Got a client who’s been 45 days late on payment. Sent a few reminder emails, but it’s like I’m talking to a wall.
I really want to avoid legal fees over what feels like a simple issue. How do you all deal with clients who ghost on payments?
Send a certified letter instead of regular mail. It costs a few bucks and creates a paper trail that shows they received it. Most people take certified mail seriously since it feels official.
If that doesn’t work, report them to credit bureaus. You can file a commercial credit report for unpaid invoices. It affects their business credit score and makes it harder for them to get loans or credit with suppliers. It takes about 30 days to show up but gets their attention fast.
Send a final email stating a firm deadline. Add late fees to the total amount due.
Once that deadline passes, file in small claims court. You can often add the filing fee to their total, which means it costs you nothing if you win.
Avoid wasting more time on this client after 45 days.
Stop by their place if you know where they work.
Try calling them. A phone call can get better results than emails. People often ignore emails.
Had a guy owe me $2,800 for three months. What finally worked was sending an invoice with interest charges added on.
I calculated 1.5% per month from the original due date and sent a new invoice showing the breakdown. Original amount plus the accumulated interest. Made it look official with “PAST DUE - INTEREST APPLIED” at the top.
Got a call within two days. He was annoyed about the interest but paid the full amount including fees.
Some clients think they can use you as a free loan. Adding interest makes them realize it’s actually costing them money to delay.
Also started putting interest terms right on my invoices after that. Most people pay on time when they know the meter is running.
I’ve been through this dance a few times. Here’s what actually works for me:
Change your approach completely
- Send a formal demand letter (not just another email)
- Include a specific deadline (usually 10-14 days)
- Mention next steps without being threatening
Make it personal
- Reference specific work you did for them
- Remind them how the project helped their business
- Sometimes people forget the value you provided
Consider payment plans
- Offer to split the amount over 2-3 months
- Gets you paid eventually vs nothing at all
- Shows you’re willing to work with them
I also started asking for partial payment upfront on new projects after getting burned. Prevention beats collection every time.
If none of this works, small claims court is usually pretty straightforward and cheap. Most clients pay up once they get official paperwork.