Freelance payment terms: agree when and how you get paid.

Define what the client is paying for before work begins.

A payment request starts with an agreement the client can understand. “Brand identity” or “website development” does not specify every format, access permission or feedback round. The client may picture a broader handoff than the one you priced, then feel that part of the work is missing when payment becomes due.

Connect the price to an identifiable result

Describe the deliverables and their limits. Three exported graphics do not necessarily include editable working files; a website demonstration does not automatically include access to every service that hosts it. Record what the client needs to supply as well. Missing information may affect the production schedule, but it does not by itself rewrite the financial terms already accepted.

• Scope: deliverables, formats, exclusions and possible additional work.
• Amount: price, applicable tax treatment and agreed fees.
• Stages: work starting, preview delivery, feedback and final handoff.
• Decision: the person authorised to approve the work and how their response is recorded.

Keep the version that was accepted

Store the proposal, its accepted version and any later changes together. If the client adds a request, agree on its effect on price and timing before carrying it out. You can then explain a payment request by referring to a shared decision, rather than reconstructing the project across several conversations.

This also helps when a different person handles the invoice. The person reviewing the work and the person processing payment may need the same project reference, even though they perform different roles.

This is the framework you set up in Dealokr: scope, price, deliverables and revisions belong to the agreement your client signs before paying. You can connect the payment requested to an accepted version of the project, rather than leaving it in a separate conversation.

Choose upfront payment, a deposit or milestones.

No deposit percentage suits every freelance project. Duration, costs you must commit to, the project value and the commercial relationship matter more than a rule borrowed from another freelancer. Choose an arrangement you can explain before reserving your time.

Full payment before production

Full upfront payment can suit a clearly defined fixed-price project. The client needs to understand what they are buying, how they can review the result and which revision or cancellation terms apply. This arrangement still needs a clear framework: receiving a payment does not make every later discussion or dispute disappear.

A deposit followed by a balance

A deposit schedules an initial amount before work starts, with the remaining balance due at an agreed point. Write down the amounts and their relationship to the project, rather than leaving the arrangement at “30% now, the rest at the end”. The guide to freelance deposits develops the amount, request and information to settle before you proceed.

Stages for a longer project

When a project has several distinct outcomes, each stage can have a defined deliverable, amount and review step. The guide to structuring milestone payments helps you build that schedule. State what happens when one stage needs changes, so that approval of the next stage does not become an assumption.

To fund a fixed-price project from the start, Dealokr organises 100% client payment before production through Stripe Connect. The funds remain pending while you work. You can begin with confirmed client payment and an agreed review process ready for the next stage.

Turn payment terms into a precise due date.

“Payment at the end” can mean the end of production, receipt of a preview, client approval or final-file delivery. Useful terms connect an amount to a defined starting event and a date both parties can find in the project documents.

Separate dates that serve different purposes

The invoice issue date records when the document was created. The date the service was performed records a commercial event. The due date states when payment is expected. Keep the feedback window visible too, without assuming that it automatically moves the payment deadline.

A separate reference for French B2B projects

The following reference concerns the general French business-to-business framework. Without different agreed terms, the reference period is 30 days after receipt of goods or performance of the service. Agreed terms can generally extend to 60 days from invoice issue. The 45-days-end-of-month option must be expressly written into the contract and must not be abusive. Sector exceptions and particular rules, including those for periodic invoices, also exist.

“45 days end of month” has two calculation methods. Agree on the method and put the resulting date on the payment document. A review or acceptance procedure does not freely postpone the statutory limits; it must be considered alongside the contractual terms. Do not apply these French B2B figures automatically to consumer, public-sector or international work governed by other rules.

An example using thirty calendar days

Illustrative example: a service is completed and its invoice issued on 2 November 2026. The parties have agreed on payment 30 calendar days from issue. Payment is therefore due on 2 December 2026. A message to the client can repeat that specific date, the invoice reference and the amount outstanding.

If the client asks for changes, address the request and its contractual effect rather than silently replacing the due date with another vague phrase. When you accept a revised schedule, record exactly what changed and which document it updates, so the client and the person handling the invoice have the same information.

Write payment terms the client can confirm.

Payment terms become useful when they explain what each person needs to do next. A short document can still identify the price, schedule and handoff. The wording below brings together operational points to adapt; it does not replace a complete contract or the mandatory information required on an invoice.

A starting point to complete before sending

The project covers [deliverables and formats], with [number] feedback rounds included. Excluded items are [exclusions].

The agreed price is [amount and applicable tax treatment]. Payment is [amount] on [date or precisely defined event], followed by [amount] no later than [date].

Production starts once [starting conditions]. A preview is planned for [date], with feedback requested by [date] from [authorised decision-maker].

Final files are handed over under [agreed payment, approval and release conditions]. Additional requests require agreement on their scope, price and timing before the work is carried out.

The agreement and invoice references are [references]. Applicable late-payment terms and mandatory invoicing information are stated in the corresponding documents.

Replace every field with a real decision

Do not send this wording with its placeholders unchanged. Choose the amounts, dates and handoff conditions, then check that the quote, agreement and invoice remain consistent. Avoid wording such as “payment after satisfaction” when neither side has defined what will be checked or how change requests will be handled.

When you need to introduce the first payment request, the deposit request message template helps you present the amount and next step calmly. The message refers back to the agreement; it should not introduce new conditions the client only discovers while trying to pay.

Before sending, read the message from the recipient’s perspective. They should be able to identify the project, find the agreed document and understand the one action you expect next.

Check the payment and organise the final handoff.

A message promising a bank transfer, a screenshot and a payment confirmed by the provider do not convey the same information. Use the relevant payment status and reference, and keep them with the project record. Clarify an amount mismatch or a payment that is still processing before treating the payment step as complete.

Separate payment, transfer and bank arrival

With a provider such as Stripe, a successful payment may be followed by a period before the funds are available for a bank payout. A Connect transfer to a connected account and a payout to a bank are also different operations. The account’s payout schedule and bank processing affect when the money is available in practice.

Present the client payment status, any delivery approval, transfer initiation and confirmation, and bank arrival as separate events. A transfer confirmation should not be described as a promise that the money has arrived instantly in the freelancer’s bank account.

Give the client a real opportunity to review

The client needs to compare the work with the accepted scope. Prepare a suitable preview, identify its version and agree on a feedback channel. Distinguish final exports, editable source files, the code repository and external access. Their handoff depends on the agreement, and the same link may not mean the same thing to both parties.

In Dealokr, you share a preview the client can inspect or request revisions to under the agreement. Following approval or the applicable review conditions, you trigger the transfer. Its confirmation unlocks final files hosted in the project, so you can show the result for review while organising the final handoff. The bank payout then follows Stripe’s schedule.

Keep the accepted agreement, payment information, versions presented and client responses together. The record helps explain a decision; it does not remove contractual responsibilities or the possibility of a dispute. For external links, also check which access permissions are actually controlled by the service hosting the files.

Start with the facts before following up.

Once a deadline passes, check the relevant document first: reference, amount, due date and any payment already received. A missing invoice, an incorrect contact and missing payment details require a different response from a disagreement about the work itself.

Ask for a specific next action

A useful follow-up repeats the facts and asks a question the recipient can answer: “Invoice [reference], for [amount], was due on [date]. Could you confirm its payment date, or let me know what is preventing it from being processed?” Keep the message and response with the agreement and project documents, then address any objections separately.

Under the applicable French B2B late-payment regime, late payment can trigger interest and a fixed €40 recovery fee. Interest may become due without a prior reminder, and the correct rate and conditions must be stated in the relevant documents. The fixed recovery fee is not a new amount to add every day. Verify the applicable information rather than copying a percentage from an old template.

Keep a usable record if the situation continues

If payment still does not arrive, or the debt is disputed, the guide to handling an unpaid freelance invoice explains how to prepare the record and consider the next steps. It provides a more detailed route from a payment reminder to a recovery process, while distinguishing a missing payment from a contested claim.