Appreciation post for chasing down a $150 payment from last fall...

I know everyone says to just write off small amounts and move on, but I spent three weeks chasing a $150 payment from a guy in Portland who hired me for a logo back in October. I sent four reminders, got ignored each time, finally left a voicemail saying I'd post his draft on my public portfolio site with a note about unpaid work. He paid within two hours. I learned that small debts can train clients to think they can walk all over you, and sometimes a little pushback actually builds respect for your time. Now I have a hard rule that any amount under $200 gets the same chasing effort as a big invoice, because leaving money on the table sets a bad pattern. Has anyone else had a tiny payment that turned into a bigger headache than it was worth?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimdixon6d ago

Right? It's wild how much pushback is needed just to get people to honor their word. That portfolio idea is something I'm definitely keeping in my back pocket now.

wade_anderson4d ago

The_nancy makes a good point but honestly I wonder if we're overthinking it sometimes... $75 for three months of chasing feels like a lot of stress over something that probably works itself out eventually. I've had clients take their sweet time on smaller stuff and yeah it's annoying but I just send a gentle reminder and move on with my life. The portfolio threat sounds effective but it also seems like it could burn a bridge that might be worth keeping even if they're slow. Not every late payment needs to be a big stand your ground moment you know.

the_nancy6d ago

Oh MAN that portfolio threat is GENIUS. I had a similar thing with a $75 logo tweak where the client kept saying "next week" for three months until I finally sent a screenshot of our full email chain with his excuses and got paid that same day. Small debts really do train clients to disrespect your time boundaries if you let them slide.