Invoice at 38 days and client sent a response that was pure silence | Empty Invoice Freakout - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Invoice at 38 days and client sent a response that was pure silence
Finished a logo refresh for a small shop in Portland on the 5th, sent the invoice same day. 38 days later I got a one word reply, 'noted', after I pinged them for the third time. I offered a small discount if they paid within a week, just to break the freeze, and it actually worked. Has anyone else had luck with that trick, or do you just eat the wait and keep the full amount?
Honestly, that discount trick is a classic and it works more often than not. I've thrown a 5 or 10 percent off on past due invoices just to get the ball rolling, and it usually breaks the silence within a week. The key is to frame it as a one time goodwill thing, not a habit, or they'll just wait for a discount every time. But yeah, sitting there with zero response for over a month is way worse than losing a little cash to get paid. You made the right call, and honestly, if they try that silence game again next time, I'd just add a late fee upfront before sending any new work. People pay real fast when they see that number grow.