4 Tips To Get Your Small Business Paid Faster

This article was paid for by Intuit QuickBooks.

When it comes to getting paid, “better late than never” is one maxim that business owners should never adopt.

According to Intuit QuickBooks’ 2025 Small Business Late Payment Report, 56% of small businesses are owed money for unpaid invoices. The average past-due amount clocks in at a whopping $17,500.

Close to half (47%) of those surveyed said they have invoices that are more than 30 days overdue. 

It’s an issue with real implications: Business owners in the QuickBooks survey who were owed money reported cash flow issues and an overreliance on credit cards to pay their own expenses.

The best way to avoid this particular bind? Revamp your invoicing strategy with these four tips.

Your invoice should be standardized and easy to read. Highlight key information — especially the amount owed, the date payment is due, and the options for remittance. List the products or services rendered with clearly stated quantities, dates, rates and applicable taxes. 

Being thorough shows you’re not hiding anything and gives customers confidence in your numbers, both of which increase the likelihood that they’ll pay promptly. 

Some customers will want to check your numbers against their own records. If your invoice is too vague, they might put it aside until they have time to get clarification.

For added convenience, embed direct payment links in your electronic invoices and set yourself up to accept multiple payment types, such as ACH bank transfers, credit cards and digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Always invoice immediately so funds hit your bank account as soon as possible. Customers can’t pay invoices you haven’t sent.

Nobody wants to lose a customer, even one who isn’t great about paying their bills. But allowing a client to pay late with no consequences sends the message that being on time isn’t important.

When working with a new client, clearly explain the penalty for late payment and make sure it’s spelled out in the contract. It could be a flat fee or a set percentage of the total balance, imposed immediately or after a brief grace period (say, three days).

Be sure to check state and local laws regarding late fees to ensure you’re compliant.

While it’s common practice, a net-30 invoicing schedule gives your customers an entire month to forget about their balance. Shorter payment terms are more likely to yield results and are especially warranted if you provide goods more than once a month or offer standalone services, such as plumbing or commercial cleaning.

Instead of using net-30 terms, try a net-7, net-10 or net-15 payment schedule. Provide customers with their due date and remind them of your late payment policy before the deadline.

You could even consider setting immediate terms: According to the Intuit QuickBooks report, small businesses that required payment upon receipt of an invoice were 20% less likely to have to rely on loans, lines of credit and business credit cards.

To incentivize faster response, you could also consider a small discount for early payment — say, 5% off for paying within three days of receipt. For larger payments, you may want to require a deposit or even full payment up front.

Automating your invoicing process saves time and reduces the chances of mistakes on your end.

Here’s a sample workflow for a business with a net-10 invoicing schedule:

1. When it’s time to invoice, you enter or approve the details through invoicing software. Hit send and the invoice is delivered to your client’s saved email address.
2. The invoice arrives in the client’s inbox, along with a brief, automated message thanking them for their business. They can pay online immediately via a saved payment method, so the money hits your account faster.
3. If the invoice remains unpaid after five days, the software automatically sends a reminder.
4. After seven days, the software sends another note, including a reminder of the late fee that will be assessed if the invoice isn’t paid on time.
5. Upon payment, a receipt is automatically generated and emailed to the client.

Most automated invoicing systems let you adjust your workflow, so you can send reminders tailored to your industry and your contract terms.

Dog trainer Nick Angione is the owner of Hope Gables Canine in Norwalk, Connecticut. He uses QuickBooks Payments to onboard new customers and loves the system’s simplicity. After a session, Angione quickly creates an invoice in QuickBooks and emails a link to his client.

“All they have to do is click on the link,” he said. “That brings them to the invoice, and they can pay it right there.”

 The fewer steps it takes to train a dog, the higher the success rate, Angoine explains. “Invoicing is no different.”