
The most common payment term is “Net 30,” which means the recipient must pay their invoice within 30 days of the invoice date.īe proactive and remind customers of their outstanding payments. Adding a date gives them a concrete target to meet. You may be tempted to put “immediate payment,” but that can be confusing to some clients. Without clear payment terms, it’s your word against theirs when an invoice is actually “late.” You should also check that your payment terms and due date are featured in a prominent place on your invoice design. If you haven’t yet cataloged your products or services, it’s a worthwhile exercise that can make everything from marketing your business to sending invoices more efficient in the future.
Distinct project numbers for pre-defined deliverables. That’s why you want to make sure you’ve included all the information a client needs. Make it clear on the invoice what your customer is paying forĬlients are more likely to pay on time when the invoice makes what they’re paying for crystal clear. If your client hasn’t paid you on time, asking, “Would you prefer to pay another way?” may be all it takes to get paid on-time in the future.Ģ. If they pay for everything by credit card, and you’re asking for a check, they may not ever find the time to locate their checkbook, get a stamp, and put the check in the mail. It’s an extremely common situation: a client becomes accustomed to paying for almost everything one way, only to become inconvenienced when that payment method isn’t available. How they like to pay: Offering your customers more payment options, such as credit card, eCheck, or direct ACH bank transfer, ensures that there’s no holdup for an easily avoidable reason. Make sure you know the procedure to expedite smoother, faster payment. Who should get the invoice: Sometimes it’s the client themselves, sometimes it’s the accounting department, or both. There’s always next time.īut it can be easier to get payment if you’ve determined these two specific logistics of what your client wants and needs in an invoice: If it’s too late for that, don’t beat yourself up. Agree to a preferred invoice payment method up-frontįor faster payments, hold the invoice conversation right at the start, before you do the work. Here are some steps you can take if your client doesn’t pay an outstanding invoice on time.ġ.
When you’re dealing with past-due payments, the important thing is to not panic and stay positive, even if you have to work a little harder to collect. Late payments are a risk to your business - after all, you can’t pay your bills if your client doesn’t pay theirs. Establish a process for following up on past due invoicesĪ past-due invoice is a payment a customer hasn’t made by the due date agreed in the invoice payment terms.
Make it clear on the invoice what your customer is paying for Agree a preferred invoice payment method up-front
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