Showerthought: I was at a coffee shop in Denver and overheard a freelancer say she adds a 10% late fee after 14 days, which made me start doing it too.

It's cut down my late payments by more than half because that extra line on the invoice makes people move faster, has anyone else tried a similar tactic?

3 comments

3 Comments

beth_kelly22d ago

Oh, I'm too nice. My late fee is just me sending a sad face emoji a month later.

rosecarr21d ago

I get what you mean about being nice, @beth_kelly, but a sad face a month later is just too late in my book. That kind of soft approach can actually train people to pay you last. I've found you have to be clear from the start about when payment is due and what happens if it's late. It feels awkward, but it saves a lot of headache and lost money. Being firm about your rules is how you keep a business running, not by being the friend who never gets paid.

ward.tara21d ago

Absolutely, and @rosecarr is spot on. I learned that the hard way with a client who was always "just waiting on a check." My soft reminders got me nowhere for two months. I finally sent a firm email saying all work would stop until the invoice was paid in full. Guess what? The check arrived in two days. Being clear isn't mean, it's just how you keep the lights on. Letting it slide tells people your time isn't valuable.