How do you ensure timely payment from clients?

Question

Have you, as a consultant, ever faced a situation where you completed a project on time with good quality, but the client refused payment? How do you ensure timely payment from clients?Let's say that you are in New York while your client is in Berlin or Beijing. How will you ensure that he pays on time.

gregjor · Accepted Answer

Break the project up into clear deliverables. Charge for delivering, not for the entire project, and not by the hour. At every step the client can see real progress and you have something tangible to bill for.
I have freelanced for 15 years, never had a client refuse to pay. Big companies with bureaucratic payables systems can take time to pay, you have to anticipate that, typically net 30 days.
Retainer arrangements also work well if you have a long-term relationship with the client. You get into their payables system as a recurring fixed cost, rather than an irregular invoiced amount.

ogarten · Answer

Give them 1% off if they pay immediately instead of 30 days or whatever is typical.
Get some upfront payment (20-30%) to get started.
Breaking the project into deliverables bill accordingly. No payment, no further work.

brudgers · Answer

[delayed]

mtmail · Answer

50% upfront payment for one-off projects. That's usual with design work. There might be some push-back but that's how I start the conversation. Unless they came from person recommendation to me.
> How will you ensure that he pays on time.
Could be any gender of course.

How do you ensure timely payment from clients?

Give them 1% off if they pay immediately instead of 30 days or whatever is typical.Get some upfront payment (20-30%) to get started.Breaking the project into deliverables bill accordingly. No payment, no further work.

[delayed]

50% upfront payment for one-off projects. That's usual with design work. There might be some push-back but that's how I start the conversation. Unless they came from person recommendation to me.> How will you ensure that he pays on time.Could be any gender of course.

Give them 1% off if they pay immediately instead of 30 days or whatever is typical.
Get some upfront payment (20-30%) to get started.
Breaking the project into deliverables bill accordingly. No payment, no further work.

50% upfront payment for one-off projects. That's usual with design work. There might be some push-back but that's how I start the conversation. Unless they came from person recommendation to me.
> How will you ensure that he pays on time.
Could be any gender of course.