In short: Send a product only when the video needs it, ask a creator for the delivery details once they have said yes, tell them in writing what you expect in return, and track the parcel. Racklify’s September 2026 seeding guide says to tell recipients whether the product is a gift and whether posting is expected or optional. The US FTC says free products are a material connection that has to be disclosed. Perfume, nail polish and aerosols have carrier rules of their own, so check them before you ship.
Do you need to send a product at all?
Send one when the video has to show the product being used: a texture, a shade, a fit, a routine. Skip it when the creator can film with something they already own, or when the video is about something other than the product. Sending products also takes time. Vidovo’s July 2026 launch guide says to start four to six weeks before a launch to leave room for shipping, filming and revisions, and warns that complex products or longer shipping times may need more; see UGC for product launches.
Be clear with yourself about what a product buys. Statusphere, a seeding platform, wrote in 2024 that fewer than half of the creators sent products end up posting, and that the brands its author talks to report a typical success rate of 20% to 40%. That is the vendor’s own, unsourced figure, but Vidovo makes the same point: seeding can feel more natural, while posting and delivery are not guaranteed, and paid UGC is usually more reliable when you need set deadlines and specific concepts. If you need a video by a date, pay for it; see free product vs paid UGC.
Before you ship
- Get a yes first. Ask for a delivery address only from a creator who has agreed to make the video, and use it for shipping and nothing else.
- Ask for what you need to choose the item. A size for clothing, a shade for makeup, a hair type for haircare. Sending the wrong variant wastes a week.
- Agree the terms in writing. Racklify advises telling recipients whether the product is a gift and whether posting is expected or optional. Add the delivery date you need the video by and what happens if the product arrives late or damaged.
- Put the brief in the box or the message. Racklify suggests branded tissue or a single sheet describing the product story, plus a one-line call to action. A one-page brief does the same job; see the beauty brief template.
- Send full-size product when the video depends on how it performs. Statusphere recommends full-size products rather than samples for seeding, and branded packaging that is worth filming.
Shipping, tracking and restricted items
Racklify says tracking numbers and shipment confirmations are how you confirm that a creator received the package, and Statusphere lists incorrect addresses as a risk. Send the tracking number to the creator and note the expected arrival date in the brief, so the filming deadline starts from delivery and not from the day you posted the parcel.
Some beauty products are restricted by carriers. USPS lists perfumes containing alcohol, nail polish and aerosols as items that “may be mailable but have specific restrictions”. In a December 2025 item for its staff, USPS describes perfume as flammable and a hazardous material in the mail. It says domestic shipments may go by ground, air requires prior authorization, a package may hold at most 16 ounces, and the outer package needs a hazmat label and surface-transportation-only marking. Those are USPS rules for the US; other carriers and countries differ, so read your carrier’s current rules before you ship fragrance, nail polish or anything pressurized. For scent products see UGC for fragrance brands.
Disclosure: a free product counts
The FTC’s guide for influencers says a material connection includes “giving you free or discounted products”, that a disclosure is needed even if you believe the evaluation is unbiased, and that it belongs with the endorsement itself. In a video it should appear in the video, not only in the description. Tell the creator in the brief that they need to disclose, and what plain wording works. See UGC disclosure rules.
A shipping checklist
- The video really needs the product.
- The creator has agreed, and you hold the address only for shipping.
- You know the size, shade or type to send.
- Written terms: gift or not, deadline, what counts as a finished video.
- The brief is in the message or the box.
- Carrier rules checked for liquids, flammables and aerosols.
- Tracking number sent, arrival date noted, deadline counted from delivery.
- Disclosure explained.
On Usicri
Usicri does not handle shipping. When you create a campaign you choose either “No product needed” or “I’ll send the product to the creator”, and creators see that before they start. If you send a product, interested creators contact you through “Ask a question” on the campaign, which reaches you by email, and you arrange delivery with them directly. The product is separate from the payout: you pay only for the videos you approve, with no platform fee at the moment, and a campaign is not guaranteed to receive submissions. See how it works for brands.
If you want the first opening on camera, read UGC unboxing videos.