Invoice comparison showed me who the real problem client was

Last quarter I had two clients with similar scope, one paid a 50% deposit up front in Portland and the other insisted on net-30 with a 'we'll review after delivery' clause. The deposit client took two minor revision rounds and paid the final $2,400 without a peep. The net-30 client dragged payments for 58 days, asked for 7 revision requests, and still tried to negotiate the rate down. Has anyone else tracked how much unpaid waiting time actually costs them versus just charging more upfront?

2 comments

2 Comments

xenabutler2d ago

That net-30 'review after delivery' line sounded fine until I did the math, now I get why upfront deposits matter.

kimr912d ago

Ugh, this hits so hard. Net-30 is basically a trap for freelancers and small shops. That "we'll review after delivery" line is code for "we're gonna hold your money hostage and ask for free work." The 7 rounds of revisions alone probably ate up any profit you made on that invoice. I bet that $2,400 client ended up costing you like $4k in actual time and stress. Upfront deposits just filter out the tire kickers and the people who don't respect your work. If they can't pay a deposit, they were never gonna pay on time anyway.