Freelancing has its perks, but late payments can be such a hassle. Some clients are great about paying promptly, but others take forever.
I’ve experimented with various strategies, but none have really been effective. I’m curious about what methods have worked for others in similar situations.
Track everything in a simple spreadsheet with dates and amounts. This helps you see patterns with slow payers.
Switch to weekly invoicing instead of monthly. Smaller amounts get paid faster and you don’t wait a month to find out someone won’t pay.
Phone calls beat emails for overdue payments. People ignore emails but can’t dodge a phone call.
What actually works:
Some clients aren’t deadbeats, just disorganized. Had one guy who paid 60 days late every time until I switched to texting. Never checked email but always had his phone on him.
Nuclear option: factoring companies. They buy your invoice for 80 cents on the dollar and handle collection. Only makes sense for bigger amounts but gets problem clients off your back.
Get paid upfront - that’s your best bet. Even 25% down shows they’re actually serious about covering the rest.
Late fees were a game changer for me. I charge 2% monthly after 30 days and actually enforce it. Amazing how fast people pay when it hits their wallet.
Now I require 50% upfront from new clients. Seems tough, but it filters out the deadbeats right away. Good clients don’t blink at paying half to start.
For the really stubborn ones, certified mail does the trick. That official envelope gets results when emails get ignored.
I remind them after a week then I follow up.
Stop work the second payment’s late. Period. I got burned way too many times chasing money while still doing the work. Set terms at 15 days, not 30 - gives you room before it gets really bad. Most clients can pay in two weeks if they want to. Send invoices the day you finish, not weeks later. Faster out means faster paid.