12
Realized my invoice templates were handing clients free leverage
For like 2 years I sent invoices with line items like 'revisions' and 'final files' listed separately. Then a client in Austin held back the final payment saying 'we only approved the revisions, not the final files' even though I had written confirmation. That's when I noticed every single dispute I had started from me giving clients too much detail to pick apart. I switched to flat project pricing with one lump sum, no breakdown unless they ask upfront. Has anyone else had clients twist your invoice wording against you?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
rowanw9114d ago
Wait, is this really that common? Flat pricing's been the standard for years in most trades.
Sounds more like you just had a bad client than a systemic invoice problem. One jerk in Austin doesn't mean itemized invoices are broken.
2
Man, this hits way too close to home. I had a similar thing happen with a logo project where I itemized "concept exploration" and "final polish" separately, and the client tried to argue the polish phase wasn't part of the original scope because they thought it was an add-on. It's like the more you break things down, the more room they have to invent loopholes. Switched to a single project fee after that, one number, one payment schedule, signed off before I start. Now if they want a breakdown, I tell them it's for internal budgeting only, not a contract negotiation tool. Flat pricing has honestly saved me more headaches than any contract clause ever did.
1