A routine that works with any tool
- Bill by stages, not at the end. A deposit at signing, a midpoint, a final. Each bill is smaller and tied to work the client can see.
- Send the first invoice the day the estimate is signed, while the client is still excited.
- Make paying easy: say exactly how (card, Zelle, check) and where to send it. Every extra question delays the money.
- Know if the bill was opened. An unopened bill needs a text. An opened, unpaid bill needs a phone call.
- Nudge politely and early, in writing, before the due date turns into an awkward talk.
- Write down how each bill was paid. In a year you will need it for your books.
Do not chase a bill the client never saw
Many late payments are just lost emails. Before you call, check that the invoice arrived and was opened. Then your message can be short: "Did you get the invoice for the second stage?"
How it works in WorkTime CRM
When the client signs an estimate, the invoices are made from its payment plan (50/25/25 unless you set another split). You see them all in the Invoices tab: Draft, Sent, Awaiting Confirmation, Paid. The later ones stay locked until the one before is paid.
Press Send and a ready email opens. You can reword it. The Pay Invoice button, your payment steps and the PDF are added by themselves. Resend opens as a polite reminder.
Each row shows 📧 Sent and 👁 Opened with the time, and how many times the client came back. You get an alert when the bill is first opened.
Clients pay by card if you connect Stripe in Settings → Payments. Without Stripe they pay by Zelle, check or cash and upload proof. Edit what they are told in Invoice Payment Instructions. When the money arrives, press ✓ Paid and record how it was paid.
