Key points
- Agree the deposit and payment terms in the quote, before the work starts.
- Invoice on the day the job finishes, from your phone if you can.
- Use a real due date, not “net 14”.
- Make paying easy: bank details on the invoice, and a card option if you can take one.
- Remind early, politely and on a schedule.
Agree terms before you start
The best time to talk about money is before you have done the work. Put the deposit, any progress payments and the due date for the balance in the quote, so the invoice holds no surprises. On longer jobs, progress payments at set stages keep cash coming in and keep the final bill smaller. If you do residential building work, check your state’s rules on deposits and contracts first; our guide to writing a quote covers the NSW limits.
Invoice on the day
The clock on payment only starts when the invoice arrives. An invoice sent from the driveway on the day the job finishes lands while the client can still see the new work and remembers agreeing to the price. One sent at the end of the month arrives with everyone else’s bills. If you quoted the job, turn the quote into the invoice and adjust anything that changed, rather than starting again.
Use a real due date
Write “Due 24 November 2026”, not “Net 14” or “Terms: 14 days”. A date is easy to put in a diary and hard to misread, and it gives you a clear day to follow up from. Keep your terms short and the same for every client, so nobody has to ask.
Make paying easy
Every extra step is a reason to put it off. Put your account name, BSB and account number, or your PayID, on every invoice, with the invoice number to use as the payment reference. If you can take cards, a pay now link lets the client pay from the invoice on their phone. Card payments cost you a processing fee, so weigh that against being paid sooner.
Make the invoice easy to approve
Someone has to check your invoice before they pay it, sometimes a person who never met you. Make that easy: the job address, what you did, the quote number it relates to, the total with GST shown, and the due date. If you are registered for GST, make it a valid tax invoice; a business client needs one to claim its GST credits. See tax invoice requirements.
Put extras in writing
If the client asks for more work halfway through, price it and get a yes in writing before you start, even if it is only a text message. Then add it to the invoice as its own line. A surprise extra on the final bill is one of the easiest ways to have an invoice queried, and a queried invoice is a late invoice.
For business clients, ask early how their accounts team pays: some pay suppliers on set days or need a purchase order number on the invoice. Knowing that before you invoice saves a round of emails later.
Remind on a schedule
Most overdue invoices have simply slipped down an inbox, and a polite reminder sorts out most of them. Send reminders on a schedule rather than when you get annoyed:
- A few days before the due date: a friendly heads-up with the invoice attached.
- The day after the due date: a short note that it is now overdue.
- A week later: a firmer note, then a phone call.
“Hi Sam, a quick reminder that invoice INV-0042 for A$525.80 is due on 24 November. The invoice is attached and the payment details are at the bottom. Thanks, Alex.”
Use statements for regular clients
For builders, property managers and other clients who send you regular work, a monthly statement lists every open invoice in one place. It is easier for their accounts team to pay in one go, and it shows you who is falling behind.
Keep your records current
Record each payment as it lands. Then you chase only what is really owed, and you never send a reminder for an invoice that was paid last week, which is a quick way to annoy a good client.
When an invoice stays unpaid
If reminders and a phone call do not work, put it in writing: a letter that sets out the amount, the invoice number, the original due date and a final date for payment. If you work in building and construction, your state’s security of payment laws may give you extra ways to recover progress payments, and each state has its own process for small claims. Check the rules where you work, or get advice, before you go further.
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. See our disclaimer.