c/chasing-invoices

Hot take: sending a reminder email at 8am got me paid faster than any late fee ever did.

Spent 3 months chasing a $850 invoice from a guy in Austin until I finally emailed him at 8am on a Tuesday and he paid within 2 hours, has anyone else found weird timing tricks that work better than the standard approach?

Why I stopped sending invoices the same day I finish work

Used to fire off invoices right after I wrapped up a job, thinking faster billing meant faster money. Last month, a client in Phoenix called me at 9 PM on a Thursday complaining my invoice landed before I even cleaned up their basement. They held payment for 3 weeks out of spite, and that $4,200 delay almost busted my material budget for the next project. Now I wait a full business day before sending anything, and people seem way less annoyed about paying on time. Has anyone else had a client get weird about fast invoices?

Has going super nice vs staying firm ever actually worked for you?

I had a client last summer in Phoenix who owed me $4,200 for 3 months of engine work on his classic truck. I tried the patient route first, polite emails and reminders, nothing happened. Then I switched to a stricter tone with a 5 day deadline before I'd file a mechanics lien, and he paid in 48 hours. But then I hear other shop owners saying being too aggressive just makes people dig in and never pay at all. Anyone else find one approach works way better than the other, or does it just depend on the person?

Had a client ghost me for 6 months on a $900 invoice.

Took me that whole time to realize I should've just filed a small claims case after 30 days. Has anyone actually gone to small claims over a small invoice like that?

Hit 100 late payments tracked in my spreadsheet yesterday

I started a simple log back in March just to see how often clients actually paid after 30 days. Yesterday I added number 100 and it kind of hit me how much time I've spent chasing money. Most were small amounts, like $200 to $500, but it adds up to over $12,000 total. Has anyone else tried tracking this stuff or am I just being obsessive?

Switched from net 30 to net 15 and it changed everything

Used to do net 30 terms for all my freelance graphic design clients because that's just what everyone did. After a client in Austin took 47 days to pay a $2,800 bill last November I decided to switch to net 15 for new contracts. Now I offer a 2% discount if they pay within 7 days too and my average payment time dropped to 11 days. Anyone else try shorter payment windows or do you think discounts are leaving money on the table?

That one Wednesday where 4 clients paid on the same day out of nowhere

I had this weird Wednesday last month where I woke up to three payment notifications before 9 AM. One was a guy who usually runs 45 days late, and he paid a 6 month old invoice for $2,400. Then two more landed by lunch, including a $600 one I had written off in my head. By 4 PM a fourth one hit my account from a client in Austin who always pays net 60 on the dot. Felt like the universe glitched for a day honestly. Anybody ever have a random day where the cash just flows in like that?

Finally got a 30 day net payer down to 15 days after 6 months

I kept sending polite reminders with a link to pay online, but the real trick was adding a 2% discount if they paid within 10 days. Has anyone else tried offering a tiny discount and had it backfire?

That first time a slow payer ghosted me then showed up with cash

Had a client 6 months back, owed me $2,800 for a commercial job I did in Phoenix. Called 5 times, left 3 voicemails, nothing. Finally drove to his shop and stood at his desk. He handed me cash on the spot with a fake smile. I hate that chasing in person works but it's the only thing that does for some people. Anybody else found that showing up in person gets results where emails and texts fail completely?

Remember when people actually mailed checks? I miss those days.

Last week I got an email from a guy who owed me $450 for a job I did back in October 2021. He said he "just found the invoice" under his truck seat lol. Three years ago I swear clients would send a check within two weeks or call you to pay over the phone. Now it's all excuses and ghosting until I send three reminders. I had a lady last month pay me in crumpled twenties because her card was "maxed out" apparently. Has anyone else noticed folks just got worse about paying since like 2020?

That one client who always emails 'check is in the mail' but it never shows up for 6 weeks

I finally started screen-shotting those emails and sending them back with the date circled as proof after a guy in Denver pulled that line three times in a row on a $1,200 job last fall, has anyone else run into the same pattern and figured out a way to call it out without sounding like a jerk?

Got ghosted by a client after 60 days of waiting on a $1,500 check

I finished a roof patch for a homeowner in Akron three months ago. They said the check was in the mail for two weeks before I realized they were lying. I finally drove to their house and waited on their porch until they handed me cash. Has anyone else had to show up in person to get paid?

Got a client to pay by showing up at their office unannounced

So I had this guy who owed me $1,200 for 3 months. Emails, calls, nothing worked. Last Tuesday I drove over to his office in downtown Austin. Walked in, said hi to the receptionist. Client came out looking all surprised. Wrote me a check right there. Crazy how that still works in 2024. Has anyone else done the in person thing or am I just old school?

Rant: Had to choose between paying myself or buying a collections agency service

I picked the collections agency for $300 on a $4500 invoice that was 90 days overdue, and the client finally paid up after the second letter went out, but has anyone else found that calling them yourself works better for smaller amounts?

Finally got a check from that one client who ghosted me for 90 days

It was just sitting in my mailbox this morning, no email, nothing. The $1,850 cleared after I sent that final notice letter last week. Anyone else have a client who just silently pays up after radio silence?

Serious question, I think being too nice on the first late payment call is a mistake

I was at my desk in Springfield last Tuesday, staring at a $2,800 invoice that was 45 days late for a full kitchen repipe. I called the homeowner, all friendly like usual, and just got a vague 'check's in the mail' promise. So I called back the next day, firm but polite, and said I'd have to file a lien if I didn't have a payment confirmation by 5 PM. He sent a bank transfer within the hour. Has anyone else found that skipping the soft approach gets faster results?

Hit 30 days past due on a single invoice for the first time ever

I was going through my books last Friday and saw a $1,800 invoice from a regular client was still unpaid. I checked the date and realized it had been sitting there for a full month past the due date, which has never happened with them before. I sent a polite but firm email that morning asking for an update on the payment status. They paid it in full by the end of the day, saying it had just slipped through the cracks. It made me realize I need to check my aging report way more often than I do. How often do you guys review your unpaid invoices to catch stuff like this?

Stopped by the hardware store and saw a sign that changed my payment terms

They had a new policy posted at the register: 'All contractor accounts must be settled weekly, or materials stop.' It made me realize I should be that clear with my own customers. Anyone else put a firm payment schedule right in their initial quote?

My dad told me to always call before sending a late notice

He said a personal touch works better than an email, so I tried it with a client who owed $850 for over 60 days. I called, we had a nice chat, and he promised to pay by Friday. That was three weeks ago and I still haven't seen a dime. Now I'm stuck wondering if I just gave him more time to stall. Has calling first ever actually worked for anyone here?

Three checks showed up on the same Tuesday morning

It was just a normal week until I opened the mail and saw payments from a client in Phoenix, a local cafe, and a magazine I did photos for last month. Has anyone else had a weirdly lucky day like that where everything just... came in at once?

Vent: Had to choose between sending a final demand letter or just writing off a $1,200 invoice from a repeat customer. I went with the letter.

My neighbor in Denver swore by sending a physical invoice copy after 30 days late, and it actually got a $2,500 payment from a ghosting client.

He said the paper trail feels more serious than another email, so I mailed a polite letter with the invoice attached, and the check showed up a week later, so has anyone else had luck with snail mail for big overdue amounts?

Honestly, the weirdest payment excuse I ever got was a guy who said his dog ate the invoice.

Tbh, this was for a $1,200 freelance job in Austin last fall, and he sent me a picture of a shredded piece of paper next to a very guilty-looking golden retriever. Ngl, I had to laugh, but I still made him pay via a direct bank transfer link right then. Has anyone else gotten a truly bizarre reason for a late payment?

Spent 11 months chasing a $2,800 invoice from a client in Boise who kept changing their payment contact.

Question about a payment trick that finally worked for me

I had a client in Austin who was 60 days late on a $1,200 invoice and stopped replying to emails. On a whim, I sent a final notice with a subject line that just said 'Final Notice Before Small Claims Court' and attached a screenshot of the county court's website form. They paid the full amount within 3 hours. Has anyone else had luck with a similar bluff, or is this a bad idea?