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Getting Paid Resource Center

The complete guide to getting paid — and getting paid faster.

Hand-curated guides on collections, payment terms, cash flow, and accounts receivable for small service businesses. No fluff, no theory — just what works.

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Late Payments & Collections

Recover unpaid invoices, handle late-paying customers, and escalate professionally when payment stalls.

How to Collect Unpaid Invoices (Step-by-Step)

Collect unpaid invoices by escalating in fixed steps: a polite reminder at day 1 late, a firm follow-up at day 7, a phone call at day 14, a formal demand letter at day 30, then collections or small-claims court after day 60. Document every touchpoint.

How to Handle Late Payments Without Losing Customers

Handle late payments by separating the process (firm and automatic) from the conversation (warm and personal). Send automated reminders on a fixed schedule, charge a disclosed late fee, and offer a payment plan before escalating.

Dealing With Non-Paying Customers: A Practical Guide

When a customer refuses to pay, stop chasing and start documenting. Send a formal demand letter, then choose between filing a mechanic's lien (if you did property work), hiring a collection agency, or filing in small-claims court — based on the dollar amount and your evidence.

Invoice Follow-Up Email & Text Templates (Free)

Use a four-stage template sequence: a friendly day-1 reminder, a firm 7-day past-due notice, a 14-day final notice with phone-call prompt, and a 30-day formal demand letter. Same wording for every customer keeps it professional and defensible.

Payment Terms

Net 15 vs Net 30 vs Net 60, late-fee policies, and the terms that get you paid without losing customers.

Net 15 vs Net 30 vs Net 60: Which Should You Use?

Net 15 is best for small service jobs and freelancers. Net 30 is the B2B default and what most accounting departments expect. Net 60+ is only appropriate for large enterprise customers with strong credit — and only when you can absorb the cash-flow hit.

Best Payment Terms for Small Businesses

The best payment terms for a small business are the shortest the customer will agree to in writing, with a clear late-fee clause and at least one online payment method. For most service trades that means a deposit at booking, balance due on completion, or Net 15 for repeat B2B customers.

Payment Terms Glossary for Small Businesses

A reference of the payment-term abbreviations and clauses that appear on small business invoices, written in plain English.

How to Write a Late Fee Policy That Actually Works

A workable late fee policy is 1–1.5% per month after a 5–10 day grace period, disclosed in writing on every estimate and invoice. It must be agreed to before the work, not added after the fact.

Faster Payment

Tactics, payment-method choices, and process changes that pull money in days or weeks faster.

How to Get Paid Faster: 10 Tactics That Work

Get paid faster by removing friction (online payment link on every invoice), shortening terms (Net 15 instead of Net 30), collecting deposits upfront, and automating reminders. The combined effect typically cuts days-sales-outstanding by half.

How to Get Customers to Pay Invoices on Time

Customers pay on time when paying is easier than not paying. Set short, clear terms; send the invoice the day the work is done; include a one-click payment link; and send a friendly reminder on the due date itself.

How to Accept Online Payments as a Small Business

Most small businesses should accept cards and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) through a payment link in every invoice, and offer ACH for larger B2B invoices. Card processors typically charge 2.6–2.9% + 30¢; ACH is usually under 1%.

Deposits and Progress Billing: A Cash Flow Guide

Take a deposit on any job over a few hundred dollars; use milestone progress billing (e.g., 30/30/30/10) on any job over a few weeks long. Document each milestone with a written schedule the customer signs before work begins.

Cash Flow & AR

Working capital, accounts receivable management, DSO, and chargeback prevention.

How to Improve Cash Flow in a Small Business

Improve cash flow by speeding up receivables (deposits, online payment links, shorter terms), slowing down payables (Net 30 with suppliers, card-funded purchases), and maintaining a 60-day operating cash buffer. The U.S. Small Business Administration consistently cites cash-flow mismanagement as a top reason small businesses fail.

How to Reduce Accounts Receivable

Reduce accounts receivable by aging the balance weekly, focusing collection effort on the largest and oldest invoices first, tightening credit on chronic late-payers, and front-loading deposits on new work so less revenue sits in AR to begin with.

Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) Explained for Small Business

Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) is the average number of days between invoicing and getting paid. Calculate it as (accounts receivable ÷ total credit sales) × days in period. A healthy DSO for small service businesses is 30–40 days; under 25 is excellent.

How to Avoid Chargebacks on Customer Payments

Avoid chargebacks by getting written approval before work begins, keeping signed work orders and delivery confirmations, communicating clearly throughout the job, and matching the business name on your card statement to the name customers know. Most chargebacks come from confusion, not fraud.

Stop chasing payments.

Glo Invoice automates reminders, takes online payments, and tracks your AR — so the tactics in these guides actually happen.