Email Marketing Design Services: Pricing and Campaign Deliverables (For Designers & Agencies)

Email marketing design is one of the highest-leverage creative services in digital marketing—yet it’s also one of the easiest to scope incorrectly. Between “quick edits,” last-minute segmentation, brand approvals, accessibility tweaks, and platform quirks (looking at you, Outlook), even a simple campaign can balloon into an unprofitable project if you don’t structure your pricing and deliverables clearly.

This guide is written from the service provider perspective for email designers and marketing design agencies. You’ll learn how to package email campaign design services, what to include in your deliverables, and how to price them in a way that protects margin—plus how to translate it all into a strong email campaign design contract.

Throughout, you’ll see contract language concepts you can use in an email marketing designer agreement or an email template design agreement, and you’ll get pointers on what an email design contract template should include.

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Why pricing and deliverables need to be defined together

Many email design projects fail commercially (for the designer) not because of poor design, but because:

• The deliverables are described vaguely (“design a campaign”)
• The production tasks aren’t listed (responsive layout, dark mode considerations, QA, ESP setup)
• Revision cycles are unlimited or unclear
• “Design” is treated as a single output instead of a system (template + modules + rules + tests)

Your pricing model should map directly to:

1. What you’ll deliver
2. How many rounds of change are included
3. How many stakeholders/approvers exist
4. What platforms you support (ESP, code, device testing)
5. How quickly the client expects turnaround

This is exactly what an effective email campaign design contract should document: scope, timeline, responsibilities, and what costs extra.

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Common email marketing design service types (and what clients think they’re buying)

Clients use the term “email design” to mean different things. Before you price, clarify which of these you’re actually providing:

1) One-off campaign email design

Best for: seasonal promos, product launches, newsletters.

Typical scope components:

• Concept + layout
• Mobile-responsive design
• Asset sourcing or light art direction
• Export to ESP or handoff to dev
• QA and final revisions

2) Modular email template system

Best for: brands scaling email volume, teams with multiple email marketers.

Typical scope components:

• A master template + reusable modules (hero, product grid, footer, button styles)
• Documentation and usage rules
• Optional training session for the marketing team

This is often where an email template design agreement is most valuable, because the “template system” isn’t just a file—it’s an ongoing capability.

3) Coded HTML email production (design + build)

Best for: clients who want reliability across clients (Gmail/Outlook/Apple Mail) and fewer ESP-specific issues.

Scope components:

• Design + HTML build
• Image slicing/optimization
• Inline CSS considerations and fallbacks
• Testing and client-specific fixes
• Accessibility and dark mode adjustments (as scoped)

4) Ongoing campaign design retainer

Best for: agencies supporting growth marketing teams.

Scope components:

• Monthly email quota (e.g., 8–12 emails)
• Defined SLA (turnaround time)
• Priority support
• Optional performance-driven iteration

Retainers reduce per-email pricing pressure and stabilize your production schedule—but only if deliverables and turnaround expectations are contractually defined.

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Pricing models for email marketing design services (pros, cons, and when to use)

There’s no one “correct” pricing model. What matters is aligning your pricing structure with how you operate and how clients make decisions.

A) Per-email flat fee (most common)

How it works: Fixed rate per email (design-only or design+build).

Pros

• Simple for clients to budget
• Easy to scale with volume
• Easy to define in an email marketing designer agreement

Cons

• Can punish you when approvals drag or scope grows
• Clients may treat all emails as equal complexity

Best practice: Create tiers based on complexity:

• Basic (text-heavy, minimal modules)
• Standard (promo email with product blocks)
• Advanced (multi-section, heavy art direction, multiple variants)

In your email campaign design contract, define complexity criteria (modules, variants, custom illustration, motion/GIF, coding required).

B) Project-based pricing (campaign package)

How it works: One price for a campaign set (e.g., 6 emails + 2 variants + landing-page header assets).

Pros

• Better margin control
• Encourages strategic thinking (cohesive system)
• Easier to include extras like QA and documentation

Cons

• Requires stronger scoping and change control

Great for: product launch sequences, onboarding flows, seasonal campaigns.

C) Hourly or day rate

How it works: Bill time spent.

Pros

• Fair when scope is truly uncertain
• Good for “cleanup” work, template troubleshooting, ESP issues

Cons

• Clients may resist open-ended billing
• Encourages time-tracking overhead
• Harder to sell value

Use it for: audits, legacy template fixes, emergency support, or overflow production.

D) Retainer (monthly design subscription)

How it works: Recurring monthly fee for a defined volume and service level.

Pros

• Predictable revenue
• Stronger client partnership
• Allows ongoing optimization

Cons

• Needs clear “what’s included” language to avoid overuse
• Requires capacity planning

Contract tip: Your email design contract template should include rollover rules (if any), overage rates, and what happens when client requests exceed monthly allocation.

E) Value-based pricing (advanced, high-performing teams)

How it works: Price tied to outcomes or perceived value (rare in design-only).

Pros

• Highest earning potential
• Aligns incentives if you’re involved in conversion optimization

Cons

• Requires clear measurement ownership (copy, offer, list quality)
• Difficult to attribute results

Approach: Combine a base fee + performance bonus only when tracking and responsibilities are crystal clear.

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What to include in campaign deliverables (so clients know exactly what they get)

Below is a practical deliverables checklist you can adapt into an email marketing designer agreement. Think of it as your “scope menu.”

1) Design deliverables (visual + layout)

• Email design concept aligned to brand guidelines
• Desktop and mobile layouts (or a responsive design system)
• Component/module designs (buttons, product blocks, dividers, etc.)
• Image specs (hero images, thumbnails, retina-ready assets)
• Optional: animated GIFs (define duration/size limits)

Specify file formats: Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, PSD, or direct ESP build.

2) Production deliverables (implementation)

Depending on your service offering:

• ESP build (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Braze, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, etc.)
• Exported HTML + inline CSS
• Hosted images and asset delivery method (client CDN vs your hosting)
• Link placeholders or UTM templates (if provided by client)

Responsibility clarity: If you only design and the client builds, your contract should explicitly say implementation is not included.

3) QA and testing deliverables

Email design is not finished when it “looks right” in a design tool. Consider specifying:

• Rendering checks in major clients (Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook)
• Mobile checks (iOS Mail, Gmail App)
• Dark mode checks (where applicable)
• Link verification and basic content sanity check (as scoped)

If you do Litmus/Email on Acid testing, define whether:

• Testing is included
• Number of test cycles included
• Who pays for the tool/license

4) Accessibility and compliance (scope it intentionally)

If you offer accessible email design, define:

• Minimum font sizes and tap targets
• Color contrast targets
• Alt text responsibilities (designer vs client)
• Use of live text vs image-only emails
• ADA/WCAG alignment (avoid guaranteeing compliance unless you can support it)

5) Variations and personalization

Clients frequently request variations late in the process:

• A/B subject line modules (design impact is minimal)
• A/B hero image, CTA, or layout variants (design impact is real)
• Segmented blocks (VIP vs new customers)
• Localization

Contract tip: Spell out the included number of variants per email. Variants are one of the biggest margin killers when undefined.

6) Documentation and handoff

Especially for template systems:

• Module usage guide (when to use each block)
• Brand rules for email (type scale, spacing, button usage)
• Export instructions or ESP build steps
• Office hours or training session (optional add-on)

This is where an email template design agreement shines—because documentation is a deliverable that’s easy to forget, but extremely valuable.

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Revision rounds, approvals, and “who owns feedback” (the hidden scope)

If you’ve ever delivered a solid design only to get conflicting feedback from five stakeholders, you already know: the approval process is part of the scope.

In your email campaign design contract, define:

• Included revision rounds (e.g., 2 rounds after initial design)
• What counts as a “round” (one consolidated list of changes)
• Client must provide consolidated feedback from one decision-maker
• Turnaround times for client feedback (e.g., within 2 business days)
• What happens if feedback is late (timeline shifts; rush fees may apply)

A practical clause concept: “Feedback must be consolidated and provided by Client’s designated approver; multiple stakeholders must be resolved internally prior to submission.”

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Turnaround time, rush fees, and scheduling expectations

Email timelines are often aggressive because they’re tied to promotions. Protect your calendar with clear service levels:

• Standard turnaround (e.g., 3–5 business days per email after inputs)
• Rush turnaround (e.g., 24–48 hours)
• Rush fee structure (percentage uplift or fixed add-on)
• Client deliverables required to start (copy, offer details, product links, brand assets)

Service provider tip: Tie delivery timelines to receiving complete inputs. A client saying “we’ll send the copy later” is not a start date.

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Pricing components to consider (so your fee matches the real work)

When setting prices, account for the real labor involved:

• Discovery and creative direction
• Layout design and module creation
• Image editing and export prep
• ESP build time (often longer than clients expect)
• QA cycles and rendering fixes
• Project management time
• Meetings and communication overhead

Add-ons worth listing explicitly:

• Additional revision rounds
• Additional variants/segments
• Copywriting or copy editing
• Illustration, icon sets, custom graphics
• Template documentation and training
• Litmus testing cycles beyond included amount
• Localization and multi-language layout changes

Including these as line items makes your pricing feel transparent and makes upsells easier—without sounding defensive.

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Contract essentials for email campaign design (service provider perspective)

A strong contract is what turns your scope into enforceable business terms. Whether you’re starting from an email design contract template or drafting from scratch, ensure your email marketing designer agreement includes:

1) Scope of work (SOW) + deliverables

List each deliverable explicitly:

• Number of emails
• Variants per email
• File formats / implementation method
• QA/testing level
• Documentation included (if any)

2) Timeline and milestones

• Start date based on receiving inputs
• Review cycles and client feedback windows
• Launch date dependencies and assumptions

3) Fees, payment schedule, and late payments

Common structures:

• 50% upfront + 50% before final files/ESP handoff
• Net-7 or Net-14 terms for agencies with PO processes
• Late fee language (where enforceable)

4) Change orders / out-of-scope work

This is the heart of margin protection:

• Define out-of-scope triggers (extra variants, new direction, additional emails)
• Provide an hourly rate or fixed add-on rates for changes

5) Client responsibilities

Spell out what the client must provide:

• Copy, subject lines, and legal disclaimers
• Product links and pricing
• Brand guidelines and image assets
• ESP access and permissions (if you’re building)

6) IP ownership and licensing

Typical approaches:

• Client owns final paid deliverables upon full payment
• You retain rights to underlying tools, processes, and pre-existing components
• Portfolio rights (unless prohibited)

7) Warranty disclaimers for rendering/platform issues

Email is notoriously inconsistent across clients. Avoid guarantees like “pixel-perfect everywhere.” Instead, define a reasonable compatibility target and testing scope.

8) Confidentiality and data handling

If you access lists, analytics, or ESP accounts:

• Confidentiality obligations
• No exporting lists
• Access controls and offboarding

Bottom line: Your email campaign design contract should read like your actual workflow, not a generic creative contract.

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Example deliverable packages you can sell (and contract easily)

Here are three package frameworks you can adapt.

Package 1: Campaign Email Design (Design-Only)

• 4 promotional emails
• 1 round of concept + 2 revision rounds
• Responsive layout provided in Figma
• Exported assets (PNG/JPG/SVG as applicable)
• Handoff notes for developer/ESP builder
  Optional add-ons: ESP build, extra variants, rush delivery

Package 2: Design + ESP Build

• 6 emails built in Klaviyo/Mailchimp/HubSpot
• 2 variants total (A/B hero or CTA)
• Basic QA across major clients
• 2 test-send iterations included
  Optional add-ons: Litmus testing, accessibility pass, module library

Package 3: Modular Template System

• 1 master template + 8 reusable modules
• Brand-aligned type scale + button system
• Documentation + 60-minute training
• 2 weeks of post-launch support (limited)
  Optional add-ons: additional modules, localization, ongoing retainer

Each of these can map cleanly to an email template design agreement or a broader email marketing designer agreement, depending on whether you’re delivering one campaign or a reusable system.

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Common pitfalls (and how your agreement prevents them)

• “Can you just resize this?”
  Prevent with: defined revision rounds + hourly add-on rate.

• “We need 5 segments” (after design approval)
  Prevent with: variant limits + per-variant pricing.

• “Can you build it in our ESP too?”
  Prevent with: explicit statement of design-only vs build included.

• “Outlook broke the layout—fix it for free.”
  Prevent with: defined testing scope + compatibility limitations.

• “We changed the offer—same deadline.”
  Prevent with: change order clause + rush fee policy.

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Other questions to keep learning (FAQ-style)

• What’s the difference between an email template and a campaign-specific design?
• Should email designers provide HTML coding, or partner with a developer?
• How many revision rounds are normal for email campaign design?
• What deliverables should be included when building in Klaviyo vs Mailchimp vs HubSpot?
• How do you price A/B test variants without scaring clients away?
• What should an accessibility scope look like for marketing emails?
• How do agencies structure retainers for ongoing email design production?
• What clauses should you add to protect against delayed client feedback?
• How should IP ownership work for reusable modules and template libraries?
• What’s the best way to write a change order process for fast-moving marketing teams?

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Bring it all together with a contract that matches how you actually work

Pricing becomes much easier to defend when your deliverables, revision limits, testing scope, and timelines are clearly written into a professional email campaign design contract. If you’re looking for a fast starting point, using an email design contract template (tailored to your workflow) can help you standardize projects, reduce scope creep, and protect your margins as you scale.

To generate an email marketing designer agreement or email template design agreement that reflects your packages, add-ons, and approval process, you can use Contractable, an AI-powered contract generator, at https://www.contractable.ai.