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Poll: How do you handle payment deadlines with clients?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Apr 10

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How do you handle payment deadlines with clients?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 22:02
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I discuss the issue along with the rates Apr 10

All my clients pay as agreed (I wouldn’t work for them otherwise). Some very dear long-standing customers (4) pay the day after receiving my invoice, most pay at 30 days, one USA agency pays at 60 days and one Italian agency at 90 days. I can’t remember when I had to send the last reminder (10 years back?).

Philip Lees
Dan Lucas
Angie Garbarino
Anne Maclennan
Michele Fauble
Christine Andersen
 
ibz
ibz  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:02
Member (2007)
English to German
+ ...
I set/negotiate the rate and I set the deadline (never more than 30 days) Apr 11

I set/negotiate the rate and I set the deadline (never more than 30 days).
Not sure why this option is not here but that's what I do.

Pascale van Kempen-Herlant
Christine Andersen
 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 23:02
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Non-negotiable Apr 11

I am often presented with non-negotiable terms. If they are 30 days or less, I proceed, and if not, I thank them and say bye bye.

Ventnai
 
Lieven Malaise
Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 23:02
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
Client is boss (to a certain extent) Apr 11

I simply accept the payment terms that I'm proposed, but 60 days end of month is the limit. At the same time I can't imagine any serious client that would propose a payment dealine that exceeds those 60 days. I surely wouldn't accept it.

If no payment terms are imposed, I put a deadline of 45 days end of month on my invoice (I always send monthly invoices at the end of the month, so the "end of month" bit doesn't really matter).
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 23:02
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
My deadline is 30 days from the invoice date. Apr 11

I normally send out my invoices on the last working day in the month, and expect to get paid 30 days later.

If the job was delivered early in the month, then the client has already had some weeks credit in addition to the 30 days.

If they ask to be invoiced at a different time (earlier, but not later), or want different terms, I may negotiate, but I normally do not accept later payment than the end of the month the job was delivered + 30 days.

Michele Fauble
Zea_Mays
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 23:02
French to English
. Apr 12

I find that whatever I might say, clients pay when they pay. The only times anyone is ever late, it's because of a slip-up, and a gentle reminder is enough. (Well apart from one agency I now refuse to work for)
So long as they are regular and in good faith, I'm happy. My favourite agency (in terms of subject matter) seems to pay latest but they are never later than they say they will be.
 
IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 16:02
English to Russian
+ ...
Never had anything "to handle" Apr 12

30 days was standard since the dawn of times. It has always been implied even before any other negotiation points. Can't say anything about current state of affairs. All my old contract terms have never changed in 30 years. Rare cases of slight delays have not been worth "handling" and making a fuss as I either knew the objective reasons for delays or could easily forgive a week or two of simple oversight. We are all humans, and my 5 to 25 years of mutual relationships with them provided an iron... See more
30 days was standard since the dawn of times. It has always been implied even before any other negotiation points. Can't say anything about current state of affairs. All my old contract terms have never changed in 30 years. Rare cases of slight delays have not been worth "handling" and making a fuss as I either knew the objective reasons for delays or could easily forgive a week or two of simple oversight. We are all humans, and my 5 to 25 years of mutual relationships with them provided an iron-clad guarantee that I'll be paid.

But then again, all my life I worked with only 4 major and 2 small but very powerful agencies, and only a handful of random clients obtained by the word-of-mouth. ▲ Collapse
 


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Poll: How do you handle payment deadlines with clients?






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