My payment terms used to be 'net 30' and I got paid late half the time.

Switched to '50% upfront, balance on delivery' last quarter. Now I get paid for 9 out of 10 jobs before I even start the work. What's the best way you've found to get a new client to agree to upfront payments?

4 comments

4 Comments

skyler_patel22d ago

Have you tried just making it the standard on your quote? I found most people just accept it if it's presented as the normal way you do business.

karenwest22d ago

Works for some, not for others. Depends on the client. Skyler_patel has a point about just making it standard. I tried that last year and got way more pushback than expected. People started asking for line item discounts instead. Now I list it separate but don't make a big deal about it. If they question it, I just say it's how I cover my business costs.

ward.tara22d ago

Yeah, and it also depends on what you're selling... I do web stuff, and when I bundled the fee, clients assumed my hourly rate was higher than it actually is. They thought I was charging more for the work itself. Listing it separate, even if it causes questions, at least shows the base service cost is clean. Then the fee is just for the admin stuff, which makes more sense to them.

johnson.betty22d ago

Wait, you got line item discounts instead?? That's wild. @karenwest is right, some clients will fight anything.