Update: Saw a stat that 60% of freelance projects get paid late

I was reading a report from the Freelancers Union last week and that number just floored me, it's way higher than I thought. I've had a couple of late payments myself, but seeing it's that common makes me think my contracts need work. How do you guys handle payment terms to avoid getting stuck waiting?

3 comments

3 Comments

susan_bell1mo agoMost Upvoted

My friend Mark got stiffed for a $1200 website redesign last year. He didn't have a clear late fee in his contract, so the client just ghosted him after the work was done. Now he adds a 5% monthly fee to every invoice that's over 30 days late, and he hasn't had a problem since.

the_hayden1mo ago

My buddy Jake had the same thing happen with a logo design, lost almost a grand. He read a post from @susan_bell about late fees and totally changed his contracts. Now he puts in a clear 2% monthly charge for late payments. It sounds small but it makes clients take the due date seriously. He says it filters out the bad ones before they even sign.

the_jordan1mo ago

I started adding a flat $50 late fee to all my invoices. Clients pay on time now.