TL;DR
- A rate card is one page: a rupee price per deliverable plus the terms — usage rights, exclusivity, payment, GST. Template below.
- Real 2026 numbers: creators under 10,000 followers ask a median ₹1,154 per Reel on Qolab; InfluencerMetric's median listed Reel is ₹2,500; through SocialBridge, brands pay a median ₹2,500 for a nano Reel and ₹11,000 for a micro one.
- The calculator: Reel = average Reel views ÷ 1,000 × ₹250, never below ₹1,500. Story 30% of that, feed post 60%, usage rights 30% a month. 25,000 average views gives a ₹6,300 Reel.
- Barter needs a label too: ASCI counts free products as a material connection.
- Disclosure: we make ViralDM, whose Media Kit computes these suggestions. Every other company is described from its own pages, read on 14 October 2026.
"₹100 for a reel." That was the fee in a brief one Indian creator shared on LinkedIn on 15 September 2026 — one Reel, about ₹1,000 of product, and ₹100 on top. Another post, from 29 June 2026, remembers brands emailing for "1 Reel + 4 Stories for ₹1,500". Offers like these land when the creator has no number ready. With a rate card, "share your commercials" gets one link, and the talk starts at your price.
Rate card vs media kit
A rate card is the price list: one Reel, one Story set, one feed post and a bundle, in rupees, with the terms attached. A media kit is the pitch around it: your niche and city, followers, average Reel views, engagement rate, reach, audience, best posts and contact. Brands open the kit first and read the rates last, so the two travel together. Put one number on each line (a range reads as its lower end), show views next to followers, and date your numbers.
What Indian creators charge in 2026
Three Indian platforms publish their creators' rates. They count different things, so compare them rather than average them.
| Source (date) | What it counts | Reel, under 10K followers | Reel, next band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qolab (12 Oct 2026) | The price 546 creators ask on their profiles | ₹1,154 | ₹4,617 (10K–50K) |
| InfluencerMetric (12 Oct 2026) | Prices listed by creators with Instagram connected | ₹2,000 | ₹4,750 (10K–50K, 8 packages) |
| SocialBridge (October 2026) | What a brand pays through the agency, before GST, 38 creators | ₹2,500 | ₹11,000 (10K–100K) |
Qolab also lists ₹7,880 for 50K–250K followers and ₹27,091 above 250K. Across its 91 live Reel packages, InfluencerMetric's median is ₹2,500. SocialBridge works out a median of about ₹0.86 per view across its roster (6 October 2026). Inside a band the spread is wide — Qolab's middle half of nano creators asks ₹1,150 to ₹2,500 — because views and niche move a price more than followers do.
The rate card calculator: from Reel views to rupees
The formula behind the Use suggested rates button in ViralDM's Media Kit, so you can run it yourself:
- Reel = average Reel views ÷ 1,000 × ₹250, never below ₹1,500
- Story (3 frames, with a link sticker) = 30% of the Reel
- Feed post = 60% of the Reel
- Bundle, 1 Reel + 2 Stories = the Reel + two Stories at 85% of their price
- Usage rights, per month = 30% of the Reel
- Every figure is rounded to the nearest ₹100 and never goes below ₹500.
₹250 per 1,000 views is ₹0.25 a view, a deliberately safe starting line next to SocialBridge's ₹0.86. Treat it as your floor.
Example 1: 8,000 average Reel views
- Reel: 8,000 ÷ 1,000 × ₹250 = ₹2,000 (above the ₹1,500 minimum)
- Story: 30% × ₹2,000 = ₹600
- Feed post: 60% × ₹2,000 = ₹1,200
- Bundle: ₹2,000 + 2 × ₹600 × 0.85 = ₹2,000 + ₹1,020 = ₹3,020 → ₹3,000
- Usage rights, 1 month: 30% × ₹2,000 = ₹600; Reel + 1 month = ₹2,600
Example 2: 25,000 average Reel views
- Reel: 25,000 ÷ 1,000 × ₹250 = ₹6,250 → ₹6,300
- Story: 30% × ₹6,300 = ₹1,890 → ₹1,900
- Feed post: 60% × ₹6,300 = ₹3,780 → ₹3,800
- Bundle: ₹6,300 + 2 × ₹1,900 × 0.85 = ₹6,300 + ₹3,230 = ₹9,530 → ₹9,500
- Usage rights, 1 month: 30% × ₹6,300 = ₹1,890 → ₹1,900; Reel + 1 month = ₹8,200
Example 3: 120,000 average Reel views
- Reel: 120,000 ÷ 1,000 × ₹250 = ₹30,000
- Story: 30% × ₹30,000 = ₹9,000
- Feed post: 60% × ₹30,000 = ₹18,000
- Bundle: ₹30,000 + 2 × ₹9,000 × 0.85 = ₹30,000 + ₹15,300 = ₹45,300
- Usage rights, 1 month: 30% × ₹30,000 = ₹9,000; Reel + 1 month = ₹39,000
| Avg Reel views | Reel | Story (3 frames) | Feed post | 1 Reel + 2 Stories | Usage, per month | Reel + 1 month usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,000 | ₹2,000 | ₹600 | ₹1,200 | ₹3,000 | ₹600 | ₹2,600 |
| 25,000 | ₹6,300 | ₹1,900 | ₹3,800 | ₹9,500 | ₹1,900 | ₹8,200 |
| 120,000 | ₹30,000 | ₹9,000 | ₹18,000 | ₹45,300 | ₹9,000 | ₹39,000 |
Below about 6,000 average views the ₹1,500 minimum takes over: at 4,000 views the card reads Reel ₹1,500, Story ₹500, feed post ₹900 and bundle ₹2,400. Before you send it:
- Use typical views. ViralDM averages the Reels among your last 12 posts, so one viral Reel pulls the number up; SocialBridge suggests the median of your last 10–12 Reels instead.
- Price your niche. InfluencerMetric's calculator adds 20 to 40% for finance, tech and education creators — their own model, as they say.
- Raise Stories and posts if they earn it. Qolab's creators price a story at 36–42% of their Reel and a post at 65–82%.
Free influencer rate card template
Copy it and fill the brackets. One line on top: @yourhandle · niche · city · languages · followers · average Reel views · engagement rate · numbers read on [date].
| Deliverable | What the price includes | Price (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Reel (up to 60 seconds) | Concept, shoot, edit, one revision, posting with the Paid partnership label | ₹[ ] |
| 1 Story set (3 frames) | Link sticker, label on every frame | ₹[ ] |
| 1 Feed post or carousel | Up to [ ] slides, one revision | ₹[ ] |
| Bundle: 1 Reel + 2 Stories | One shoot, posted within [ ] days | ₹[ ] |
| Usage rights, per month | The brand may run the Reel as an ad from its own account | ₹[ ] |
| Category exclusivity, per month | No competing brand in [category] that month | ₹[ ] |
| Extra revision or rush delivery | Beyond the one revision included; rush = under 3 days | ₹[ ] |
Then the terms, one line each: Payment — 50% on confirmation, 50% before the post goes live, by UPI or bank transfer. GST — prices [include / exclude] GST; [GSTIN / not registered]. Turnaround — draft in [7] working days from the brief. Barter — product-only deals for [one Story set] only. Disclosure — every paid or gifted post carries a label under ASCI's guidelines.
The terms brands negotiate hardest
- Usage rights. The brand running your Reel as its own ad is priced per month: about 45% of the Reel for organic use and 90% for Meta ads in SocialBridge's guide; the calculator starts at 30%. Write the window down — "30 days, Instagram only".
- Exclusivity. upGrowth's September 2026 guide, as quoted by Qolab, puts 30-day category exclusivity at 30 to 50% on top of the base rate.
- Payment. Qolab's rate card guide suggests about 50% upfront from new or smaller brands on a deal done over DM.
- GST. Under section 22 of the CGST Act, registration is compulsory once aggregate turnover crosses ₹20 lakh in a financial year (₹10 lakh in a few special category States). Say on the card whether prices include GST, and confirm your case with a chartered accountant.
Barter or paid? ("barter collaboration kya hota hai")
A barter collaboration pays in product instead of money. Take it when you would have bought the product anyway and the ask is one Story set. A scripted Reel with a deadline and usage rights is paid work dressed as a gift, like the ₹100-plus-product brief above. A clean reply: "Happy to do barter for one Story; for a Reel my rate is ₹6,300." The product's price is not your fee, and a barter post needs a label just like a paid one.
ASCI rules: #ad, Paid partnership and barter
From ASCI's guidelines for influencer advertising, the parts that touch a rate card:
- Any material connection needs a label: money, free products (even unsolicited), discounts, trips, media barters.
- Permitted labels: Advertisement, Ad, Sponsored, Collaboration, Partnership, Employee, Free gift, Affiliate, Instagram's Paid Partnership tag and YouTube's Includes Paid Promotion tag.
- Upfront and hard to miss: not buried in hashtags, not only in your bio, not behind "more". A platform's tool should be considered in addition to your own label — so use the Paid partnership tag and a word like #ad.
- Stories without text: the label goes over the picture or video.
- Video timing: up to 15 seconds, the label stays at least 3 seconds; up to 2 minutes, a third of the video; longer, the whole section about the brand.
ASCI's disclosure tool picks the label for one post.
How to land your first brand collab ("brand collab kaise kare")
- Switch to a Professional account — reach and audience insights only exist there.
- Say your niche and city in your bio.
- Link your kit in your bio, or send it with a "Comment KIT" auto DM — see our guide to Instagram auto DM tools.
- Pitch small brands in your niche in five lines: who you are, your numbers, one idea, your rate.
- Get it in writing: deliverables, due date, amount, payment terms, usage window and the label.
- Send the results after it goes live.
Build your media kit and rate card in ViralDM
ViralDM's Media Kit (Originals → Media Kit, /dashboard/media-kit) builds both from your own Instagram account:
- Read my numbers now reads your last 12 posts through Instagram's official API in about 20 seconds: Followers, Avg Reel views, Engagement rate, Reached · 30 days and Top city. Audience details need 100+ followers on Instagram's side; what Instagram does not give is left out, never guessed.
- Use suggested rates fills the rate card with the calculator above. Edit any line — up to 12 rows.
- Public gives your kit a link at /kit/your-name — pitch, numbers, rates, email — marked "Verified from Instagram" with the date read, and kept out of search engines.
- Sponsor reports: pick the live post and send the brand a link with views, reach, likes, comments, saves, shares, average watch time, engagement and an estimated media value (views ÷ 1,000 × ₹250, labelled an estimate).
Brand Deals sits next to it. A DM that reads like a collab request — a brand phrase such as "paid collab" or "your rate card" plus another signal — becomes a deal card: New, Negotiating, Agreed, Content live, Paid or Lost, with amount, deliverables, due date, notes and a checklist that includes ASCI's #ad / Paid partnership. Deals that came from a DM get a UPI pay link of up to ₹5 lakh to your own UPI ID. See the changelog, plans and Insights.
ViralDM Media Kit vs Canva vs Qolab and InfluencerMetric
| ViralDM Media Kit | Canva media kit template | Qolab | InfluencerMetric | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your real Instagram numbers | Read from Instagram's API | Not on their site (their kit list suggests screenshots) | Instagram analytics synced daily | Follower count from Instagram when you connect it |
| Suggested rates | ₹250 per 1,000 average Reel views, editable | Not on their site | A suggested price from your real reach | A free calculator from followers, engagement and niche |
| Public kit link | /kit/your-name, noindex | Download as PDF or print | Public rate card at qolab.in/c/yourhandle | A creator profile with packages |
| Deal tracking | Collab DMs become deal cards, New to Paid | Not on their site | Bookings with a brief and one negotiation thread | Custom quotes in chat become orders |
| Report after the campaign | One link per post with its numbers | Not on their site | Not on their site (they verify the post before payout) | A results page per campaign |
| How you get paid | Straight to your UPI ID (pay link on deals from a DM) | Not on their site | Escrow, paid out within 7 days | Escrow, released on approval, to UPI or bank |
| Price | Part of your ViralDM account — see /pricing | Free templates; some premium elements cost extra | Free for creators; brands pay 10% per booking | Free to join; 10% from creator payouts, brands pay 15% (10% on Pro) |
Canva, Qolab and InfluencerMetric are described from their own pages, read on 14 October 2026. Where they are ahead: Canva offers design freedom for free; Qolab and InfluencerMetric bring brands to you and hold the money in escrow, which ViralDM does not. Where ViralDM is ahead: kit, rates, deal and report live where brand DMs arrive, the numbers come from Instagram, and the brand pays you directly with no cut.
Frequently asked questions
What is an influencer rate card?
A one-page list of what a creator charges per deliverable — Reel, Story, feed post, bundle — with what each price includes and the terms: usage rights, exclusivity, payment and GST.
How much should a nano influencer charge in India in 2026?
Published medians for one Reel from creators under 10,000 followers run from ₹1,154 (Qolab asking prices, 12 October 2026) to ₹2,000 (InfluencerMetric listings) and ₹2,500 (what brands pay through SocialBridge). Start from your own views.
How do I calculate my rates from my views?
Divide your typical Reel views by 1,000 and multiply by ₹250, with a ₹1,500 minimum. A Story is 30% of that, a feed post 60% and a month of usage rights 30%. At 25,000 views: Reel ₹6,300, Story ₹1,900, post ₹3,800.
What is a barter collaboration, and should I accept one?
Barter pays in product rather than money. Accept it when you would buy the product anyway and the ask is one Story set; for a Reel, a deadline or usage rights, ask for a fee.
Does a barter post need #ad?
Yes. ASCI treats free products as a material connection, so a gifted post needs a label such as Ad, Free gift or the Paid Partnership tag.
What should a media kit for Instagram include?
A one-line pitch with niche and city, followers, average Reel views, engagement rate, reach, audience, best posts, the rate card and an email, with the date the numbers were read.
Do I need GST registration as an influencer?
Under section 22 of the CGST Act it becomes compulsory once aggregate turnover crosses ₹20 lakh in a financial year (₹10 lakh in a few special category States). Confirm your own case with a chartered accountant.
Final thoughts
Creators who get paid fairly answer "what are your charges?" with a number, a date and a link. Run the calculator on your views, copy the template, label every paid or gifted post, and raise your rates as your Reels grow. ViralDM's Media Kit and Brand Deals can read the numbers and track the deals for you.
