TradeflareTradeFlare Blog › Contractor Late Payments: How to Stop Chasing Invoices
TradeFlare BlogContractor Late Payments: How to Stop Chasing Invoices
Contractor late payments are rarely about customers who refuse to pay. Most of the time the invoice went out late, the terms weren't clear, or paying took effort. Fix those three things and most of the chasing goes away.
Set payment terms when the job is booked
Tell the customer how and when they'll pay before you ever show up: "Payment is due when the job is done. We take cards and bank transfer." Put it in the booking confirmation. When the bill arrives, it matches what they were told.
Invoice on site, not from the kitchen table
Every hour between finishing the job and sending the invoice makes it easier to ignore. Create the invoice before you pack up, walk the customer through it and collect then. Doing invoices on Sunday night is how they end up paid in a month.
Make paying effortless
Customers pay faster when it takes ten seconds. Give them a link they can tap or a QR code they can scan, and let them pay by card from their phone. For bigger jobs, offer bank transfer too.
Take deposits on larger jobs
For projects with materials up front, collect a deposit when the quote is signed. Bill progress payments at clear milestones. You never carry the whole cost of the job while you wait.
Send reminders automatically and politely
Have reminders go out on a schedule when an invoice is past due: a friendly note a few days after the due date, then another a week later. Automatic reminders are consistent, and they keep you from having awkward calls.
Know who is actually paying
On rentals and property-managed homes, the person at the door may not be the one paying. Confirm who gets the invoice when the job is booked, and get a purchase order number if they use them.
Escalate in steps
If an invoice stays unpaid after reminders, call. Ask whether there's a problem with the work. Often there is a small issue you can fix. If not, follow your local rules on collections and liens, which vary by state. Keep notes of every contact.
Track what's outstanding every week
Look at your unpaid invoices once a week. If one customer type, like a certain property manager, pays late every time, change their terms.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting until the end of the month to invoice.
- Accepting "I'll mail a check" without a due date.
- Letting overdue invoices sit without a reminder schedule.
- Doing more work for a customer who still owes on the last job.
Your next step this week
List every unpaid invoice older than 30 days. Send each one a polite reminder with a pay link today. Then change one habit for next week: every invoice goes out before you leave the job. Track how many unpaid invoices you have a month from now and compare. The difference is usually obvious within a few weeks.
How TradeFlare helps
Card payments on the invoice. Tap Collect payment and text a secure Stripe pay link or show a QR code; the customer pays by card or bank transfer on their own phone and the invoice flips to Paid. Payments run on your own Stripe account. TradeFlare adds no fee of its own (Stripe's standard fees apply). There's no card reader or Tap to Pay yet.
Automatic customer texts. From your verified business number: booking confirmations, appointment reminders, on-my-way texts with a live map, a where's-my-tech auto-reply, quote follow-ups, invoice reminders, maintenance reminders and after-job Google review requests. STOP replies are honored automatically.
Hear TradeFlare's own AI front desk any time at (855) 651-5075.
Video: This Is Why Contractors Wait a Week to Get Paid
Frequently asked questions
How do contractors get paid faster?
Set terms at booking, invoice before leaving the job, make card and bank payment easy, take deposits on big jobs and automate reminders.
Should I charge late fees?
Some contractors do, if it's in the written terms the customer agreed to. Check your state's rules first.
Can TradeFlare send invoice reminders?
Yes. Invoice reminders go out when an invoice is past due, and customers can pay by card or bank transfer through a Stripe pay link.