11 Ways To Remind Your Freelance Clients To Pay Their Bills On Time

As a freelancer, you’re always looking for ways to make your clients happy. And as everyone knows, happy clients are paying clients.

So what are some good ways to remind your freelance clients to pay their bills on time?

How to Create A Freelance Invoice – Get Paid On Time + Look

Takeaways
1. Regularly communicate payment expectations.
2. Send professional and polite payment reminders.
3. Provide multiple payment options.
4. Clearly outline payment terms in contracts.
5. Implement late fees for overdue payments.
6. Follow up promptly on late or missed payments.
7. Use invoicing software for automated reminders.
8. Establish strong client relationships.
9. Offer incentives for early or on-time payments.
10. Keep accurate records of all invoices.
11. Consider using a collections agency if necessary.

Table of Contents

1. Be Clear About Your Payment Expectations From The Start

It’s easier to prevent late payments than it is to chase them down. Instead of letting money issues get messy, be sure you and your client understand the terms of the project, including how and when payment will be made before you begin working together.

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2. Communicate Often With Your Client About Finances

When you’re in regular contact with your client about financials, it’s harder for them to forget that they owe you money. It also makes it easier for you to bring up late payments as they occur, which can help keep things moving along smoothly. Don’t forget to document these communications—it’ll make things much easier should you ever have to follow up on a late payment with legal action later on down the line.

3. Send Payment Reminders Along With Your Invoices

Sending reminders along with your invoices is one of the most common ways for businesses to push their clients towards paying up. This is especially true for freelance designers and copywriters who often have a clause in their contracts that states payment is due within 30 days of the invoice being sent.

Sample Email

Hi [client’s name],

I just wanted to send you a friendly reminder that invoice [invoice number] is past due. If you have questions or concerns about the invoice, please let me know. I’d be happy to speak with you about it.

Thanks!

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4. Give Them A Discount If They Pay Early

Consider offering discounts for early payment! Some clients won’t mind paying a little extra if it means saving them time later on, especially if they’re worried about getting their payment in on time before you start sending reminders.

5. Charge A Late Payment Fee Or Interest

Late payments are no joke. A survey from Freelance Union that the majority of freelancers have had trouble getting paid for their work. That’s problematic for people who depend entirely on their freelance income for survival. But by charging interest on late payments, you can recoup some of the money you lost as a result of having to wait for payment in the first place.

6. Send A Reminder Email 2 Days After Sending The Invoice

Don’t wait until the last minute to send your client a friendly reminder that their invoice is due soon. It’s best to send out an email at least 2 days before the invoice due date so they have enough time to take action.

7. Set Up Automatic Reminders

Think about setting up automatic invoices that get sent out at least 2 days before their due date every month or quarter (depending on what works best for you). You can also add late fees if they haven’t paid yet and need another nudge in order to pay their bill on time!

8. Send A Text Message Reminder

Texting is a great way to reach people quickly! Let them know when their bill is due and ask them to confirm receipt. If they haven’t responded in 6 days, send another one with an update on where things stand (e.g., “I’m waiting for payment”).

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9. Send A Facebook Messenger Reminder

If you aren’t close enough for WhatsApp or Instagram DMs or text messages but know each other well enough for Facebook Messenger, this is another reliable way to prompt your client to pay up without seeming too formal.

10. Make It Easy For Them To Pay Online

Online invoicing is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your clients pay their bills on time. Not only does it ensure that you get paid on time, but it makes it easier for your client to pay you which means less of a chance that they’ll forget or lose the invoice. If you haven’t already, add an electronic payment method to your invoices so that your clients can easily pay you via credit card or PayPal.

11. Confirm Receipt In Person

If your client hasn’t responded to any of your billing reminders after 6 days, it’s time for an in-person confirmation of receipt. This doesn’t have to be a big deal, or even slightly confrontational! Just pop into your client’s office with a smile, and say, “Hey! Just wanted to confirm that you received my invoice and are all set to pay it when it comes due.”

12. Be Polite

When it comes to collecting payments, politeness is key. You don’t want to make your clients think they have done anything wrong, so start off by thanking them for their business and letting them know you appreciated working with them. Then briefly mention that their payment is overdue and ask if there are any issues with the invoice or if they need an extension on their due date (which we will cover later).

Finally, provide a link where they can access your invoice online so that it’s easy for them to pay at any time without having to wait until office hours begin again tomorrow morning

What Happens If The Client Is Not Paying On Time

1. Trouble Meeting Your Own Financial Obligations

If your clients don’t pay you on time, you may have trouble meeting your own financial obligations. Your business needs cash flow to continue operating, and if you’re waiting on clients to pay up, that can throw a wrench into everything. If you’re unable to pay your own bills or employees on time, this could lead to serious problems for your business.

2. Missed Opportunities For Expansion

You may have your sights set on expanding your business into a larger space or perhaps adding more employees. However, if you are unable to pay your current bills or payroll because clients aren’t paying you for rendered services, the expansion will not be possible.

3. Damage To Your Credit Score And Reputation

If you’re looking for finance to grow your business, unpaid invoices could be holding you back. When you apply for new credit, lenders will want to know about your financial history. If they see that you have overdue invoices, they may think twice about lending to you. It could also affect future relationships with suppliers and customers if they see you’re having trouble getting paid on time.

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4. Reduced Liquidity

The effects of late payment can increase cash flow problems and create liquidity issues for businesses, which means they do not have enough cash to meet their day-to-day expenditures. This can be particularly problematic for smaller businesses which often rely on regular income from customers to pay their own bills.

5. Trouble Attracting New Clients

This can be a very big issue because if you are not getting paid by your current clients and your business is suffering, you may have difficulty getting new clients. This will cause a snowball effect and make it harder for you to get the funds that you need to continue operating.

6. Strain On Relationships With Other Clients

It’s unfair to blame your client for not paying on time if your cash flow is suffering because of it. But when you have a limited amount of funds at any given time, and you’re waiting on a few outstanding payments, it often means that other clients will have to wait for the payment as well.

This can strain good relationships and create unnecessary anxiety for both parties. It’s best to avoid this situation altogether by ensuring that all clients pay their invoices in full within 30 days.

7. Need To Borrow Money Or Find Additional Capital

If you have a lot of invoices that are not being paid on time, it can also cause problems if you need to pay any suppliers or staff in the meantime. If you don’t have enough money in your overdraft or other sources of funding to cover this, then it could mean that you have to take out a loan or find another way to meet payroll expenses.

8. Increased Risk Of Bankruptcy

When clients are late with payments, you may not be able to make your own payments in a timely manner. This can result in late fees and interest charges. As these add up, they put more pressure on your cash flow and make it harder for you to pay off debts. If you are unable to pay back the money you owe to creditors, the risk of bankruptcy increases.

9. Inability To Take Advantage Of New Business Opportunities As They Arise

The inability to pay bills on time can cause your business’s suppliers and partners to lose confidence in your ability to do business. As a result, they may be reluctant to do business with you or may require that you pay cash for all orders upfront. This could prevent your company from taking advantage of new business opportunities as they arise and could limit your company’s growth.

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10. Wasted Time Sending Invoices

Sending invoices and collection notices takes up a lot of time, which could be used for other projects. When you’re working with clients who do not pay their bills on time, it’s almost like this process becomes your full-time job. If you’re running a business and doing the billing yourself, this means that you’ll have less time to actually work on your business and market it — or even take care of administrative tasks (like answering phone calls).

11. Your Business Has To Wait On Payments

Instead of being able to use the money from one project to fund new ones, you’ll have to wait until the previous client pays. This can be frustrating and can prevent you from taking on new projects. It’s important for small businesses to keep their money moving so they can grow and get more work.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that if you want to make money as a freelancer, you need to make sure your clients pay on time. Use these reminders to help your clients pay on time, and you might just see them use your services again in the future!