What do you think about 'Pay First before Your Order'?

Hello,

I just want to ask your opinions that concerns freelancers.
I have been in the field for quite sometime already and I've experienced that there were some that I know who weren't paid for their hard work.
Let's just say that there are clients out there who asks for your service, you write for them and your client disappears leaving your efforts unpaid and your precious time wasted.

This led me to think that freelancers should do something to prevent this. Aside from joining on trusted freelance sites, don't you think that it is better if freelancers would ask their clients to pay first before they order?

 

I follow a strategy of shared risk. Since the client approached me to do something for them, I require them to pay 50% of my fee up front - the risk begins on their side. At the half-way point, the risk flips over to me in that I don't require the remaining 50% to be paid until final delivery and acceptance.

 

I like 50/50 as well but its hard to get clients to agree unless you have a reputation.
On DP i always check their iTrader etc - though this sometimes isn't a real indication tbh. If the iTrader is a lot lower than mine I ask for some payment upfront.
However that said I have been burned a few times and normally try and judge charachter as much as possible befor deciding on a payment plan.

 

I've not really had anyone balk at 50/50. If you simply state that this is how you deal with all new clients, you'll find honest folks generally don't have any issues. If they refuse, I pass on working with them. I don't care what their iTrader or reputation is. Until they establish a relationship with me, everyone's expected to pay half up front.

The one time I broke my own rule because it was a huge company that could lead to tons of work - they stiffed me. Fortunately, as far as I know, they never used the stuff they didn't pay for. They lured writers to work on their newsletter and then asked them to do far more expensive work on a 'trial basis'. They went through writers like disposable napkins. They used my "newsletter" content to launch a national sales campaign - I was so underpaid. sigh. live and learn.

 

50/50 is good but still be aware but that's if you have great reputation usually people will pay upfront WHOLE fee

 

I'm not really fond of asking/receiving the whole payment for the job I'm offered in advance.

This puts higher responsibility upon your shoulders, as if anything urgent happens, you'd have either to transfer the money back, or work in critical conditions, which is no good.

Therefore, when I used to work as a copywriter the deal was always 50/50.

 

I personally always secure payment upfront. I have never had a client be uneasy with it.

 

It really depends on a number of things for me. If the amount owed is less than $100 then the amount has to be paid in full. If it's more than 50% payments are perfectly fine. From the first day I started this job I never worked for free. On guru.com it's different however because of the system it's still the same thing.. get paid then do the work.

 

I take 100% at the time of completion,but b4 completion,i only show the demo of my work ,not actually handover the works !

 

the safest thing i believe is to do a 50/50 transaction. Since they approached you to do something for them, ask for a 50% upfront fee. You will then know who are the paying clients and who are not.

 

You could try a "watermark" type of thing or preview before you turn over the whole project. For example a writing assignment. I would find the 50/50 payment reasonable. My sales are for sponsored postings so if they don't pay their link is simply removed a long with their benefit for the project.

 

the best in my opinions is have 5-6 milestones..make payment as as you get the service delivered.

 

50/50 is a good idea... But if you have a good history with the person it might not be a necessary safeguard.

 

I agree, if the partnership has been mutually rewarding, you shouldn't worry much about the results as far as a certain piece of job is concerned

 

Requiring up front payment could be one of the best strategies out there but not all clients fall into it. That's why talking to clients via Skype, Gtalk, YM, etc., is very important. While the client interviews me, I also ask several questions about his business or any related topic. That way we can both build trust.

I introduce myself, the real me, of course and ask about my client's. It is in conversation you can build friends. Clients who don't want that, or those who pretend to be busy all of the time and don't want to spend few minutes conversing with you are often the ones who spam most of their writers. So beware of that.

I do this on every time someone PMs me and luckily, 2 of my clients send project every week for two years now. I guess trust was built the first we talked.

 

I haven't had any problems getting paid thankfully. I am hesitant however to work with someone new here on DP who has 0 feedback. Then it's 50% up front or no deal. If they're on the up-and-up, they shouldn't balk at that.

 

I'm also accustomed to communicating with my partners in Skype, but if a potential partner is seeking my attention I'm a bit cautious about adding him/her on Skype at once

 

It's pretty much a matter of instinct for me. Quite often I work without any down payment at all. Didn't get at the wrong end of a bargain in quite some time this way. I must either be very lucky or my instinct works.

 

I think both factors work well in your case (your instincts, or intuition and your luck)

 

[h=3]1. Choose Your Clients Wisely[/h]Here are a couple of red flags to watch out for:

• The client asks for free samples of your work.
• The client keeps insisting on lowering your rates.
• The client won’t pay unless you submit the work 100%
• The client is poor with communication and availability.
• The client is very vague with his instructions. He might not have any business goals in mind after all.
• The client is very strict with how many hours you bill, micromanages everything you do, and constantly makes you revise your work for no pay.

I suggest bailing out if the client seems to fall under at least 2-3 of these bad signs. Better safe than sorry, if you ask me.

[h=3]2. Secure Your Project with a Contract[/h]The first step is prevention, and one way of preventing the possibility of your client stealing your work without pay is to secure a contract.
For freelancers who work with clients located in their area, this shouldn’t be too difficult to do. Drafting and getting your potential client to sign under certain terms of agreement will not only clarify each other’s roles and responsibilities, but it’ll also serve as a mediator whenever a conflict or issue arises during the project.
For freelancers who work with clients who are a thousand miles away, emails and conversations over Skype can already serve as your proof or contract. If your client becomes uncooperative, you can show him the emails you exchanged and point to where he is violating what was agreed upon.
Another option is to create a contract that can be signed with an electronic signature. This is basically a business solution that allows you to create, send, and sign documents using an internet-connected device like a mobile phone or the browser of your computer. If your client doesn’t have a printer and scanner to print, sign, and send back your contract, you can use this option instead.

[h=3]3. Impose an Initial Deposit.[/h]Another way to ensure that you won’t get scammed again is to secure an initial deposit from the client before getting any work done.
Now this isn’t a strategy for pushovers and weaklings. Your client can outrightly refuse to give a deposit if he knows he can pull your strings easily. So be firm when asking for upfront payment. 20% to 50% is perfectly okay if you’re confident with your skills and abilities to get the job done.
Here’s an important tip: Start including upfront payments as part of your policies as a freelancer. Inform the client that it is part of your terms and conditions to receive an initial deposit before starting on the project. Almost all major services follow this rule.
If the client respects your terms and conditions, and you keep your end of the bargain, I’m sure that your project will succeed and your partnership will be a happy one.

[h=3]4. Remove the Client’s Rights to Your Work[/h]Remember when I said to secure a contract before doing any kind of work for a client? Well, a contract will only work if you know how to set rules and conditions that are applicable to your current situation.
For example, even though you mentioned in the contract or email that the client must pay upon receipt of invoice, there is always a possibility that the client will ignore that sentence. He can always get away with your work since there’s no lawyer or witness who can defend you or run after him.
So here’s what you can do: Use your portfolio as your secret weapon. In your contract/email, indicate that if the client refuses to pay the amount due or does not wish to abide by the terms of agreement, you are obliged to remove his rights to the unpaid work, and will post the unpaid project on your portfolio for the benefit of future clients.
Okay, so this strategy isn’t going to get back all the time and effort spent, but the point is that you can still keep your work if the client refuses to pay. You can use the article, logo, website theme, or application in your portfolio, and showcase it to other potential clients who are (hopefully) more cooperative and willing to pay you for quality work.

[h=3]5. Be Firm with Both Yourself and the Client[/h]None of your efforts in preventing disputes like non-payment and abuse will matter if you’re never going to get a hold of yourself. You keep saying that you’re never gonna let this happen again, but then you’re still allowing that nasty client to take advantage of you.
It’s high time that you put your foot down on this matter. Be firm with your decisions to require upfront payments and contracts. Be firm with how much you charge and how much you’re willing to work for the client. And most importantly, do not be afraid of losing this client or this opportunity, because in the end, you might just be wasting your time and energy on a person that doesn’t really care about how well you write or how awesome your logos or designs are.
There are still plenty of good clients and projects out there waiting for a talented and hardworking freelancer like you, so don’t give up. Even if you get burned once or twice by a client dispute before, what’s important is that you’ve learned your lesson and are much more careful this time around.