dixon.james•2mo ago

I met a guy at a coffee shop in Austin who said he never chases late payments. He told me, 'If they don't pay on time, they don't respect your work.'

4 comments

4 Comments

pat7812mo ago

My old boss in Houston gave clients three days before charging a late fee.

rileygarcia2mo ago

Hmm, that's a tough one. Sometimes people just forget (or their accounting is slow). I'd send a friendly reminder first.

susansingh2mo ago

Wait, isn't three days way too short for a late fee? @rileygarcia is right that people forget or their payment process is slow, but hitting them with a fee that fast feels super aggressive. Most places I've seen give at least a week or two grace period. Starting with a friendly reminder is the move, but you gotta give folks a real chance to see it and pay. Jumping straight to penalties after just three days is a good way to make clients mad, lol.

the_hayden9d ago

I read some article that said the best businesses actually separate the payment reminder from the late fee notice. I think @pat781's boss had the right idea with three days, but you send a reminder day one or two, then hit them with the fee if they still haven't paid. Keeps it professional instead of feeling aggressive.

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