Deal memo in modeling: meaning, example and tips

How it works

It is the document that answers "what exactly did we agree". Unlike the representation agreement it covers one job and is short: a page of figures and dates.

New York State's Fashion Workers Act, in force since June 19, 2025, requires an agency to give the model a deal memo before the job, in the language the model asks for. It must state the total compensation and the payment term, and the model must have the chance to agree to it.

Most other countries have no such duty, but the principle holds: without the terms in writing you have nothing to compare a payment or a statement with.

In practice

Before an advertising job in New York the agency sends the model a one-page document: client, date, working hours, total pay, 30-day payment term, one year of online usage. The model asks for it in Lithuanian, the agency sends a translation and the model confirms. When payment is late, he has a document to rely on when asking for the money.

What to watch for

Ask for the terms in writing before every job, by email at least.
Check that the usage period and territory are stated.
Keep the memo with your statement.

Related terms

How a job happensBookingA booking is a confirmed job: the client and the agency have agreed the date, the hours, the fee and the usage, and the model has accepted.Money and rightsUsage rightsUsage rights define where, for how long and in which countries a client may use pictures or footage of the model.Money and rightsDay rateThe day rate is what the client pays for a model's working day, usually eight hours; the half-day rate covers four.Money and rightsModel statementA statement is the agency's account of a model's income and expenses: every job, the commission, the costs advanced and the final balance.Agencies and representationRepresentation agreementA representation agreement is the contract between a model and an agency: how long the agency will represent the model, both sides' duties, the commission and how payment works.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

01Is a deal memo required everywhere?

No, the legal duty exists in New York State. Elsewhere nothing stops you asking for one, and a fair agency provides it as a matter of course.

02How does it differ from a booking confirmation?

In essence it is the same document under another name: one job's terms in writing.

Deal memo