You’re the freelancer who has just completed an assignment for a client. In fact, you’ve completed the job early and even taken time to redraft your final documents. You can see this as a win-win, right? Clearly, your client thinks so too because they’ve paid you for your work – in advance. But what happens if you don’t get the rest of your fee on time? How do you go about reminding someone to pay you? It might seem like an obvious answer but it’s worth stating that before agreeing to take on any new freelance project, make sure you have a payment schedule outlined and agreed upon before signing off on anything. This will save you headaches down the road if they don’t pay in a timely manner or at all. Read on for some tips on how to remind someone to pay you after accepting their project.
How To Remind Someone To Pay You
1. Send a reminder email
This is probably the most common way to remind someone to pay you. Use this as a last resort in situations where you’ve been paid but not for all of the work done on the project. You can use it to remind them of what was agreed upon and what was delivered. You might also want to include a link in your email that takes them back to your invoice page or contract, so they can see what they have already paid for. This will give them an idea of how much they are owed, and if they have any questions or concerns, they can contact you directly through the link included in your email.
2. Send a text message or email follow-up reminder
If you’re not able to send out an official reminder through your client’s preferred method of communication, then send another email or text message to remind them about their payment obligations. Sending another reminder after one week is perfectly acceptable and will provide you with peace of mind that you’ll be paid for your work.
3. Send a reminder postcard or letter
A postcard is one of the most cost-effective ways to remind someone to pay you, especially if you’re in a country like the UK where post offices are few and far between. You can use this method if you’re in the US or Canada and have access to a post office. If not, there are some other options for reminding someone to pay you, depending on your location. In the UK, for example, there are many ways to send reminders such as emailing a letter via Royal Mail by hand and posting it back through their mail system or sending an email through their website and then following up by phone.
4. Set up an online payment reminder service
Online payment reminder services are another great way to remind someone to pay you when they haven’t done so yet – particularly if you’re not able to get in touch with them by phone or email. This is a great option if you find yourself in need of reminding someone to pay you and are looking to save a bit of money. if you’re not able to send a regular reminder email. You can send a postcard or letter to your client in the mail, or even email them a digital version if you want to be really organized.
5. Send an invoice from your client’s preferred payment method
If you’ve already sent out your invoice for the project, then chances are pretty good that your client will have paid for it before they received it in the mail. However, if this is not the case and they have not yet paid you, then send them an invoice through their preferred payment method so they know that they owe you money.
Be Proactive And Set Expectations Before Starting Work
1. Explain how the project will be paid
If your client is not clear on how they will pay you, consider sending them an email before starting work. In this email, explain how you are planning to be paid and outline what amount of time it will take to complete the job. If you feel that your client is not going to be able to meet their payment obligations, explain the consequences of failing to pay on time. You can also add that you have taken steps to protect yourself from late payments by adding a clause in your contract stating that if the client does not pay on time, then you are entitled to a fee equal to one month’s worth of fees. This way, if they do miss a payment and don’t make up for it within 30 days, then you can ask for your full fee back plus interest.
2. Request payment in advance
If you’ve already started working on the project and haven’t yet requested payment, then you may have to wait a while before you can receive the rest of your fee. Although your client might not be able to pay you on time, they may still be able to pay you in full before the end of the agreed-upon project timeframe. So if you want, for example, to receive payment for four weeks of work, then it’s best for your client to pay for those four weeks in advance. If they do that and then miss the next three weeks’ worth of work, then you could ask them for all of that money back plus interest.
3. Ask for a partial payment
If your client has already paid you and is now behind on their payments, don’t lose hope just yet. You can ask them to make up some or all of their original payment by taking out an additional loan against what they owe you (which is often easier than asking them outright). This way, you will have enough money to get through, etc. If that’s the case, then you should let them know that it will be a while before you receive payment.
4. Inform the client of the consequences of not paying on time
If you feel like your client is going to miss a payment or not make up for an amount owed, then remind them in advance that it may take some time before you receive payment. You can also mention that if they don’t pay on time, then they will be required to pay interest at a rate of 1% above the prime rate. This way, they’ll be forced to pay their bill in full within 30 days or risk being hit with interest charges. If they still don’t comply and continue to miss payments, then you can request the full fee back plus interest.
Send A Reminder Email
- First things first, go ahead and draft a short email to the person you’ve done work for. Be sure to include the project name, date, and a brief summary of what you’ve done.
- If you’re not sure whether or not they have read your message, send them another one asking them if they have. If they haven’t responded after a few days, follow up again with a reminder email.
- If someone simply ignores your emails and phone calls, consider using professional tools like Rapportive or Intercom to find out who the person is and who their manager is so that you can reach out to them directly with your concerns.
- If the person you’ve worked with is a business, contact their main office instead of their personal email address. You might want to send an email to the company’s receptionist, secretary, or marketing manager, who will be able to tell you how to get in touch with the client.
- If they ignore your emails and phone calls again, you can always escalate your message and ask them to call you back as a last resort. Be sure to include a clear explanation of what’s going on in your message so that they know exactly why it’s important for them to talk now rather than later.
Conclusion
Freelance work can be a great source of income. However, if someone does not pay you for your work, it can be a frustrating experience. Before accepting a project, make sure you have a clear payment schedule in place. If the client misses the payment deadline, follow these tips for how to remind someone to pay you. If you find that you are having trouble getting paid after following these tips, you may have no other choice but to take legal action. Before doing so, you should consider hiring an attorney or filing a complaint with your state’s attorney general’s office or small claims court.