Payment before or after job completion?

[Heatman]

How do you go about getting your payment for jobs that you work on as a freelancer? In a situation where you're not working on site that offers escrow payment services, do you have your payment received completely or half before working on any jobs or do you work and deliver the job before getting paid?

Which one have you been using over the years as a freelancer? What are the challenges you face in each one you work with?

 

[Riberet19]

Most of the time I get it once the job is done, I've never had a client refuse to pay me after the work is done, so at the moment I have no problem getting paid after the work is done, I think it's the fairest thing to the client who is hiring me.

 

[King Belieal]

For repeat clients in my freelancing space, I can do payment after delivery. For fresh clients, I prefer to be paid part payment before I start the job while carrying the client along on the progress of the job. This arrangement is my structure and I don't compromise it. I have had clients make a runner after I had delivered work and they didn't pay.

 

[Shortie]

It depends on who I am dealing with, usually, I take payment upfront as I have had issues with non-payment a few times which meant I have completed work and never been paid.

I do have clients in which I have an agreement that I complete the work and they pay after which I have never had any issues with and they are long-standing clients.

 

[Bizdustry]

I think payment after job completion is the best option from a buyers point of view, as it offers them protection.

But as a seller, you have to be wary of people not paying after they receive the service so it may be worth trying to ask them to pay half upfront and the remainder on completion.

 

[Henrywrites]

This is entirely based on trust. If I trust a client not to go away with my money, I can start the work while they pay later.

 

[Uptrendfinancialsignal]

I prefer to receive payment after job completion because I noticed that it ensures the client is satisfied with the work before I receive payment. However, for larger projects, I try to request a deposit first.