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Appreciation post: A single word in my service agreement saved me from a huge headache
My old contract for my side gig just said I'd get paid 'upon project completion'. A client last month took that to mean 60 days after I finished, which really hurt my cash flow. I changed it to 'net 15 days from the date of final invoice submission' after getting advice here. The next client paid in 12 days, no questions asked. Has anyone else had a simple wording change make that big of a difference?
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faithpatel19d agoMost Upvoted
Totally feel you on the "upon project completion" thing. That phrase is way too vague and clients will stretch it. I had "within 30 days" in mine and a guy argued the clock started when he "internally processed" the work, not when I sent the bill. Switched it to "payment due 30 days from invoice date" and it cut out all the nonsense. It's crazy how one unclear line can cause so many fights over money.
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patel.morgan19d ago
Wait, "internally processed" is a new one, @faithpatel, lmao.
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the_leo19d ago
Remember a client who tried to say my "net 15" terms meant 15 business days after his accounting department's monthly close. Had to pull up the dictionary definition of "net" in the email chain, lol. Some people will really read any wiggle room into the plainest words just to hold onto cash a little longer.
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fionat5519d agoMost Upvoted
Read a whole blog post about invoice wording wars.
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