A client in Phoenix taught me to always put a due date on invoices

I used to just send invoices with 'net 30' at the bottom and hope for the best. A longtime client in Phoenix, a property manager, told me I was asking for trouble by not being specific. He showed me his own invoicing system where he puts the exact date like 'due by June 15, 2024' in bold. Since I started doing that six months ago, my payment times went from averaging 45 days down to about 22. Has anyone else tried putting a specific date instead of just net terms?

3 comments

3 Comments

david_palmer1mo ago

I mean, is a two week difference really worth changing your whole system for?

lee.cora1mo ago

I used to be in the "why bother" camp too, but after trying it the other way I honestly felt less frazzled for weeks. That two week buffer ended up being worth more to me than I expected.

mason.drew1mo ago

It's easy to write off a two week difference until you've been burned by a tight deadline. I get where you're coming from @david_palmer, but once you mess up one project because you cut it too close, you start rethinking your whole approach. I switched my system after missing a big deadline by three days, and honestly, that buffer changed everything for me. It's not about the two weeks, it's about building a cushion so you don't have to panic when something unexpected pops up. If you've never had to scramble at the last minute, it probably feels like overkill, but trust me, one stressful week of rushing will make you see things differently. It sounds small on paper, but in practice it buys you peace of mind that keeps you from feeling frazzled for months.