Been freelancing for a while, and chasing payments is still a bit tricky. Some clients need a light push, while others just need a more direct approach.
Right now, I send a friendly reminder after a week, then get a bit firmer after two weeks. It usually does the trick, but I’m curious if there are better ways to stay on good terms and still get paid.
I tried the whole escalating reminder thing for years but honestly got tired of writing different emails each time.
Now I just use the same template for every follow up. Something like “Hi [Name], invoice #123 for $500 is now overdue. Please let me know when I can expect payment.” Send it every 7 days until they pay.
What changed everything was switching to net 15 instead of net 30. Shorter payment window means less time for clients to forget or push it aside. Plus I always include my payment terms right in the email signature so there’s no confusion.
The clients who are going to be difficult about payment will be difficult no matter how you word your reminders. Better to find that out quickly and move on.
I keep my follow up simple. First reminder goes out exactly when payment is due, not a week later.
Waiting too long just teaches clients they can pay late. After that, I send one more notice saying work stops if they don’t pay by a specific date. Most people pay up when they realize you’re serious about deadlines.
First reminder goes out three days after the due date. Second one at ten days with a firm deadline. After that, I stop all work and move to collections. The trick is keeping your reminders short. No long explanations or apologies. Just the facts: invoice number, amount due, and when you need payment. Clients respect contractors who run their business like a business.
I just call them after a few days late.
My approach is a bit different. I send payment reminders on specific dates that I set from the start:
The key thing is being consistent. I also include a copy of the original invoice every time so they can’t claim they lost it.
What really helped me was adding late fees to my contracts upfront. Even if I don’t always charge them, just having that option makes clients take due dates more seriously. Most people respect clear boundaries once you set them.
Cash only works best for me. No invoices to chase when they pay upfront.