How to Get Clients to Pay You Upfront

Is there anything worse for a freelancer than waiting for a client to pay their invoice? It’s one of the most stressful moments that freelancers and business owners must endure. Besides not being able to pay your bills, that feeling of getting short-changed is probably the worst feeling possible.

But, that can be prevented if you take certain measures like making invoicing a priority and never offering your services for free. And, most importantly, getting your clients to pay for your services upfront.

Benefits of upfront payments

If you’re fortunate enough, you may never have to ask for a deposit or upfront payment during your freelancing career. But, there will be circumstances when a deposit is in your best interest. This is particularly true if:

There isn’t a contract between you and the client.
It’s a long-term project.
It’s a new client who you don’t trust yet.

Besides the situations listed above where upfront payments should be accepted, deposits also present the following benefits:

1. Keeps cash flowing

This is the number one reason why upfront payments are so beneficial. It ensures that you have the money coming in to pay all of your expenses and overhead. This is particularly important when you have a long-term project that may take weeks or months to complete. Instead of scrambling to pay your bills until the invoice has been paid, you already have the funds to handle your expenses.

2. Covers out-of-pocket expenses

Most projects come with those additional expenses, such as the cost of materials, supplies or software. While you’ll most likely be reimbursed for these out-of-pocket expenses, you could pay for them with the money received from a deposit.

3. Prevents you from getting played

As mentioned earlier, there’s no worse feeling than completing a project and not getting paid from the client. An upfront payment, even if it’s a partial payment, ensures that you won’t get played by a client and that at least some of your time and hard work will be compensated.

Additionally, asking clients for an upfront payment can illustrate that you’re a professional and that you can be trusted to deliver the project on-time.