Clients not paying on time has become a real hassle. It’s frustrating to keep following up for money that’s rightfully mine.
I’m looking to redefine my terms and conditions. What kind of wording has worked for you in getting clients to pay promptly?
Put your payment terms right on the contract and make them sign it. I use net 10 days with a 2% discount if they pay within 3 days. Most take the discount and pay fast. The real trick is calling them on day 11 if they miss it. Not email, actual phone call. Tell them work stops until payment clears. Most people hate confrontation so they pay up quick when you actually call.
I ask for half upfront and set payment due within 7 days of invoice. Makes a big difference.
Also mention what happens if they’re late. Something like “payments overdue by 10 days will incur a 5% monthly service charge” usually gets their attention.
Stop payments are your friend here. I learned this the hard way after chasing invoices for months.
Here’s what actually works:
- Payment due in 10 days max (not 30, that’s forever in client time)
- Work stops immediately if payment is late
- Restart fee applies when they finally pay
The key is following through. First time a client pays late, stop everything. Send a polite email saying work resumes when payment clears.
Most clients test boundaries once. After they realize you’re serious, late payments become rare. The ones who keep being late aren’t worth keeping anyway.
I just ask for payment when job is done.
Net 15 with a late fee usually does the trick. Keep it simple and clear.
I switched to requiring payment before delivery after getting burned too many times. Game changer.
For ongoing work, I bill weekly instead of monthly. Smaller amounts get paid faster and if someone goes radio silent, I’m only out a week of work instead of a month.
Also learned to be specific about what “payment” means. I put “payment is considered received when funds clear my bank account” in my terms. Stops the “I sent the check” excuse when it’s sitting on their desk for two weeks.
One thing that really helped was adding a line that says late payments affect project timelines. Clients who care about deadlines suddenly care about paying on time.