A freelance practice stalls when money is informal: a handshake, a vague “send me something,” then three weeks of waiting. Getting paid on time is mostly process. This guide is that process — not a promise that every invoice clears.

If you do not yet have a written offer, start with the legal freelance checklist. Come back here when you are ready to send the first real invoice.

What “paid” should mean before you start work

Agree on four things in writing:

1. What you will deliver (files, pages, rounds of revision)
2. What you will not (extra platforms, unlimited calls, original research you never scoped)
3. When money moves (deposit, milestones, final)
4. How money moves (processor, currency, who pays fees)

A proposal or a one-page scope is enough. Fancy contract software is optional. Unclear scope is how unpaid extras happen.

Deposits are not rude

A deposit is a filter. People who intend to pay usually accept a reasonable one. People who want free discovery often do not.

A simple default for unknown buyers:

Project size (illustrative)	Typical split
Under a week of work	50% to start, 50% on delivery
Multi-week build	40% to start, 30% at a named milestone, 30% before final files
Ongoing retainer	First month in advance, then invoice on a fixed date

The percentages are examples, not a market rate. Raise the deposit if the work is custom and hard to resell (a branded site, a one-off integration). Lower it only when the client is already a reliable payer.

Do not start production until the deposit lands. Calendar time is the real cost.

Invoices that get paid without a chase

Send an invoice the same day the deposit or milestone is due — not “when you remember.” Include:

• Your legal name or registered business name
• Client name and billing email
• Invoice number and date
• Line items that match the scope (not a novel)
• Amount, currency, and due date
• Payment link or processor instructions
• What happens if payment is late (pause work, not a lecture)

Keep the due date short for new clients (seven days is common). Net-30 is a gift you give after they have paid twice.

Stripe is enough for most solo practices: invoices, cards, and a record you can hand an accountant. If a buyer insists on a wire, write the extra fee and extra delay into the quote before you agree.

Run the paper in one place

You need a single list of: who was quoted, who paid, what is still open. Notion works as a lightweight ledger if you do not want a full accounting suite yet.

Minimum fields on a client page:

• Scope (link to the proposal)
• Amounts and dates
• Invoice IDs
• Status: quoted / deposit paid / in progress / final sent / paid / paused

When the same checklist keeps saving you, you can sell a cleaned-up version as a download using the digital-product stack. Until then, one database is enough.

International clients without surprises

Cross-border work fails on details, not talent. Nothing below is tax, VAT, or legal advice — it is a checklist so you know what to ask a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.

• Quote one currency and stick to it. “We’ll figure out the exchange rate later” is how you eat the spread.
• Confirm the client can actually pay with the method you use (some cards decline, some countries block processors).
• Do not treat VAT, GST, or 1099 rules as blog trivia. If you are selling into a country with digital-services tax, ask a local accountant once — then reuse the answer.
• Keep the contract language in the language you can defend. A translation you cannot read is not protection.

When payment is late

Have a sequence before you are angry:

1. Day 1 past due — polite reminder with the same payment link
2. Day 7 — work pauses until the invoice is current (say this in the original scope)
3. Day 14 — written notice that unpaid deliverables stay unpublished or undelivered until the invoice is current
4. After that — accountant or small-claims options in your jurisdiction (this guide is not legal advice); do not harass

Never withhold work you already promised and already took full payment for. Pause unpaid remaining work. That distinction keeps you on the safer side of the argument.

Do not invent “collections fees” you never disclosed. If you charge a late fee, it was on the invoice they accepted.

What not to do

• Start a custom build on a verbal “we’re good for it”
• Accept “exposure” as payment unless you truly wanted the portfolio piece
• Inflate hours after the fact because AI made a first draft faster — bill the outcome you sold
• Promise refunds you cannot honor, or “guaranteed ROI” you cannot measure

Next step

Pick one live or upcoming job. Write a one-page scope with a deposit split, create the invoice in your processor, and do not open the design file until the deposit shows as paid. The habit is the product.