Dealing with a client who hasn’t paid for a couple of months now. I’ve done my part and sent a few reminders, but nothing. I’m hesitant about sending a final notice.
How do you go about it without completely losing a potentially good client?
Been there more times than I care to count. Here’s what I learned works:
Send the final notice but frame it differently. Don’t make it sound like a threat. Instead, make it about needing to close your books:
- “I need to finalize my accounts by [date]”
- “Please let me know if there are any issues with the invoice”
- “Otherwise I’ll assume payment will arrive by [date]”
This gives them an easy out to explain if something’s wrong without making you look desperate or angry.
If they still don’t respond after that, the relationship was already over anyway. You just didn’t know it yet.
I used to worry about this stuff way more than I should have. Now I figure if someone gets upset about being asked to pay for work they requested, they’re not the kind of client I want to keep around.
Just say you need payment or move on.
I had this exact situation last year with a client who owed me $3,200 for two months. What worked was calling instead of emailing for the final notice.
I kept it simple - “Hey, I need to wrap this up by Friday or I’ll have to send it to collections.” No anger, just matter of fact. Turns out they had cash flow issues and we worked out a payment plan.
The key is giving them one last chance to explain before you go nuclear. If they ignore the call, then you know where you stand and can move forward without guilt.
Some clients will respect you more for being firm about payment. The ones who get mad about paying what they owe aren’t clients worth keeping anyway.
Two months is way too long. Just be direct about it and move on if they don’t pay.
I usually give them a specific date and mention what happens next without being harsh about it.
Something like “Payment needed by [date] or I’ll need to hand this over to my accountant to handle.” Makes it sound like a business process instead of you being angry.
Most clients will either pay up or finally tell you what’s going on. Either way you get an answer and can move forward.
Stop worrying about the relationship. They already damaged it by not paying for two months. Send a final notice saying payment is due in 10 days or you will go to collections. No need for explanations. If they valued the relationship, they would have paid or contacted you. Good clients pay their bills. The rest are just headaches.