Payment Terms for Freelancers: 7, 14, or 30 Days — What Is Fair?

The other day in our freelance Slack channel:

I asked the group how they handle payment terms. The reason was a new contract with net 30 payment terms — not exactly my favorite, especially with a brand-new client. Back in college, I sometimes managed to get 7-day terms through, simply because I couldn’t afford to wait forever for my money. These days I’m a bit more relaxed about it — but the question remains: Are 30 days actually fair?

30 Days? It’s the Standard — but Not the Ideal

A lot of people in the community agreed: net 30 has become the standard. “I usually try for 14, but I’m okay with 30,” someone wrote. Another said: “30 days isn’t ideal, but it’s normal.”

Sure, nobody’s thrilled about it, but you deal with it. Some even said their clients often pay earlier — even when the invoice says 30 days. That sounds nice, but it also shows: what’s on paper doesn’t always mean much.

The Catch: When 30 Days Aren’t Taken Seriously

One comment really stuck with me: “My invoice said 30 days — they paid after 365.”

A whole year! And no, that wasn’t a bad joke. That’s how a “standard” quickly turns into a real risk. I’m currently sitting on an open invoice from last year myself — 16,000 euros. Supposedly “the budget is coming soon.” Sure, we’ll believe that … or maybe not.

Another colleague solved the problem by using factoring for new clients. Basically: you sell the invoice to a service provider who pays you right away — and then handles the collections themselves. Not cheap, but great for your sanity.

Cash Discounts, Payment Cycles, and Realism

Another point that came up often: a lot of companies don’t pay late (just) because they don’t want to — but because their processes are slow. Monthly payment runs, old-school accounting systems, internal approvals. “I honestly don’t understand how this is still the way it works in 2025 — but here we are,” someone said.

What helps? An early payment discount! One idea from the chat: “14-day payment terms with a 1% cash discount — that way everyone gets something out of it.”

I thought that was really smart. It meets both sides halfway — and makes it something you can actually negotiate around.

When Things Get Serious: Reminders, Collections, Karma

Of course, we also talked about sending payment reminders. One colleague wrote: “I sent the end client to collections — and suddenly the budget appeared out of nowhere.”

Another said that just initiating a formal dunning procedure was enough to get results — because nobody actually wants to end up in court. I can imagine.

Me? I’ll be honest, I’m a bit of a pushover on this. In my specific case, it was a company in Austria. I had this feeling that if I went hard on them, the whole business might fold. And then what? I’d be in the right, but still without my money — and with a guilty conscience on top of it.

What I’m Taking Away: Negotiate Payment Terms Deliberately

After all the opinions, stories, and tips, I’m sticking with net 30 for this project. Not because I love it — but because I’m just not in the mood to hold a gun to someone’s head right now. The economy is tight, and sometimes you need to cut people a little slack.

But: for new projects, I’m going to push harder for 14-day terms again. Or offer a cash discount. And I’m paying a lot more attention now to who pays how quickly — that absolutely factors into whether I work with a client again.

What about you? What payment terms do you have in your contracts — and how well does that actually play out in reality? Got any tips or strategies for getting paid faster?

— Khalit