Recently, one of my copywriting students asked me if she should be charging her copywriting clients upfront and, if so, whether she should be charging the full amount, 50%, or another percentage.
Here’s the thing: I suspect the copywriters that have their clients pay upfront comes from a fear that the client isn’t going to pay them at all and getting some of their fee is better than getting none of their fee.
And, in my 20+ years of writing copy, I’ve never had a client fail to pay me. Sure, I’ve had some clients that were slow to pay me, but that usually was more of an innocent mistake than some desire to deny me my due funds. (And IF that should ever happen, here’s your game plan to handle it.)
That said, it’s your business! So, here are some things to consider.
Invoicing Once the Project Wraps
Personally, I prefer to have my clients pay me after the project has been delivered and they’re perfectly happy—and that’s what I recommend to my students, as well. I think it shows confidence in your skill and confidence in the fact that your client will be thrilled with what you deliver.
I think, too, that for newer writers, it’s better to charge only after the project is delivered since they’re a little more “untested.” In a way, it’s a risk for a client to hire them, and only asking for payment once the project has been delivered and the client is perfectly happy is a good way to help take that risk off a client’s shoulders. Asking them to hire a less seasoned writer and to pay upfront for the services from that less seasoned writer may be too much risk for many clients to take.
Just like you’re concerned of a client not paying you, clients may worry that you’re not going to deliver your copy. Trust goes both ways!
Invoice Upon Delivery of Work if You’ve Worked with a Client Before
Of course, if you’ve worked with a client before and didn’t charge up front, then I’d strongly recommend you keep invoicing upon delivery of work. If you suddenly decide to start charging upfront, that may leave your clients wondering what happened to the trust built in your relationship.
Charging Copy Clients Upfront
If you’re going to charge copywriting clients up front, consider what makes sense for the situation. If, for example, you’re taking on a project that is going to take 2 months of your time, then you may consider something like a 50% deposit with the other 50% due upon the project’s completion.
If your gut is telling you to charge all upfront, you’re welcome to test it out. However, from a client’s perspective, it is easier to get me to say “yes” to hiring someone if I have to pay only once I get the promised deliverables.
Of course, the bigger the project, the more clients want to ensure they’re getting the value for which they paid. Consider what is the best win-win situation for you and your client, especially if you really don’t want to walk away from the project.
How to Charge Repeat Clients
You can, of course, continue to invoice your client the same way you always have. But, if you do significant amounts of work with a client, you may decide that on your second (or whatever number project) that you’ve build some rapport and invoicing upon delivery of work is something you’re comfortable with.
It’s Not a One-Size-Fits-All Solution
Many copywriters think of their processes in black and white. But so much of successfully running a freelance business depends on knowing when to flex certain policies and when to hold back.
For example, if you’re working with a major corporation, chances are, they have a system for billing (and they’re likely good for the money). Other clients may not have a system set up for billing. And you may not have as much trust that they’re good for the payment.
You are 100% within your rights to charge some clients up front for work and invoice others only after you’ve completed the project. As Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students know, you need a system for tracking invoices. If you have that, it’s easy to know where each clients stands.
Your turn! Do you (or would you) charge a client upfront? If you were client, how would you feel about that? Why? Let us know in the comments below!
Last Updated on October 13, 2023
I’ve been in an industry where payment on the 20th of the following month is the norm. So being paid upon completion feels like heaven to me. I’m happy with that!
Hi Mike,
Agreed! Plus, it feels great to get that nice, big check from a thoroughly delighted client. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I did not even think about the fact that it would be far more convenient for the client to pay all at one time rather than paying in two separate installments. It is reassuring to read that clients have always paid you.
Hi Susan,
Yep! It’s really not usually a problem. I understand people being concerned about it but, by and large, clients are nice people who do want to pay you. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I’ve been doing this a while and I have to say that charging upfront is fine, depending on the business and your experience level. With most start-ups, 50 % upfront and 50% at the end is the norm. With established businesses, they often appreciate an upfront discount of 10%. Also, Square has their own finance plan which many of my customers enjoy. I get paid upfront, the customer enjoys the convenience of installments for a small fee or in some cases, no fee at all. So there are some options, but my advice is to be confident, kind, and realistic about what’s best for the customer. I have a personal policy not to start work without a deposit.
Hi Katie,
Thanks for your thoughts – deposits are definitely an option. Since many readers of this site are new and aspiring copywriters, though, I don’t advise them to ask for them. As they have less experience and fewer portfolio samples to prove their skills, asking for a deposit can make the risk factor too high for some clients. I also don’t recommend offering discounts on quotes, since it can give the impression that quotes are arbitrary. For example, if a service owner can give me 10% off just for making a payment upfront, I’m going to assume that there’s much more room for negotiation—or I’m going to wonder if the regular rate is inflated by 10%! Either way, it’s important to be careful since those aren’t really the impressions one wants to give a client.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I have done journalism on the side for years, and you are generally paid upon publication and after requested edits, sometimes more than one round. If the story doesn’t publish, you get a kill fee that is specified in the contract. Each article has a contract. I have had articles delayed, but never not published at all. That being said, I did get stiffed twice during the Great Recession from smaller publications that were not suffering financially. My articles were published, I was never paid. I stopped writing for them. I made an attempt to get paid and then gave up as life is too short.
Hi Sasha,
I so sorry you experienced that, but I think it’s also in line with the very wrong but very real low value/pay-level of writers other than copywriters. It’s most definitely not okay, but it’s become the lay of the land. It’ll be interesting to see how the journalism industry continues to develop and evolve.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Thank you for this article! I’ve just started a copywriting course and I’m helping my friends who are business owners with their launches. Payment upon delivery is a much better low-risk way, and low risk/convenience is always one of the triggers that get prospects to make the decision to say yes.
I was wondering how to help my friends who don’t necessarily have a budget set aside for these services, and I stumbled on this article.
Great advice!
Hi Ketsia,
I’m so glad you found this helpful!
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki