Before you start the work: get the billing details
The single most common reason invoices get delayed is missing or wrong billing information. Before you send the first hour of tracked time, ask the client three questions and write the answers in their client profile.
Who handles payments?
Often not the person who hired you. Get a name and email. Send invoices to them, copy your day-to-day contact.
What is the legal billing entity and address?
The company name on their tax forms, not the doing-business-as. The billing address may be different from the office address.
What payment methods do they support?
Some clients pay only by check or ACH. Some pay anything. Find out before you send an invoice with only a card link.
Pick a billing method that matches the work
There are four common ways freelancers bill, and they each work in different situations. Use the wrong one and you either overbill the client or under-bill yourself.
Hourly
Bill for tracked time at an agreed rate. Best for open-ended work where the scope is uncertain. Track time meticulously — your invoice is your evidence.
Flat project rate
One agreed price for a defined deliverable. Best when scope is clear. You take the risk of underestimating, but you keep the upside if you finish faster.
Monthly retainer
A flat monthly amount for ongoing work or availability. Best for long-term relationships. Predictable cash flow for both sides.
Milestone billing
Project broken into pieces (30% deposit, 30% at midpoint, 40% on delivery). Best for long projects. Reduces your cash-flow risk and the client's commitment risk.
Set payment terms that get you paid
Payment terms are the gap between when you send the invoice and when the client is expected to pay. Standard options are Net 7, Net 14, Net 30. Net 30 is a holdover from enterprise procurement; nobody will fault a freelancer for shorter terms.
Use Net 7 for new clients until you trust they pay on time. Use Net 14 for established clients. Net 30 is fine if the client specifically asks for it as part of their accounts payable workflow — bigger companies often have processing cycles.
Always include the due date as a specific date on the invoice ('Due May 6'), not just the term ('Net 14'). Spelling it out reduces confusion and gives you a clean reference point for follow-up.
How to send the invoice (and the email that goes with it)
Do not send a PDF as an attachment with no context. Send a friendly, short email with the invoice number, the amount, the due date, and a direct link to pay.
FreelanceFlow handles this when you click Send: the client receives a clean email with a Pay Now button that opens a Stripe-powered payment page. They click the link, type a card number, and the invoice marks itself paid in your dashboard. You get email notifications when they view it and when they pay.
If the client prefers bank transfer, include your bank details in the invoice notes alongside the payment link. They choose. Most pick the link because it is faster.
Following up without sounding desperate
Roughly 1 in 5 invoices goes past due the first time. Most of the time the client just forgot or it got buried in their email. A well-timed nudge resolves it without conflict.
Day 3 past due — friendly reminder
'Hey [name], just making sure this did not get buried — here is the link again: [payment link].' One line, no apology, no guilt.
Day 14 past due — firmer note
Reference the invoice number and original due date. Restate the payment options. Optionally mention a late fee if your terms include one.
Day 30 past due — formal notice
More formal language. Reference the contract or engagement terms if one exists. Set a clear deadline for resolution.
Beyond 60 days — escalate
Pause new work for that client. Consider a collection service or small claims court for amounts that justify the cost. This is rare.
Automate the loop so you never do this manually again
Once you have done this two or three times, the process should run itself. The pieces that benefit most from automation are the parts that take real time but do not require thought: pulling tracked hours into line items, sending the email, marking the invoice paid, sending overdue reminders.
FreelanceFlow handles all four. You set the client up once with their billing details and rate. Time entries flow into invoices. Invoices send themselves with payment links. Payments mark themselves complete. Overdue invoices trigger reminders. The only thing left for you is the actual work.