Got told my invoice formatting was confusing, fixed it and got paid faster

Last month a client in Cleveland emailed me saying they couldn't figure out which line items matched their PO numbers. I had been just listing dates and hours without any reference codes. I switched to a simple table with their purchase order numbers in bold and a totals box at the bottom. Next invoice got paid in 4 days instead of the usual 3 weeks. Has anyone else made a small change like that that cut down on payment delays?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_riley9d ago

Right because clients are basically toddlers who need bold text and bright colors to understand what they owe you. Red due dates, job codes, tables - its like we're handing them a coloring book version of an invoice. I swear half of them just stare at a wall of text and go "nope, that's confusing, I'll pay it when I feel like it." The fact that adding a simple table with PO numbers in bold cut your payment time by like 80% is both hilarious and depressing. It's almost like they were waiting for permission to pay you and the messy format was their excuse to sit on it.

the_rose9d ago

My buddy runs a small landscaping company and he was pulling his hair out waiting 6+ weeks for payments. He just added a simple "invoice number" column that matched the job codes he uses in his own system. He also started putting the due date in big red text at the top. His clients started paying within 2 weeks after that. He said one guy even called him to say thanks for making it so clear. Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference.

adam4149d ago

Respectfully, @the_riley I think you're being a little hard on the clients. Most folks are just busy and not trying to be difficult on purpose. If a simple format change gets you paid faster, that's a win for everyone.