Poll: Do you charge a late-payment fee to your client(s)? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you charge a late-payment fee to your client(s)?".
This poll was originally submitted by humbird. View the poll results »
| | | | | I wish this were possible | Apr 16, 2011 |
This is hardly possible here in Russia. Sometimes they don't pay and I have to grin and bear it, just don't work with such clients anymore. Select those who pay well and on time.
| | | | Dinny 
Greece
Local time: 01:39
Italian to Danish
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| I just skip them! | Apr 16, 2011 |
I don't charge a fee for late payment. I might send a friendly reminder, but if payments tend to be late every time, I just don't work with that client anymore. And I make sure to tell them why, when I get their next request.
They expect my to respect my deadline, don't they?
Well, it goes both ways!
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2009)
English to German
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Dinny wrote: I don't charge a fee for late payment. I might send a friendly reminder, but if payments tend to be late every time, I just don't work with that client anymore. And I make sure to tell them why, when I get their next request. They expect my to respect my deadline, don't they? Well, it goes both ways!
I must agree with you, Dinny. Terms work both ways.
However, and here it comes, if payment is late once, even twice, the reminder is being send. If the client can provide credible reasons for the late payment, e.g. technical problems or - perhaps a little far fetched in most countries, but valid in some - riots, earthquakes etc. then I'll give them another chance, actually a few chances.
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Manuela Junghans
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2004)
English to German
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But thanks for reminding me.
I´ve got one particular client, who always has the tightest deadlines (apart from the worst rates) and always pays at least 3 weeks late, and also only after several reminders.
I would be curious to hear other´s opinions as to what percentage would be acceptable as a surcharge. I was thinking somewhere in the range of 5%-10%?
Manuela
[Edited at 2011-04-16 12:20 GMT]
| | | | R. Alex Jenkins
Brazil
Local time: 19:39
Member (2006)
Portuguese to English
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Dinny wrote: I don't charge a fee for late payment. I might send a friendly reminder, but if payments tend to be late every time, I just don't work with that client anymore. And I make sure to tell them why, when I get their next request. They expect my to respect my deadline, don't they? Well, it goes both ways!
I tend to lose respect for that client and feel relunctant to work for them again in the future, but I have never charged 'extra' or 'interest' for late payment.
| | | | | There are official guidelines for this | Apr 16, 2011 |
Manuela Junghans wrote:
I would be curious to hear other´s opinions as to what percentage would be acceptable as a surcharge. I was thinking somewhere in the range of 5%-10%?
Manuela
[Edited at 2011-04-16 12:20 GMT]
See: http://payontime.co.uk/
This site has a statutory interest calculator - current rate 8.5% (UK). On top of this, it will tell you how much you can (should) charge in form of an admin fee.
Size of the unpaid debt Amount to be paid to the creditor
Up to £999.99 £40
£1,000 - £9,999.99 £70
£10,000 and above £100
Similar guidelines exist for other EU countries.
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I ask for 60 day payment, which is largely sufficient. When a client has not paid for 90 days, I tell them that I will start charging interest the next month, I usually get the check soon after.
I did get situations where payment took 6 months, and it was eventually paid with the late fee penalties.
And yes, in all those cases, I don't work for those clients anymore. If they do however approach me again, I will tell them that I need payment up front.
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Manuela Junghans
Germany
Local time: 00:39
Member (2004)
English to German
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| Thanks Hermann | Apr 16, 2011 |
I will have a look at those and will apply it to the next invoice of those notoriously late paying clients.
Whether that will change anything remains to be seen.
Otherwise I totally agree with what others have said. I just loose interest in working for those people, and will replace them with better and earlier paying clients...
Have a nice weekend everyone
Manuela
| | | | Ahmet Murati
Germany
Local time: 00:39
English to Albanian
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| I did worked with Russian companies | Apr 16, 2011 |
and in terms of payment in the invoice I stated based on mutual agreement that the payment will be done after 90 days after the invoice is received. Every time that I had to collect the money on 90 day the payment was in my bank account.
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That's a lot of time... How are You dealing with Your taxes?
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