After struggling with late payments for ages, I’ve noticed a clear trend. When I’m not upfront about payment terms, clients take their time to pay.
Now, I lay everything out clearly in writing before any project kicks off. Due dates, late fees — all of it. It really changes the game.
I just ask for half upfront now.
Yeah, having it in writing helps a lot. I do that too to avoid confusion later.
I stopped having payment problems when I started treating it like any other business expense they have to budget for. Most clients pay their utilities and rent on time because there are real consequences. Make your payment terms just as clear and enforce them the same way. Send the invoice the day work is done, not weeks later when you get around to it. Late fees aren’t mean, they’re standard business practice.
I keep payment terms simple but firm. Net 15 days, period.
What works for me is mentioning payment expectations during the initial conversation, not just burying it in paperwork. When clients know you’re serious about getting paid on schedule from day one, they usually respect it.
No need to overcomplicate it with tons of clauses.
Same experience here. Used to just send invoices and hope for the best.
What changed everything for me was adding payment terms right on the invoice itself, not just in the initial agreement. I put “Payment due within 15 days” in bold at the top.
Also started following up exactly on day 16 with a friendly reminder email. No waiting around hoping they’ll remember. Most people just forgot and pay right away when reminded.
The clients who get weird about clear payment terms are the ones you don’t want anyway.
Totally agree with this. I learned this the hard way after chasing payments for months.
What really helped me was getting specific about:
I also started asking for partial payment upfront. Even 25% makes a huge difference. Clients who balk at that are usually the ones who’ll give you payment headaches later.
The awkward conversation upfront saves you from way more awkward conversations later when you’re chasing money.