How to avoid late payment from animation clients -

Is your animation client ignoring your emails? Here’s how to avoid late payment.

Late payment from clients is the last thing a start-up animation studio needs. Chasing payment strains client relationships, losing you money in the future as well as the present profit loss. The trick to ensuring your clients pay on time is to make it easy for them. Your clients are responsible for paying promptly. On the other hand, it is your job to handle the payment process as efficiently as possible.

1. Stay polite when faced with late payment

There is nothing more frustrating than a client who’s refusing to pay on time. They’re avoiding your emails, you’re losing profit, and it feels like you and your team worked for nothing. Make sure you stay professional in all communications. Late payment can be caused by many factors, some of which may not be the client’s fault. Did they receive the invoice? Are they waiting for higher-up authorisation? Are your contact details up to date?

Letting your professionalism slip is likely to make your client less likely to pay, not more.

How to find clients as a freelance animator

2. Make your deadline clear from the start

How to avoid late payments: clear deadline

It can feel blunt and rude to bring up payment policies just as the project begins. However, making your client aware of your expectations early on is essential. A good time to highlight payment details are when quoting your client for the project. You should make your client aware of:

Price (obviously!)
How you expect that price to be paid? Is it as a lump sum, or in instalments? (see tip five)
Any pricing changes that might take place—if the project changes scope, for example.
What charges will be incurred in the case of late payment?

This leads us on to the third step…

It can feel blunt and rude to bring up payment policies just as the project begins. However, making your client aware of your expectations early on is essential. A good time to highlight payment details are when quoting your client for the project. You should make your client aware of:

Price (obviously!)
How you expect that price to be paid? Is it as a lump sum, or in instalments? (see tip five)
Any pricing changes that might take place—if the project changes scope, for example.
What charges will be incurred in the case of late payment?

This leads us on to the third step…

3. Create a late payment policy

Policy is key when negotiating payment. Without a precedent, payment deadlines can become vague. This is inefficient and unhelpful for both you and your client. Whether you’re a freelance animator or an animation studio founder, construct a detailed payment policy. How soon after delivery would you like to be paid? What extra charges might arise during production, and how will you deal with them?

After you’ve created a comprehensive payment policy, it’s time to…

4. Automate your payment process

Cut out the stress of organising payment by using an automated invoice service. On invoices, you can add a payment deadline, your client’s contact details, and your company logo. The invoice will also include a link, making it easy for your client to pay. An automated invoice system can link to your production workflow to let you know what you're owed. We recommend Xero for creating professional, easy to access invoices.

5. Send regular reminders

The most common reason for late payment is because it’s simply not a priority for your animation client. Sending your client regular reminders will help them to prioritise payment. Creating email templates for late payments will help to speed this process up. An organised, automated workflow will ensure you know exactly when a payment is late, and when to chase it up. Don’t lose your professionalism (see point 1) but do be persistent. It’s very hard for a client to forget about payment when you keep in frequent contact with them.

6. Ask for payment upfront

Asking for 50% of payment upfront is standard practice for most animation studios; consider it as a deposit. Freelance animators, especially those new to the industry, can struggle to put this into practice. Asking for an upfront sum is a good way to assess if you want to work with your client. Pushing back, refusing to pay upfront, or questioning why you need it are all red flags. Stay calm and explain that you require an upfront payment to protect your services. Point to other clients who’ve been satisfied with your services. If the client still refuses to pay, it’s likely they would not have paid you after the project was delivered.

For more tips, check out our articles on how to choose clients as an animator, and how to secure higher-paying clients.

Asking for 50% of payment upfront is standard practice for most animation studios; consider it as a deposit. Freelance animators, especially those new to the industry, can struggle to put this into practice. Asking for an upfront sum is a good way to assess if you want to work with your client. Pushing back, refusing to pay upfront, or questioning why you need it are all red flags. Stay calm and explain that you require an upfront payment to protect your services. Point to other clients who’ve been satisfied with your services. If the client still refuses to pay, it’s likely they would not have paid you after the project was delivered.

For more tips, check out our articles on how to choose clients as an animator, and how to secure higher-paying clients.

Summary: Avoiding late payment

Late payment is a particularly common problem for junior animators. As you create client connections and streamline production, you’ll develop strategies to avoid late payment. If you’re a successful animator, you’ll begin to have choice when it comes to the clients you work for. Choosing clients carefully, you can build future security for your animation services.