Sending and following up invoices: how to get paid faster

Making an invoice is step one. But you only get paid once you also send it and follow up. Many freelancers leave money on the table here: invoices that go out too late, or clients who forget to pay without you noticing.

Here's how to do this well, simply.

Step 1 — Send your invoice right away

The sooner your invoice reaches your client, the sooner you get paid. So send your invoice as soon as possible after the work, not weeks later. Send it by email, so it arrives immediately and you have proof you sent it.

Step 2 — Set a clear payment term

Put on your invoice how many days you want to be paid within, for example 14 or 30 days. A clear term makes following up easier: once the term has passed, you may send a reminder.

Step 3 — Track what's still open

This is where it often goes wrong. You need to know which invoices are paid and which aren't. Do it from memory and you'll always forget one. Keep an overview of open and paid invoices.

Step 4 — Follow up kindly but on time

Has the payment term passed? Send a friendly reminder. Often it's simply forgotten. If payment still doesn't come, send a second reminder with a new term.

How BoekBrug does the work for you

In BoekBrug you make an invoice and send it straight by email. Upload your bank statement and BoekBrug matches the payments to your invoices — so you see, in one overview, which invoices are paid and which are still open. No more guessing who gets a reminder.

Together with making and scanning invoices, this keeps your whole invoice flow under control.

Start by making a neat invoice below — free and no account.