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Saturday, 3 October 2026Fashion, style and modelingLTEN
Money and rights

Guaranteed contract

Also called: guarantee contract

A guaranteed contract is an agency abroad's promise to pay the model a set minimum for the whole trip, even if there are fewer jobs.

How it works

Such contracts are common in Asian markets, where the agency pays flights and housing in advance and offers a two- or three-month contract. The guarantee reduces the model's risk of coming home in the red.

A guarantee nearly always has conditions: keeping the same measurements, attending every casting and job, being on time, not changing your look. Breaking them can reduce or cancel the guarantee.

It matters whether the guarantee is a sum before or after expenses. The statement should show the guarantee, the actual jobs and the costs.

In practice

A model gets a three-month contract in China with a guarantee. The conditions: keep the measurements, attend every casting and be on time. There are fewer jobs than hoped, but he met the conditions, so the agency pays the guaranteed sum. The statement shows both the actual jobs and the top-up to the guarantee.

What to watch for

  • Read the conditions to the end and ask for a translation if needed.
  • Ask whether the guarantee is before or after expenses.
  • Check your measurements honestly before travelling.

Related terms

Agencies and representationPlacement agencyA placement agency represents a model in one particular market, such as Paris or Tokyo, and works together with the model's mother agency.Money and rightsAdvanceAn advance is money or costs the agency pays for the model up front and later deducts from their earnings.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.Requirements and looksModel measurementsA model's measurements are height plus bust, waist and hip circumference, together with shoe size, hair and eye colour; agencies and clients use them to decide whether the clothes will fit.Money and rightsAgency debtA negative balance arises when advanced costs exceed earnings after commission; the model then owes the agency.
Questions and answers

Frequently asked

01Does a guarantee mean I will definitely earn that sum?

Only if you meet every condition. They should be written into the contract.

02Where are guaranteed contracts most common?

In Asian markets: China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore.

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