When I take on one-off projects (e.g., writing content for a website), I generally take a deposit up front and then invoice whenever the project is complete. If it’s a large project that’ll go on for more than a month, I generally ask for monthly milestone payments simply for my own peace of mind (so I won’t get stiffed).

I’m lucky that at this point I don’t have a problem, financially or otherwise, dealing with the monthly payment system. My clients pay well, my bills are paid on time, and I’ve got more than enough saved up in case something comes up.

A few years ago, I wasn’t as financially stable and needed more frequent payments to make ends meet (translated, my monthly checks weren’t enough to feed me for a whole month). Then, I asked for weekly checks from regular clients and set up weekly milestone payment requirements with larger one-time clients. I worked hard at finding better paying work and at taking on extra work so I didn’t have to worry. But while I was in that struggle of a transition, I never had a client balk at my requests for weekly payments. Then again, I’m not a magazine writer, so I’m not set up to comply with a publication’s standard procedures. For corporate clients, though, I’ve found folks are more than willing to work with me on payment.

I don’t have that client anymore but I’ve come to understand the payment habits of my regular customers. Most pay me within a week of my invoicing and I initiate a PayPal payment request the minute I send them the finished work so there’s no confusion. I also follow up as soon as they’re later than usual to find out why. Some do pay by e-check and that can take a long time to clear depending on where they are.

I think that the regularly paid gigs can be nice. Too often I am waiting with bated breath for payments to arrive and sometimes (like around holidays) there can be delays. This year I had two clients bounce e-checks before going away on holidays and a few others closed down for a few weeks. Alot of the work I billed in late December is yet to be paid to it’s a tricky juggling act sometimes.

This year it’s my goal to get some better paying gigs so I’m prepared for a rainy day and doing better than working paypal notification to paypal notification

My experience – my husband is union and was offered a wicked rate on his card, 13.9 for life. A couple months back, he used it so I paid it 5 days before the due date sending the check in via the mail because the company (CitiGroup) will not take online payments unless you have a checking account with their bank, which I don’t. I got a call from them the day after the payment was due stating we hadn’t sent payment so they wanted payment immediately and had charged a $45 late fee. I’d sent the bill, had a copy of the duplicate with the date. When I told her the check number and date I’d mailed it, her response was that it can sit on their desks for up to 10 days to be processed and that if I’d read the fine print, I’d see that they state it can take up to 10 days to process payments that are mailed.

In the end, I made a second payment just in case over the phone. That same day, my check cleared, so they got two payments and then after cancelling that account, they took sixty days to return the money they owed us.

I am very ANTI credit card companies and their policies.

Mariella- He’s game for a raise AND said he’d pay me however, whenever I like. Love this client.

James- I do a lot of web content. Several blogs, one was monthly until last night The others are monthly. One content job I do occasionally to help out a friend is every two weeks. For single gigs I pick up from here or other places like CL, I ask for payment as soon as the job is finished. Most of the time I don’t have to ask.

@James> I have clients who’ll pay as soon as I ask them, too. I had one who insisted I be paid weekly instead of bi-weekly and another who paid me even before I sent an invoice.

But if it’s still possible to ask for bi-weekly or weekly payments instead of monthly, I talk to my clients about it. I have a sister I’m sending to university and a big house I need to maintain. Although I do have more than enough, it still makes me feel better if what I spend comes from my monthly earnings instead of from my savings.

“No, honey, we can’t by [insert overpriced, overpackaged, latest, loudest, brightest, largest gizmo at kids' eye-level on store shelves. It probably shakes and plays music, too.] I don’t have enough money today.” (My standard substitution for a flat-out no.)

“DAdeeeee… Yes, you do! You have LOTS of pretty cards!”

To handle “suprise” bills you mention, I find it helpful to use a credit card where possible, because it gives me 30 days to come up with the money. However, one has to be disciplined to do this to avoid excessive interest charges. I have a daughter who makes a beeline for the store every time she has money. All credit card offers to her get shredded immediately.

Maybe I should have said credit-related blogs. Habit to call everything an article.

Thanks for the comment. By the way, I went to your site and noticed the credit related articles. You may want to add one about a lot of the “credit-fixing/curing” scams that are out there. (Among my clients is a collections industry publication).

Though I have a couple of clients who pay monthly, others tend to pay 30 days after completion of work, which I have found to be fairly standard among a wide variety of clients.

Main difference is if policy is to pay on certain date of the month, like the 15th. If invoice arrives on the 16th, then it’s closer to 60 days. That’s why it’s important to know client payment policies.

By the way, these are all U.S. clients. A one-project Canadian client took much longer (problem of client, not country of location). I’m doing my first project for a Brazilian client, so we’ll see how that goes.

I also have a few print clients that pay on publication. Typically, I know publication date and plan accoredingly. A few times items have been held, but this client has paid more than $20,000 over the last six years, so waiting an extra month for a $650 payment is something I’ll handle.

This brings up another point that it’s good to have a mix of clients and payments policies to keep cash flow on an even basis.

I also pay myself monthly. I find it easier for bookkeeping purposes (I do my own).

Another company was paying me bi-weekly but they sold and there are a number of their writers still waiting on payments that have been sworn will be in our Paypal acct. tomorrow. Through them I’ve learned that even the most respected companies can become deadbeats.

I also work for a dept. of tourism who pays me for ever dozen articles, so that payment comes usually bi-weekly.

Then I have another client who pays half before the articles are written.

I’m not sure I could handle monthly payments myself. While we have our regular bills, there are also those surprises (car repairs, home repairs, unexpected fuel deliveries) that pop up and require immediate payments. I prefer to have enough work spread out so that I’m bringing in money on a weekly basis.

Laura is correct you can receive quick turnaround from higher paying gigs. I do.

Bank charges here are also very steep. I pay more than $10 (R84 to be exact) in foreign exchange fees per transaction regardless of the size of the cheque – so it’s worthwhile to do one transaction per month.

I have one client out of many who pays once a month. Everyone else is on “job’s done; job’s paid” (a common saying in Quebec). I have exactly two clients who request invoices; the rest thank me and deposit payment within three days.

Waiting for pay longer than 7 days makes me twitchy. Very twitchy, especially with webmasters. Very large corporations or magazines don’t bother me as much – they seem to have standard 1/15 or once-a-month billing.

But anyone else? No waiting. Sorry.

I also don’t work without a deposit or retainer. If I’m expected to have faith I’ll be paid, I think it’s only fair the client have faith that I’ll produce the work. A 50/50 arrangement is a show of faith on both sides.

So I’m curious – who’s doing web content and who isn’t, out of all the monthly billers/receivers?

Of course, not all gigs with quick turnaround are low paying. I was fortunate enough to land a client recently that pays me weekly AND pays reasonable rates. Another client pays me within two weeks by snail mail. Their check always arrives on time.

As long as the client is consistent and I know that I am going to get paid, I can budget for it.

@latoya- I need to increase my earnings to have spending money left after bills!

@Phil- You’re my hero, I’m only a ‘hundredaire’ right now.