Getting paid on time
Set terms, invoice, remind and follow up so that what you are owed arrives when it is due.
6 min read
Every rupee a customer owes you is a rupee you have already earned and can't yet spend. Most late payment isn't dishonesty. It's an invoice that went out late, a due date nobody wrote down, or a reminder that was never sent. Each of those is in your hands.
Agree terms before the work, not after
The moment to set payment terms is when you agree the job, while the customer wants what you sell. Say it plainly and put it in writing — a WhatsApp message counts:
- When payment is due: on delivery, in 7 days, in 30 days
- How to pay: UPI ID, bank details
- Advance, for large or custom orders
For a large or made-to-order job, ask for part of the payment up front. It covers your materials, and it shows the customer is serious. A customer who won't pay any advance on custom work is telling you something.
Invoice the day you deliver
An invoice sent at the end of the month adds weeks to every payment. Send it the same day — a photo or PDF on WhatsApp is fine — with:
- What was delivered, and the amount
- The due date, written as a date ("due 15 November"), not "30 days"
- How to pay, with the UPI ID or account number on the invoice itself
The easier it is to pay, the sooner it happens. A customer who has to ask for your bank details has a reason to wait.
A reminder routine
Decide it once, then follow it for everybody. Being consistent is what makes it feel normal rather than personal.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| A few days before due | A friendly note: "Just a reminder, ₹X is due on [date]." |
| On the due date | "Today is the due date for invoice [no.]. UPI: [id]." |
| A week late | A phone call. Ask when, and agree a date. |
| Two weeks late | Pause further orders or credit until it is cleared. |
The usual mistake is staying silent to protect the relationship. A customer who is never reminded learns that you are the supplier they can pay last. Polite, regular reminders protect the relationship better than resentment does.
Keep one list of who owes you
One page or one sheet: customer, invoice number, amount, due date, paid date. Look at it every week. Sort it by how late each one is. Chase the oldest first — the longer money stays unpaid, the less likely it is to arrive.
Make paying easy
- A UPI QR code on the counter and on every invoice
- Your bank details printed, not given on request
- Part payments accepted on a big overdue amount — something now beats everything never
Credit is a decision, not a habit
Giving regular customers time to pay can win business, but decide it per customer:
- Start new customers on payment at delivery. Offer credit once they have paid reliably.
- Set a limit for each customer: no new order once they owe more than an amount you choose.
- If a customer is always late, the price you charge them should cover the cost of waiting.
When a payment is badly overdue
Write down what happened and when. Send one clear written message with the amount, the invoice number and a date. Most cases end there. If it doesn't, talk to a CA or lawyer about your options before giving up on the money — business customers who owe a small enterprise may have specific rules to follow, and they can tell you which apply to you.
The invoice maker below builds a GST invoice with your payment details on it, ready to send the day you deliver.