When you are late with approvals: who pays the agency?

Key takeaways

Client delays with a social media agency, such as late approvals or missing photos, usually do not reduce the monthly fee, because the agency has reserved the time. Fair contracts say what happens: posts move, unused work is not refunded and repeated delays can trigger extra charges for rework.

• Late approvals usually do not reduce the monthly fee.
• Fair contracts state approval deadlines for both sides.
• Rework caused by very late changes may be charged extra.
• One approver and a set deadline prevent most delays.

Why do client delays matter to the fee?

An agency plans its month around your scope. When approvals or materials arrive late, the reserved time is lost or work has to be redone at short notice. The fee pays for that reserved capacity, so late input usually does not reduce it, even if fewer posts go out.

• Social media agency pricing in the UK
• A social media approval workflow that does not slow you down

What should the contract say?

A fair contract sets out both sides' responsibilities: what the client supplies and by when, how long approvals take, what happens to unapproved posts and how very late changes are charged. Clear terms protect the client too, because the agency must meet its own deadlines.

• Materials the client supplies and by when.
• Approval deadline, such as two working days.
• What happens to posts not approved in time.
• How late changes and rework are charged.

• Social media scope of work: what to put in writing

Is it fair to be charged for late changes?

Usually, if it is stated in advance and limited to real rework. Changing a finished video after approval costs the agency new hours, often billed at £75–£100 an hour at typical UK retainer levels. Charging for normal revision rounds already in the scope would not be fair.

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How do you avoid delays?

Name one approver, set a regular approval slot in their diary and approve the month's calendar in one sitting. Share photos through a shared folder weekly rather than on request. If the approver is away, name a deputy.

• Batch a month of social content in half a day

When should the agency absorb a delay?

When the delay is the agency's fault, or when it is a one-off caused by something outside your control, a good agency will be flexible. Repeated delays, however, are a sign the process needs fixing, not that the agency should work for free.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with UK owner-managed businesses: the owner is the only approver and is busy on jobs, so posts sit waiting for days. Global Bridge Labs (GBL) sets up a monthly approval session and a simple rule that minor posts can go live after two working days without objection.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Approval terms checklist

Agree these before you start.

• One approver and one deputy.
• Approval deadline for each type of content.
• What happens to late or unapproved posts.
• How rework after approval is charged.
• When materials must be supplied.

• Kill fees: what cancelling social media work costs
• Social media agency expenses: travel, shoots and extras

Next step

Tell us who approves content now and how long it takes. We will suggest an approval routine that fits your week.