How to Make a Bad Client Pay Up

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There’s nothing more deflating than doing the work, sending the invoice, and getting radio silence. You don’t inherently think that a client is going to be a scammer, right? Sure, sometimes it happens, but this should be a rare occurrence though, right? No “thank you,” no “just paid it,” not even a passive-aggressive emoji. Just… nothing. And while most clients are good at paying on time (or at least letting you know they’re running behind), there’s always that one who turns into a magician the second the bill hits their inbox.

So, what do you do when a client ghosts you on payment? Better yet, what do you do if they’re blatantly showing off the work you did online without even giving you what you’re owed?

Know the Red Flags for Next Time

Alright, so before diving into the now, it’s worth clocking the warning signs so it doesn’t happen again. Clients who balk at signing contracts, insist on paying “after everything is done,” or act weird about deposits usually aren’t worth the trouble. Yeah, avoid those type of people if you can. So, it’s the little things often tell you everything you need to know. Seriously, if they’re throwing a fit about putting up a deposit, then they’re not worth your time.

Get Clear and Direct

Seriously, don’t sugarcoat any of this! So, if a payment’s late, don’t spiral into overthinking. Just follow up, short and to the point. Something like, “Hey, just following up on the invoice sent on [date]. Let me know when you expect to process the payment.” That’s simple enough, right? You just need to keep the tone chill but firm. No need to over-apologize or dance around it. Also, avoid sounding nice too (including emojis) as that won’t work in your favor. Seriously, you’re not being pushy, you’re asking to be paid for the work they already approved.

The longer you wait to bring it up, the harder it becomes to fix. You need to avoid vague reminders like “Just checking in” or “Hope all is well.” Just go straight for it.

Make it Harder for them to Ignore You

Sometimes the issue isn’t that they’re evil (granted, with some clients it literally is), it’s more of the fact that they’re disorganized, or forgetful, maybe they’re just not great at managing money. But either way, you can make future invoicing foolproof. If you have invoicing software, and you’re not going anything manually, then you can instead set up automatic reminders, and usually you can keep a payment history so you don’t need to go back and look at screenshots. 

Now, this won’t be 100% foolproof. If you had a red flag evil client, well, you can constantly send out reminders automatically, but it still technically doesn’t change the fact that they could still ignore/ ghost you.

Put the Pressure Where It Belongs

When nice reminders aren’t working, you’ll need to level up. Meaning that you absolutely need to set a clear deadline. “If payment isn’t received by [date], a late fee will apply, and work will be paused until payment is made.” You don’t need to threaten lawsuits or start tweeting receipts, but you do need to show that you’re not going to keep chasing them forever.

Also, if the work is still in your hands and hasn’t gone live yet, you’ve got some leverage. So in that case, you’d better use it.

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