Hypothetical example: A solo brand designer in Portugal wins an identity project with a software company in the United States. The client approves the proposal, then asks for vendor details, tax documentation, a purchase-order reference, and invoice fields that fit its finance system. The creative brief is settled; the next task is to document and route the transaction in a way both sides can complete.
This guide follows that workflow from scope to payout. The designer remains responsible for the agreement, service description, delivery evidence, and personal or business tax obligations. Ruul’s Agent of Record model provides a transaction route for the invoice and payment.
Write a scope the buyer can verify
A clear scope helps the client approve the work and helps finance connect the purchase order, delivered service, and amount due. For a brand identity engagement, define:
- Deliverables and file formats
- Revision rounds and approval steps
- Timeline, milestones, and acceptance criteria
- Exclusions, usage rights, and any out-of-scope work
- Price, payment schedule, and the client’s purchase-order process
Ask who approves the work and which details must appear on the invoice before kickoff. If the client requires a particular vendor record or purchase-order field, confirm where Ruul can carry that detail. The invoice and the project archive serve different needs: the first supports payment processing; the second records what both parties agreed, approved, and received.
Understand the counterparty and invoice sequence
Ruul describes itself as the legal counterparty for invoices created through its Agent of Record service. The client receives a payment link and pays Ruul; after the payment reaches Ruul and clears its checks, Ruul issues its commercial invoice to the client and releases the designer’s payout. The client can pay by card or bank transfer without creating a Ruul account. Ruul’s current invoicing guide, Agent of Record overview
A practical sequence is:
- Agree the work. Confirm scope, milestones, price, deadlines, revisions, and acceptance with the client.
- Check the buyer’s requirements. Confirm the purchase-order process, legal entity, tax or vendor documents, invoice currency, and payment route.
- Create the invoice in Ruul. Select the client and contact, service category, payout account, invoice currency, fee payer, service line, and any permitted notes or attachments.
- Review the preview and totals. Confirm the client-facing amount and the net payout before sending.
- Share the payment link and track it. The client pays Ruul; Ruul issues the commercial invoice after payment and sends the payout after its checks.
Ruul’s current invoice guide lists a payment-request range of EUR 100 to EUR 100,000 or equivalent. Transactions outside that range require confirmation with Ruul’s customer-success team. Invoice amount and description limits
Describe the design service clearly
Use a plain service description that names the work delivered. Ruul’s current rules for invoice descriptions say to leave out the talent’s or company’s name, dates, and amount calculations. Descriptions are generally in English; invoices for companies registered in Türkiye must use Turkish. The compliance team may ask for a corrected invoice when a description falls outside these rules. Service categories and description rules
For example, “Brand identity design — visual identity development and final asset preparation” describes the service. Put a date, purchase-order reference, milestone acceptance, or client-specific context in the appropriate contract, project record, or permitted note field. Extra notes are visible to the client in the payment flow but do not appear on the commercial invoice PDF, so they may not satisfy a buyer that needs a reference printed on the invoice. Check the invoice preview before sending. How to create an invoice
Keep the payment record and creative archive together
Maintain two linked records for the engagement:
- Ruul transaction record: client and contact, service category, clear service line, amount, invoice currency, payout method, fee payer, invoice status, and payment documents. Attachments can help with supporting paperwork; Ruul currently lists a 10 MB limit for supported file types.
- Studio archive: approved proposal, signed agreement, purchase order, scope changes, approvals, milestone acceptance, final files, and client-specific finance instructions.
Keep the invoice number with the project record. If the client uses bank transfer, its finance team needs that reference in the transfer description so the payment can be matched. Payment instructions, Managing invoices
Set the invoice currency, payout currency, and fee payer
The invoice currency is what the client pays; the payout currency is what the designer receives. Ruul’s current invoice guide says the two can differ. It converts the payment at a real-time exchange rate, shows the final amounts before sending, and says there is no separate foreign-exchange fee for that conversion. Available payout currencies still depend on region and payment method, so use the options shown in the dashboard for the specific transaction. Current invoice instructions, supported work and currencies
Ruul’s pricing page currently lists a 5% base commission, a 1.5% fee for crypto withdrawals, and a 3.5% fee for Early Pay. Early Pay is a beta feature with eligibility requirements. Check the live terms before quoting it. The invoice summary shows the total charged to the client and the amount the professional will receive, including the applicable commission and VAT. Pricing, Early Pay, invoice totals
For an individual invoice, the designer chooses whether they or the customer pays Ruul’s commission. The fee is paid in full by one party and cannot be split. Set that choice while building the proposal: absorb it into the project price or explain the customer-paid fee before checkout. Invoice commission settings
Choose a payment route and plan follow-up
Bank transfer: The client uses the corporate account belonging to its company and includes the invoice number in the transfer description. The client then confirms the transfer in its Ruul dashboard. Personal bank accounts are not accepted for this route.
Credit card: A company making its first Ruul payment must complete one bank-transfer payment before card payments become available. Card availability also depends on the payment setup shown to the client. Confirm the option in the invoice flow before promising it as a payment method. How a client pays an invoice
For unpaid requests, Ruul’s Payment Chaser can send up to three reminder emails. The first is scheduled five business days after the transaction is created; later reminders are spaced three business days apart. It stops after payment. Review the scheduled messages before enabling it, and keep direct client communication aligned with the agreed payment terms. Payment Chaser
Choose between scheduled invoices and subscriptions
For recurring work, Ruul offers two workflows. A scheduled invoice creates a new invoice each month, which the client pays manually. A subscription requires the client to approve once and save a card; later charges run automatically. Subscriptions are card-only. Match the option to the retainer terms and the method the client can use. Scheduled invoices and subscriptions, subscription details
Plan for payout release and local obligations
After Ruul receives the client’s payment and its standard compliance checks clear, the payout is usually released within one business day. A receiving bank can take longer; international SWIFT transfers may require another three to four business days. Separate Ruul’s payout preparation from the bank’s arrival time when you plan cash flow or set expectations with a client. Payout timing and invoice statuses
Ruul manages the transaction-side invoice and applicable buyer-side compliance. The designer remains responsible for income tax and other obligations in their country of residence. Keep those responsibilities in your own records and consult a qualified professional for jurisdiction-specific advice. Ruul’s tax and compliance overview
A pre-send checklist for the studio
Before sending an invoice, confirm that the client has approved the scope, the service line follows Ruul’s current rules, and any purchase-order or invoice-field requirement has an owner. Check the request amount, invoice currency, payout method, fee payer, total due, and net amount. Save the invoice number and payment status beside the project’s approvals and delivery evidence.
This keeps the client-facing transaction clear while preserving the designer’s own account of the engagement—from approved scope through final delivery and payout.
