My $200 "client guarantee" clause paid off after 3 months of doubt

I added a 2% late fee clause to my contracts back in March for freelance design work. Felt super awkward at first like I was being rude to clients. Then last month a client in Portland was 45 days late on a $1500 invoice. I sent a friendly reminder about the fee and they paid within 24 hours plus the $30 extra. Saved me from sending another round of passive aggressive emails lol. Has anyone else had a late fee actually work or did it scare off clients for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannahj494h ago

Read a piece by some freelancer who said adding late fees actually built trust with clients. Makes them take deadlines seriously.

fionanguyen3h ago

Doesn't that kind of depend on how you frame it though? Like @hannahj49 I think it works if you're upfront from the start, not some surprise fee. You gotta tell people "hey this is the rate and here's what happens if it's late" before you even start the work. That way it's a boundary, not a punishment. I've seen clients actually respect that more, like they know you mean business. But you have to actually follow through, no exceptions or it means nothing.