The partnership contract: what to write down even when everything happens over messages
In Morocco, most collaborations are agreed on WhatsApp or in private messages, with nothing signed. That is not a problem in itself: the exchange already counts as a written record. The problem is that it almost never says what matters.
A brand writes in a private message, offers a piece and an amount, you reply "ok", and the collaboration starts. Nobody signs anything, nobody suggests it, and asking for a formal contract for one story feels out of proportion — often rightly so. But between the ten-page contract and the "ok" on WhatsApp there is a middle ground that fits in a single message, and it is that message that protects you the day something goes wrong.
An exchange of messages is already a contract
In Morocco, the Code of Obligations and Contracts does not require a signed paper for an agreement to exist: a contract is formed by the consent of both parties, and Law 53-05 gives electronic writing value as evidence. In practice, a WhatsApp conversation in which a brand asks for two stories in exchange for an agreed amount and you reply "agreed" is an agreement, with obligations on both sides. So the problem is not the absence of a contract: it is that a contract made of messages rarely says what counts, because nobody took the time to write it.
The real risk: a written record scattered everywhere
In a conversation that runs over three weeks, the terms are dispersed: the number of posts at the start, the date somewhere in the middle, the amount in a voice note, the piece shipped in a different size from the one agreed "because yours was out of stock". The day the brand disputes something — the story was too short, payment will wait until the end of the month, your photos appear in its advertising — each side re-reads the conversation and finds what it wants in it. An agreement exists, but it is unreadable. This is not a situation where you are wrong: it is a situation where nobody can prove they are right.
Read also Negotiating with a brand that offers products instead of moneyThe six points to fit into a single message
- The exact deliverable: how many posts, in which format, visible for how long, and by what date at the latest.
- The payment and its timing: the amount, or the precise piece (reference, size, colour), and when the payment goes out — before, on publication, or after.
- What happens if the piece does not arrive or is not the one agreed: the publication date moves back accordingly, or the collaboration ends without penalty.
- The rights to your images: your photos and videos remain yours; if the brand wants to repost them on its account or in an advert, that is a use to be named, with a duration and the channels concerned.
- Exclusivity, if it is requested: on which product category, for how long — and what it costs, because it closes other collaborations to you.
- Approval: does the brand review before publication, and if so, within how many days it must answer for the date to hold.
What brands write, and what to ask for instead
| What the brand writes | What it often means | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| "A few stories" | The number stays open, so it can grow | A number, a format, a date |
| "We'll see about the budget" | There is none yet, or none for you | An amount, or a clearly named product exchange |
| "We may reuse your content" | Your images in its advertising, without limit | Which channels, for how long, and at what price |
| "You only work with us" | Unpaid exclusivity | Its duration, its category, and what you get for it |
| "Payment at the end" | After what, exactly? Without a date, it is after never | A date, or a delay after publication |
The recap message, and why the "ok" matters
Once everything has been discussed, send a single message that restates the six points, in order, without commentary: "To recap: two stories and one post by the 12th at the latest, dress ref. X in size M, an amount of … paid on publication, your images are not reused without written agreement, no exclusivity. Can you confirm?" This message creates no new rule: it gathers what has already been agreed in one readable place.
The brand's reply — "ok", "confirmed", a thumbs-up — is what gives this recap its value: it is no longer your summary, it is theirs too. Then keep the whole conversation, not a screenshot: WhatsApp lets you export a chat as a text file, with dates, which a screenshot does not prove. Do it the same day, before the conversation is buried under the next ones.
What Modeacc writes for you
On Modeacc, none of this has to be negotiated over messages: the terms are written once and for all, the same for every creator. The commission rate depends on your tier, from 10 to 18 %, the payout goes out on the 5th of the month, and a commission is validated after the 14-day return window. It is not a contract you draft; it is a contract you can re-read at any time in your space. What is left to write over messages is what falls outside that frame: a direct collaboration with a brand, off the platform — and there, the six points above apply in full.
Read also Getting paid as a creator in Morocco: what happens between the sale and the moneyNever publish before you have the written confirmation of the recap. Once the story is live, you have nothing left to negotiate: the brand has what it wanted, and the rest depends on its goodwill.
A contract made of messages is not a lesser contract. It is a contract nobody has re-read — until you write it out in a single message.
In short
You do not need a signed contract to be bound, and neither does the brand: an exchange of messages is enough, under Moroccan law as in practice. What is almost always missing is a readable record. A six-point recap message, confirmed with an "ok", turns a scattered conversation into a clear agreement — ten minutes before publishing that save weeks of argument afterwards.
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