or results justify it, typically after a few deals or every six to twelve months.**

## What should an influencer rate card include?

| Item | Example for X |
| --- | --- |
| Who you are | "iOS developer, posts about SwiftUI and indie apps" |
| Your audience | Followers, who they are, where they are |
| Engagement | Typical replies, reposts or clicks on recent posts |
| Prices per format | Post, thread, video |
| What's included | Your own words, one round of factual corrections, the Paid partnership label, the post stays up |
| Add-ons | Ad usage per 30 days, exclusivity, rush delivery |
| Bundles | E.g. three posts over a month at a discount |
| Terms | Posting window, how you're paid, contact |

## How do brands read an influencer rate card?

1. **Check the price per format** against the benchmark for the creator's size and platform.
2. **See what's included:** posting window, how long the post stays up, revisions, disclosure.
3. **Look for add-ons** priced separately: ad usage, exclusivity, rush delivery. If ad usage isn't listed, it isn't included.
4. **Compare with results,** not just price: engagement on recent posts and any past sponsored-post results.
5. **Treat it as a starting point.** Bundles, a smaller scope or a commission on tracked sales can change the price.

## How do you price each format on X?

1. **Start from your follower count.** Meltwater's 2026 guide cites a rule of thumb of about $2 per 1,000 followers per X post.
2. **Adjust for niche.** B2B, finance and developer audiences are worth more to advertisers; price above the rule of thumb if your followers are people brands pay to reach.
3. **Adjust for engagement.** Consistent replies and clicks justify a premium.
4. **Price threads and videos higher** than a single post: they take more work and usually hold attention longer.
5. **Check against what brands offer.** On Transformer, brands' default prices for one X post are:

| Followers on X | Brand pays per post | You receive (80%) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| under 5,000 | $50 | $40 |
| 5,000–24,999 | $125 | $100 |
| 25,000–99,999 | $250 | $200 |
| 100,000–499,999 | $625 | $500 |

More benchmarks across platforms are in [How much do influencers charge per post?](/blog/sponsored-post-rates-by-follower-count)

## What should you charge for add-ons?

- **Ad usage rights:** 2026 benchmarks put paid usage at about 15–30% of your base fee per 30 days, and ads run from your own handle (whitelisting) at about 25–50% per 30 days. See [Influencer usage rights explained](/blog/influencer-usage-rights).
- **Exclusivity:** charge for the deals you'd have to turn down, and limit it to a short period and a narrow category.
- **Rush delivery:** a premium for posting on short notice.

## How much should a creator charge for their first brand deal?

Charge the benchmark for your size, not less. A first deal is about proving you deliver, so pick a brand you'd genuinely recommend, price at your tier, and deliver well. Undercharging sets a low anchor for the next brand. If a brand's budget is tight, trim the scope (one post instead of three, no ad usage) before you cut your price, or ask for a commission on tracked sales on top of a smaller fee.

## How often should creators raise their rates?

When the evidence supports it:

- your audience has grown noticeably since you set the rate;
- you have results to show from past sponsored posts;
- brands accept your rate immediately, every time (a sign it's low);
- you're turning down deals because you're fully booked.

Review your rate card every six to twelve months, or after every few deals, and update it whenever your audience or results change.

## How often should creators update their rate card?

Whenever your follower count, engagement or formats change, and at least once or twice a year. Keep the prices on your profile current: brands use them to decide whether to send an offer.

## How should a creator negotiate a brand deal?

1. **Know your number** before the conversation, from your rate card.
2. **Ask what's included:** the deliverable, the posting window, ad usage and exclusivity.
3. **Trade scope, not value.** If the budget is lower, offer less (fewer posts, no ad rights) rather than the same for less.
4. **Ask for upside:** a commission on tracked sales.
5. **Get it in writing:** deliverable, payout, timing, usage and when you're paid.
6. **Say no politely** to deals that don't fit your audience. Your audience's trust is what brands are paying for.

## Rate cards on Transformer

Transformer is the agentic influencer marketplace: real creators, paid on verified posts. Run it from the dashboard or from your agent.

- **Your profile shows a rate card** next to your headline, niches and recent posts, and Transformer uses it when it suggests a price to brands.
- **Brands send offers with a price and a short ask** for one X post with the Paid partnership label; you accept the ones that fit and decline the rest. A brand can send a new offer if you decline.
- **Payment protection:** once you accept, the brand pays before you post; the payment is held and released once your post is verified.
- **You keep 80%.** Payouts by PayPal or USDC, from $10.

[Sign up](/login?signin=signup) with X and set your rate card.

## FAQ

### What is an influencer rate card?
A short price list from a creator: what each format costs (on X, a post, a thread, a video), what's included, and what costs extra, such as ad usage or exclusivity.

### How do brands read an influencer rate card?
Compare each price with the benchmark for the creator's size, check what's included and which add-ons are extra, look at recent engagement and past results, and treat it as a starting point for the offer.

### What should an influencer rate card include?
Who you are and who your audience is, engagement, prices for each format (on X: post, thread, video), what's included, add-ons such as ad usage and exclusivity, bundles, and your terms.

### How much should I charge per post on X?
A common starting point is about $2 per 1,000 followers per post, adjusted up for a valuable niche and strong engagement. On Transformer, brands' default prices run from $50 per post under 5,000 followers to $625 at 100,000–499,999; creators keep 80%.

### How much should a creator charge for their first brand deal?
The benchmark for their size. Trim the scope rather than the price if a brand's budget is tight, and consider a commission on tracked sales.

### How often should creators raise their rates?
When the evidence supports it: audience growth, results from past posts, or brands accepting immediately every time. Review the rate card every six to twelve months.

### How should a creator negotiate a brand deal?
Know your number, ask what's included, trade scope rather than value, ask for a commission as upside, get the terms in writing, and decline deals that don't fit your audience.

## Sources

- [Meltwater: Influencer marketing costs, rates per channel (June 2026)](https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/influencer-marketing-costs-rates-pricing)
- [Gigapay: Influencer usage rights and whitelisting fees in 2026 (October 2026)](https://www.gigapay.com/blog/influencer-usage-rights-whitelisting-fees-in-2026)