How to Get Paid Faster as a Contractor: 5 Systems That Work
Why Contractors Get Paid Slowly
The customer forgot. The invoice landed between a Costco coupon and a school newsletter. Paying is inconvenient. They'd have to find a checkbook or call your office. There's a dispute. Something about the job. They're strapped. Less common than you think.
The vast majority of slow payments are caused by forgetting and friction. These five systems fix that.
System 1: Text-to-Pay Invoicing
If you only do one thing from this list, do this. Job complete → customer gets a text with the amount and a link → they tap "Pay" → done. Fifteen seconds.
Compare to: generate invoice, email PDF, customer can't read it on phone, decides to deal with it later, forgets, you follow up a week later, they pay on day 22.
NexJob sends the invoice link via SMS the moment you mark a job complete. Customer pays with a tap — credit card, debit, or ACH. QuickBooks syncs automatically.
If your average days-to-payment is over 14, text-to-pay alone will likely cut it to under 3.
System 2: Automated Payment Follow-Ups
- Day 3: Friendly reminder text with payment link
- Day 7: Second reminder, slightly more direct
- Day 14: Final automated notice mentioning late fee
- Day 14+: Human follow-up via phone
NexJob automates this entire sequence. Set intervals and templates once, every overdue invoice gets the treatment automatically.
System 3: Collect Deposits Upfront
For jobs over $500–$1,000: 50/50 (half at booking, half at completion), thirds (booking/midpoint/completion), or materials plus (full materials upfront, labor at completion). Make it standard on every quote.
System 4: Clear Payment Terms on Every Document
Every quote and invoice should state: when payment is due, accepted methods, late fee policy, and deposit requirements. When terms are on the approved quote, you've established agreement before work starts.
System 5: Sync Everything to Accounting Software
NexJob's QuickBooks sync pushes invoices and payments automatically. Tech taps "Job Complete" → invoice fires via text-to-pay → customer pays → QuickBooks updates. Nobody types anything twice.
What This Actually Looks Like
200 jobs/month at $400 average = $80,000 revenue. Traditional invoicing: 25 days-to-payment, $66,000 outstanding. With text-to-pay: 3 days-to-payment, $8,000 outstanding. You just freed up $58,000 in working capital.
Ready to stop chasing payments? Try NexJob free at nexjob.app. Set up text-to-pay in ten minutes and watch what happens to your cash flow.
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