Most clients are consistent and simply pay the tab without you even having to think about it. Still, let\u2019s say you have a client that won\u2019t pony up on or before the due date.<\/p>\n
(Gulp!<\/em>) What can you do?<\/p>\n As you\u2019ll read in this article, there are many strategies and approaches that you can make; whether you\u2019re an agency, a WordPress freelancer<\/a>, or whatever it is that you do that requires an invoice.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll be going over:<\/p>\n At the end of this article, you\u2019ll be able to rest easy knowing that your hard-earned work paid off and your client has the check in the mail (or sent cash digitally, of course)!<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with\u2026<\/p>\n There are some key steps you can take to get clients to pay on time. It goes without saying that getting paid late can mess up your accounting and cause major stability issues (such as paying your bills).<\/p>\n Entrepreneur mentions<\/a> that 82% of small businesses fail due to poor cash-flow management. Therefore, it\u2019s vital to have systems in place to ensure you\u2019re financially in good shape.<\/p>\n The good news is a lot can be done to prevent any payment mishaps. Here are seven vital preventative measures you can implement to get paid on time.<\/p>\n Putting together a payment term (or contract, which I\u2019ll discuss later) from the start will ensure your clients know what they will be paying for right off the bat. In addition, this will eliminate any surprises throughout the process, so a solid agreement that puts the process down on paper and payment expectations is good to have.<\/p>\n Be sure to include any payments needed before, during, and after the project. Set a timeline and communicate with your client to ensure that it works okay for them.<\/p>\n You can easily set up an eDoc that both parties sign. That way, in case a client wouldn\u2019t pay, you have it in writing with verification that the project is mutually agreed upon.<\/p>\n Our very own Forminator<\/a> allows for an e-signature that you can implement<\/a> simply and quickly for free. Or there are other options, such as companies like DocuSign<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once you have payment terms set up, it provides an entire roadmap for the project and payments, which makes it easy for the client to pay on time.<\/p>\n Invoicing on time sounds obvious, but it\u2019s true, and it\u2019s easy to get behind with billing. If you want to be paid on time \u2014 invoice on time.<\/p>\n Doing this also shows your professionalism by being punctual.<\/p>\n Be sure to set up a billing system that will keep you organized and help ensure your invoices head to clients in a timely manner. There is software such as QuickBooks<\/a>, Xero<\/a>, and Wave<\/a> that can help.<\/p>\n Having a good incentive (aka \u2013 reward) of paying early is a great way to ensure timely payments.<\/p>\n For example, you can have a percentage off their invoice, a discount for next time, or a free perk (which can be a WordPress maintenance service<\/a> or something else of value).<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t have to be anything major. Small incentives go a long way.<\/p>\n Instead of billing hourly, you may want to use a retainer-based payment model instead. This means that your client will pay a set amount each month for specified services.<\/p>\n Your client will know what they\u2019re paying, and you can even set up a recurring billing that goes directly into your account each month.<\/p>\n I touched on recurring billing with the retainer-based model, but I\u2019ll mention it again on its own because it can alleviate any payment woes easily. This is a great method if you have long-term clients that you work with regularly.<\/p>\n It also makes it easier for you and your clients to focus on the projects rather than billing dates. Plus, it\u2019s simple to set up an exact date each month, quarter, year \u2014 whatever works best for you and your clients.<\/p>\n It\u2019s better to set up a base amount, and then show clients any additional costs that may be added on.<\/p>\n Software such as Chargebee<\/a> can help, and Forminator<\/a> is also introducing a recurring payments feature in its next release – we’ll let you know when it’s here.<\/p>\n The more you can automate your invoice process, the better. This can help you avoid forgetting to send out an invoice and stay on top of your billing.<\/p>\n There are several ways to do this; everything from scheduled payment reminders to outsourced accounting and bookkeeping services<\/a>.<\/p>\n This can keep you honed in on the project and let billing take care of itself.<\/p>\n Adding payment links to invoices is simple and effective. This makes it so clients can quickly pay right on their invoice instead of sending a check, logging into a new account, or delivering payment in person.<\/p>\n Having a clickable payment<\/a> solution directly in the invoice itself makes it easy for the client and is easier for you to ensure that you get paid on time.<\/p>\n To avoid any hassle of getting paid on time, one way of doing so is to get paid quicker. That way the money is in the bank and you don\u2019t have to worry about it!<\/p>\n There are some proven ways to do this that are practical and easy to implement.<\/p>\n When a client has a great relationship with you and genuinely likes you \u2014 they\u2019ll pay you quicker (or at least on time).<\/p>\n Go out of your way for a client, be friendly, and show you care. Don\u2019t let them feel like just another revenue stream.<\/p>\n This goes a long way to creating a great relationship and will help eliminate any nonpayments and get you paid fast. It\u2019s a win-win for you and the client.<\/p>\n Sending out gentle reminders about upcoming payments will help prepare a client to pay quickly and on time.<\/p>\n Sometimes a project can take a while, and they may forget exactly what the payment expectations are upon completion, so it never hurts to give them several heads up as the time nears for the payment to be due.<\/p>\n I mentioned rewarding early and on-time payment prior, but it\u2019s worth repeating.<\/p>\n It helps build customer loyalty and will get you paid faster if you offer an incentive for paying early.<\/p>\n This can vary, depending on the service you offer. However, maybe it\u2019s a free month of WordPress support? Or a website analysis? Think of some incentive that caters to whatever the client is paying you for.<\/p>\n Be sure the invoice lands at the desk of the right person. With larger companies, invoices can get lost in the mix of other emails and mail, so sending them directly to the right person is essential.<\/p>\n You can clarify who to send the invoice to at the beginning of your communication with your client. Then, once you do send out the invoice, you can always follow up with the correct person to ensure that they received it okay.<\/p>\n An invoice should be very clear and easy to understand. It shouldn\u2019t be numerous pages long, sloppy, and complicated.<\/p>\n Typically, a good invoice will contain the date, due date, a summary of what work was done, and the amount due. Plus, you\u2019ll have your contact information on where to send the check.<\/p>\n Basically, make it EASY for your client to pay you.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve gone over ways to get your clients to pay on time (and quickly). However, what about those sour apples that, well\u2026don\u2019t pay?<\/p>\n This can happen either due to a client\u2019s irresponsibility, lack of funds, or maybe the client is just unwilling to pay for whatever reason.<\/p>\n Or, it might not be malicious at all. Possibly, they just forgot to pay, and your reminder emails are ending up in their spam.<\/p>\n Whatever the reason, there are some ways to avoid getting stiffed on an invoice that should be paid. Additionally, there are some initial steps you can take before even starting work with a client.<\/p>\n Probably the best thing you can do to avoid not getting paid is to ensure you don\u2019t run into the situation, to begin with.<\/p>\n Do your homework and only work for reputable companies or individuals that are established.<\/p>\n For example, do they have a good web presence? Are there any reviews on their websites about how they\u2019ve worked with customers? All of this can be a good indicator of whether they\u2019ll be reliable when it comes to payment.<\/p>\n Go with your gut and pay attention to their behavior. Are they acting unfriendly or complaining before work even begins? Are they unclear about what they want to be completed? Do you know of anyone that previously worked with them and had a bad experience?<\/p>\n Initial communication can indicate how smooth payment will go once you send out the invoice. If there are too many red flags, you may want to avoid working with this client, so no issues even surface.<\/p>\n Also, just to note: beware of scams!<\/strong><\/p>\n There are a lot of scammers out there that target freelancers, including WordPress developers. If they\u2019re persistent about sending a check or if it\u2019s not from a company email, investigate further.<\/p>\n One spam that\u2019s surfacing quite a bit is a \u201cclient\u201d sends freelancers out a check and wants the freelancer to cash it as soon as possible. Once cashed, the \u201cclient\u201d says that they accidentally overpaid and wants some of the money wired back.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the check that was cashed isn\u2019t real and the scammers get the funds wired to them \u2014 and the freelancer is out the amount of money sent.<\/p>\n A scammer won\u2019t only not get you paid \u2014 you\u2019ll lose money.<\/p>\n A contract sets up terms from the start, letting your client know what their expectations in terms of payment are right from the start. It can outline all of the payment details, along with the scope of the work.<\/p>\n Plus, you can include your fees for late payment and more, so there\u2019s no sticker shock.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, this is also a confirmation that the client agreed to the terms, and you can use this to get your payment if you need to take legal action.<\/p>\n You probably won\u2019t (and shouldn\u2019t) ask for the entire amount upfront because clients want to see a completed project. However, never hesitate to ask for 50% or more to start a project and then the other 50% before final delivery.<\/p>\n This leads us to\u2026<\/p>\n If you ask for 50% upfront and the other 50% before final delivery, make sure you get paid before delivering the goods. And if you go back to your contract terms, include this in there as well.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not holding the work for ransom. It\u2019s just an assurance that you\u2019ll get paid and that the client will get what’s due to them.<\/p>\n Nobody wants to pay more than they have to, so including late fees on your initial contract will help ensure the client pays on time. Saving money is always a big incentive for clients to pay on time.<\/p>\n Depending on what situation you have set up, whether that be 50% upfront or payment terms while you work, if a client stops paying you \u2014 stop working.<\/p>\n The client initially contacted you or started working for them because you offered something of value. So, if you stop working, that can be a great cause for them to pay since they\u2019ll want it completed.<\/p>\n Hopefully, it doesn\u2019t come to this. Legal action can be costly (for both you and your client), time-consuming, and cause headaches. This is the last resort after trying everything, and your client still won\u2019t pay.<\/p>\n Most lawyers can often give a free consultation to see if it\u2019s worth pursuing or not. And you do have laws on your side when it comes to getting paid.<\/p>\n For example, in New York City, the law stipulates<\/a> that jobs paying $800 or more must be paid to the freelancer by a specified date or 30 days upon completion.<\/p>\n This may end your relationship with your client, but if it pays off and you\u2019ve done your work, and everything stipulated in your contract, then hiring an attorney might be worth it.<\/p>\n Recently in our forum, Discussion of the Week (DOTW)<\/a>, we asked members several questions about what they do if a client doesn\u2019t pay them.<\/p>\n A specific question was: What do you do when you deliver the project on time, but the client is not paying on time?<\/strong><\/p>\n There were some interesting answers, and we\u2019ll share a handful of them. Here are how our members handle this sticky situation.<\/p>\n \u201cNo pay, no key. Never deliver the keys of a house that wasn\u2019t fully paid.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 Fabio Fava<\/strong>: https:\/\/fabiofava.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI ask for a deposit upfront and milestone payments throughout the project. I will only send a site live \u2013 which means transferring it to the clients hosting account and activating it \u2013 when 95% of the fee is paid.<\/em><\/p>\n There\u2019s a balance between ensuring we\u2019re paid for our work and our clients trusting they\u2019re going to get what they requested.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 Ask Charly Leetham<\/strong>: https:\/\/askcharlyleetham.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cDepending on our relationship to the client and their attitude, we either negotiate a new payment schedule or take the site offline. In cases where a mutual friend or colleague referred a client, I would report the delinquent client to the referrer.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 Kahn<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMy clients come to me by word of mouth, so they know what I stand for and they are in my extended circle. That type of client relationship is less likely to create payment issues.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 Wim<\/strong>: www.wildvanvorm.be<\/p>\n \u201cI faced this a few times at the beginning of my \u201ccareer\u201d (if I can call it that).<\/em><\/p>\n Now it\u2019s super simple: websites are developed on my server, and once the project is done, the last payment has to be done BEFORE migration. This is really mandatory and has to be clarified at the beginning of the project.<\/em><\/p>\n The client needs his website to be online on a specific date? Then go on MARGINS again, and be sure to have a few days\/weeks if you need to be paid before. There is always a solution (temporary DNS change to redirect domain on your server, etc.). But be paid before the last delivery.<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s not about trusting the client; it\u2019s about safety.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 Guirgro<\/strong>:\u00a0 https:\/\/john-doe.fr<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI use the following debt collection email. Thankfully I\u2019ve only ever needed it once or twice, but when needed it has helped.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Hi [..],<\/p>\n A quick note to say that I am really disappointed that you have still not paid me the [..] that I\u2019m owed for the work I did for you. In the grand scheme of things, it\u2019s not a lot of money, but actually, I think that this is more a matter of respect.<\/p>\n I have always been there at the drop of a hat to sort out any problems you might have. I love working with you and have always taken our relationship as more than just client\/supplier. But if I can\u2019t rely on you paying promptly or it takes several attempts and reminders to get my money, that\u2019s not good business.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not saying that I don\u2019t want to work with you, I do. But if I don\u2019t receive what I am owed within the next couple of days, I will have to think twice about helping you in the future.<\/p>\n Best regards,<\/p>\n [Your Name]<\/p>\n \u2014 Kyler Ayim<\/strong>: Founder of Life Coach Sites Made Easy https:\/\/lifecoachsitesmadeeasy.com\/<\/p>\n \u201cI used to do this and it was the worst. I just bugged them a ton. But it was way more work than I\u2019d like. So, I\u2019ve recently adopted a new contract from Monster Contracts<\/a> (written specifically for WordPress projects and site management services) and that gave me this idea: Now I require 50% upfront and 50% before delivering the project.<\/em><\/p>\n I try my best to never deliver before getting payment because people, even if they\u2019re not malicious, will just forget or it will not be a priority to them now that they have the delivered project.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013Michael McCall<\/strong>: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jmichaelmccall\/<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOne of the biggest parts of our contracts is payment incentives and payment options. Our clients can pay as we hit milestones to make it easier on their wallets. Or they also have the normal Net 30, but then discounts if they pay for milestones, discounts if they pay Net 5, Net 10, Net 15.<\/em><\/p>\n Most of the time we have found that if you tell a customer that they could say even as little as $100 by paying within 5 days, they will do it!<\/em><\/p>\n The other side of this is late payment penalties. If they do not pay on the agreed-to terms, then those incentives are basically turned around. If the bill is Net 30, then at 45 days they would owe 5% more to their bill.<\/em><\/p>\n At 60 days they would owe 10% more. This is not something that would later be non-negotiable. However, most of the time we have made \u201c1-time exceptions\u201d since our main business focus is towards already struggling small businesses.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013Todd Stratton<\/strong>: Boofola LLC https:\/\/boofolallc.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFor smaller projects where we are not hosting the site or controlling the domain name, we either ask for a deposit upfront and then payments according to a schedule. If payments are missed, work stops. If the project is really small in terms of time and money, we have sometimes done work on faith alone. For larger projects, we typically set a deliverables schedule and payment timeline. Again, if payments are delayed without cause, work stops.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013Jay Burton<\/strong>: http:\/\/nunaehf.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis sometimes happens with print design work, especially for events. I have a client who always asks for an extension so he can get ticket sales first.<\/em><\/p>\n So eventually, I just had to say something like, \u2018Hey, so I need to keep an eye on how my income is balanced while scheduling new projects. Normally I do a one-week invoice deadline but I could do two weeks going forward for your projects if that will help and perhaps allow time for a few presale tickets to come in.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s still sometimes a challenge but my system sends the auto-reminder emails and it\u2019s usually fine now. I\u2019ve had to be pretty direct before but so far I\u2019ve never had anyone flat-out ghosts me forever.<\/em><\/p>\n I also make sure the client understands when it\u2019s their fault \u2013 gently at first, but sometimes a quick \u2018wanted to check in on this stuff you need to send me because we\u2019re a bit behind and I can\u2019t move forward without it\u2019 email does the trick.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 Greg Storkan<\/strong><\/p>\n You hear a ding from your phone. \u201cI just sent that invoice, and my client already paid!\u201d the WordPress designer says to himself as he looks at the notification. “Woo-hoo!”<\/p>\n As you can see, there are ways to ensure you don\u2019t get the non or late payment blues. It\u2019s a matter of good communication, having a great relationship, being organized, and establishing details before you start.<\/p>\n Plus, there is a lot of software out there that can help, such as Forminator<\/a> and QuickBooks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once you get in a good habit of following these guidelines, you can rest easy knowing that payment for your work is coming and you won\u2019t have to worry about not cashing in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Getting clients to pay on time can be challenging, frustrating, and can leave you in a financial crunch. However, there are ways to cash in quickly and get clients to pay you on time. \u201cTheir payment is 30-days past due,\u201d a WordPress developer yells as he looks through his invoices. \u201cUgh. Are they EVER going […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":811449,"featured_media":197378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"blog_reading_time":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_tutorials_categories":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[263],"tags":[],"tutorials_categories":[],"class_list":["post-197371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/811449"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197371"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":219146,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197371\/revisions\/219146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=197371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=197371"},{"taxonomy":"tutorials_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tutorials_categories?post=197371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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<\/a>Ways To Ensure Your Clients Pay Their Invoices On Time<\/h2>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/hand-v2-01-1050x683.png\")
1. Establish Exact Payment Terms<\/h3>\n
![\"Forminator](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/forminator.png\")
2. Invoice on Time<\/h3>\n
3. Reward Early and On Time Payment<\/h3>\n
4. Switch to a Retainer-based Model<\/h3>\n
5. Offer a Recurring Payment Option<\/h3>\n
6. Automate Your Invoice Process<\/h3>\n
7. Add Payment Links Directly in the Invoice<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Tips for Getting Clients to Pay Quicker<\/h2>\n
![\"Post](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pay-v2-01-1050x876.png\")
1. Maintain Great Client Relationships<\/h3>\n
2. Send Gentle Reminders<\/h3>\n
3. Offer an Incentive for Quick Payment<\/h3>\n
4. Invoice the Go-To Person<\/h3>\n
5. Make Invoice Clean, Simple, and Easy to Understand<\/h3>\n
<\/a>How to Avoid Not Getting Paid<\/h2>\n
1. Research Your Client<\/h3>\n
2. Make a Contract<\/h3>\n
3. Ask for Upfront Payments<\/h3>\n
4. Don\u2019t Deliver Work Until You Get the Payment<\/h3>\n
5. Charge Late Fees<\/h3>\n
6. Stop Working<\/h3>\n
7. Seek Legal Action<\/h3>\n
<\/a>WPMU DEV Members Chime in on What They Do When Clients Don\u2019t Pay<\/h2>\n
It All Pays Off<\/h2>\n
![\"image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/money-v2-01-1050x683.png\")