Frustrated with the constant chase for payments from clients. Some have a habit of settling on their timeline, which is making cash flow tricky.
Curious to hear how others manage this issue. What systems or methods do you use to ensure timely payments?
Set clear payment terms in every contract and invoice. Aim for net 15 days, not net 30, and apply late fees automatically after that.
Request 50% upfront before starting work. The final payment should come upon job completion. This way, you avoid waiting weeks for payment. When clients understand the rules from the start, it makes the entire process smoother.
Discuss payment terms before starting any work. I ask for payment within seven days. Make it clear that late payments will pause ongoing projects. Most clients understand when they see you’re serious. Consider finding clients who pay faster if the current ones cause issues.
I just ask for cash when the job is done.
Weekly payment reminders work better than monthly ones. I send a quick message every Friday for overdue invoices.
Here’s what changed my payment situation:
The key thing is being consistent with follow ups. Clients who pay late usually do it because they can get away with it. Once they see you’re tracking everything closely, most will adjust their behavior.
Also worth checking if your invoices are actually reaching the right person. Sometimes payments get delayed because invoices sit in the wrong inbox for weeks.
Getting paid upfront helps a lot. You avoid many payment issues this way.
I switched to charging a monthly retainer instead of per project billing. Game changer for cash flow.
Clients pay the same amount every month on the same date. Any work that goes over the retainer hours gets billed separately with payment due in 7 days. This covers about 80% of my monthly income predictably.
For the remaining project work, I learned to invoice immediately when milestones hit. Not at the end of the week or month. The moment something is done, the invoice goes out.
One thing that really helped was offering a small discount for clients who set up automatic payments. Maybe 2-3% off their monthly retainer. Most jumped on it because it saves them time too.
Also started requiring new clients to pay their first invoice before any work begins. Lost a few prospects but the ones who stayed turned into reliable payers.