Been freelancing for years now and still feel like I’m winging it when clients don’t pay on time. Some invoices are sitting at 60+ days overdue.
Used to just send polite follow-up emails and hope for the best. Recently started being more direct about payment terms upfront and following a stricter collection process.
Wondering how others handle this without burning bridges or spending all day chasing money.
Send your final demand letter after 60 days with a firm deadline. Give them 10 days to pay or you’re sending it to collections. Most will pay up at this point because they know you mean business. Those 60+ day invoices need action now, not more polite emails. Collections agencies typically take 30% but getting 70% is better than getting nothing.
Stop work until they pay. Simple as that. No point doing more if they’re already behind.
I just ask for cash when I finish the job.
Had a client ghost me completely on a $3k invoice last year. That taught me to change my whole approach.
Now I do this:
The texting thing sounds weird but it works. People check texts immediately. Keep it casual like “Hey, invoice #456 was due today - can you get that sorted?”
For your 60+ day stuff, honestly just pick up the phone. Email is too easy to delete. Call during business hours and ask to speak with whoever handles payments directly.
Also learned to trust my gut. If a client feels sketchy during the initial conversation, they probably are. Better to pass on the work than chase money for months.
I had invoices sitting around for months when I started out. Game changer was adding late fees to my contracts - 1.5% per month after 30 days. Most clients pay on time now just to avoid the extra charge.
Also started requiring 50% upfront for new clients. Cuts down on the people who never intended to pay anyway.
For the ones already overdue, I call instead of email after 45 days. Way harder to ignore a phone call. Keep it friendly but firm - “Hi, just checking on invoice #123 from March. When can I expect payment?”
If they give you a date, follow up the day after if payment doesn’t come. Don’t wait another week.
Some clients will always be slow payers no matter what you do. Factor that into your pricing or drop them.
Track your time spent chasing payments and bill for it. I add collection fees to overdue invoices after 30 days.
Also keep a simple spreadsheet with payment dates for each client. Anyone who pays late twice gets put on prepay only. Makes future jobs much easier when you know who actually pays on time.