How to get paid as a freelancer.

1. Write down what the client is paying for.

Before discussing payment, clarify what the client is buying: scope, deliverables, timing, delivery format, included revisions, exclusions, price, deposit, approval conditions and final-file release. Payment is easier to request when the client understands what it covers.

A common mistake is starting after a verbal agreement or a quick message. The client thinks the project has started, but neither side knows what happens if payment is late, revisions exceed the scope or source files are requested.

2. Request payment before production or by milestone.

An initial payment or deposit can suit a short project. For longer work, milestones often make the process clearer: scope, delivery, approval, then the next milestone. The key is to discuss payment before delivering the final value.

Useful wording: “I will start production once we have agreed on the terms and the payment provider confirms the payment status. You will then receive a preview to approve before the final files are released.”

3. Make payment status visible.

A promised bank transfer may not have arrived. A screenshot may be incomplete. An email can get lost. In a Dealokr workflow, the status supplied by the configured payment provider, such as Stripe Connect, can remain attached to the deal record.

Dealokr does not hold funds or guarantee payment. It helps organise the process around payment status, delivery, approval and the project record.

4. Deliver a preview before final files.

The client needs to check the work. Checking does not always require receiving source files, final exports, the repository, a video master or production access. A preview gives the client a real review step while keeping final release tied to the agreed terms.

5. Get explicit client approval.

Approval should be clearer than an “all good” buried in a message thread. It should show that the client has inspected the preview and the project can move to final release, correction, revision or discussion.

6. Keep a project record.

If an invoice is challenged later, the invoice is only part of the issue. You need the terms, payment status, deliveries, access history, messages, revisions and approval. Build the record early to avoid reconstructing the story afterward.