Guide
How to get paid faster as a tradie
The work is done; the money is not in the bank. Most of the wait is in your control, and it comes down to a few habits.
Updated
1. Agree the terms before you start
Put your payment terms on the quote: when payment is due, how to pay, and anything about staged payments. Business.gov.au recommends setting out your accepted payment methods and when you expect payment on your quotes, invoices and contracts. A customer who accepted the terms with the quote has already agreed to them.
For homeowners, "due on completion" is common and fair. For businesses and builders, shorter terms are easier to keep track of, but whatever you choose, be consistent.
2. Invoice on the day
An invoice sent a fortnight after the job is a fortnight later in the queue. The best time to invoice is before you leave the site, while the customer is happy and the work is in front of them.
That means the job sheet, the hours and the parts need to be on the job already, not on a docket in the ute. If your crew record them on their phone as they go, the invoice is a click.
3. Make paying one tap
Every step between "I should pay that" and paid loses some customers to tomorrow. An invoice with a pay link they can open on their phone, pay by card, and be done, gets paid sooner than one with only bank details to type in.
Keep bank transfer as an option for those who prefer it, with your details clearly on the invoice. Before adding a surcharge for card payments, check the current ACCC rules on surcharging.
4. Remind, automatically
Most overdue invoices are forgotten, not refused. One polite reminder the day after the due date fixes most of them, and it is easier when you did not have to remember to send it. If that does not work, chase it properly.
5. Break big jobs into stages
On a job that runs for weeks, waiting until the end to invoice means you fund the whole job. Agree stage payments or progress claims in the contract, and invoice each one as it is reached. For building work, progress claims and retention covers how claims work. If you want a deposit on home building work, check your state rules first, as some states limit them.
6. Bill regular work on a schedule
Maintenance contracts, monthly services and hosting do not need a fresh invoice typed each time. A recurring invoice that goes out on the same day each period, with a pay link, gets paid on a rhythm your customers learn.
Why invoices get paid late
It helps to know what you are up against. Most late payments come down to a handful of reasons, and each has a fix:
- The invoice went to the wrong person. Ask who pays the bills when you book the job, not after.
- It was not clear what it was for. Describe the work in the customer's words, and refer to the quote they accepted.
- They were waiting for something: a certificate, a warranty card, a manual. Send it with the invoice.
- Paying was a hassle. A pay link on the invoice removes the excuse.
- They forgot. A reminder the day after it is due fixes most of these.
- They are unhappy with the work. Find out early, by phone, and sort it out; an unanswered complaint becomes a debt you chase for months.
Check what is owed every week
Pick a time each week, Friday afternoon works for many, to look at everything that is owed, oldest first. Ring anything more than a couple of weeks overdue. Ten minutes a week stops a small debt becoming a big one, and it shows you which customers to ask for stage payments next time.
A checklist for every job
Getting paid faster
- Payment terms on the quote
- Hours and parts recorded on the job as you go
- Customer sign-off and photos before you leave
- Invoice sent the same day, with a pay link
- A reminder set for the day after it is due
- Stage payments agreed for anything long
How the app helps
In Crewzy, the crew record time, parts, photos and sign-off on the job from their phone, offline too. Invoice this job brings the labour and parts across at your rates, and every invoice you email carries a private pay link: card through Stripe once you connect it, Pay via Xero if you use it, or bank transfer. Paid invoices go to Xero by themselves, overdue reminders go out once if you turn them on, and recurring invoices bill regular work on the day. See Getting paid online.
Sources
Official pages this guide relies on, read on 23 October 2026. Rules change; check them before you rely on anything here.