How freelancers can get paid on time

The short version: agree payment terms before you start, invoice the day the work is delivered with the due date written on it, check a few days before it is due that it reached the person who pays, and follow up on day one with a question rather than a complaint. Most late payment to freelancers is a process gap on the client's side, and those four steps close most of the gaps.

Before the work starts

• Put your payment terms in the proposal or contract, such as net 14 or net 30, so the invoice is not the first time the client hears them.
• Ask who should receive invoices. Your contact is often not the person who pays, and "who should I send invoices to?" is a normal question at the start and an awkward one at day 40.
• For bigger projects, invoice in stages, a deposit up front and the rest on milestones, so you are never owed the whole amount at once.

Sending the invoice

Send it the day you deliver, while the value of the work is fresh. Write the invoice number, amount and due date in the email itself, not only the attachment, and include any PO number the client gave you. An invoice their system can process without a reply is an invoice that gets paid on time.

Following up without feeling awkward

The awkwardness comes from not knowing whether you are being unreasonable. You are not: the client agreed the terms. Keep the first follow-up to two lines, ask when it is scheduled to be paid, and leave room for them to tell you if something is wrong. If they reply with a date, stop chasing until the date passes.

Hi Sam, quick one on invoice 214 for $1,800, due on the 12th. Could you let me know when it's scheduled to go out? If it needs anything from me, just say.

When a client keeps paying late

Change the terms for the next piece of work rather than fighting about this one: a deposit, shorter terms, or payment before final files are delivered. A client who values the work will accept it, and one who does not was going to cost you more than the late fees.