10 Red Flags a Client Won't Pay Your Invoice (Spot Them Before It's Too Late)

Chasing unpaid invoices is miserable. But you know what's worse? Realising you could have seen it coming. The warning signs were there—in the initial conversations, in the way they talked about the project, in the small things they said (or didn't say) before you started work.

Every experienced freelancer has a mental database of client red flags. It's built from painful experience: the project that went sideways, the invoice that never got paid, the client who vanished. The good news is you don't have to learn these lessons the hard way. Here are the ten most reliable warning signs that a client won't pay—and what to do when you spot them.

Prevention is always cheaper than chasing. If you're already dealing with a non-paying client, head to our invoice chasing guide. But if you're still at the "should I take this project?" stage, keep reading.

1 They Push Back on Your Contract or Terms

This is the single biggest predictor of payment problems. A client who resists signing a contract—or who wants to change your payment terms to something much more favourable to them—is telling you how this relationship will go.

Common versions of this red flag:

• "We don't usually bother with contracts for small projects"
• "Can we just use a handshake agreement? We trust each other"
• "Our legal team needs to review it" (and then it never comes back)
• "We'll sort out the paperwork after the project starts"

Legitimate businesses understand that contracts protect both parties. They have their own contracts they use with suppliers every day. If they're resisting yours, it's because they don't want to be held accountable to the terms inside it—especially the payment terms.

What to do: Make the contract non-negotiable. No signed contract, no work. Period. If they won't sign a basic agreement that says "I'll do X, you'll pay Y by Z date," they were never going to pay Y.

2 They Want to "Get Started Before the Paperwork"

This is the contract pushback's sneakier cousin. They don't refuse the contract outright—they just create urgency that makes you feel like signing can wait.

"The deadline is really tight—can you start today and we'll get the contract signed this week?" Translation: once you've started working, I have leverage, and the contract becomes optional.

Here's the truth: if a project is genuinely urgent, that's more reason to get the paperwork sorted immediately, not less. A real emergency means everyone should be aligned on scope, deliverables, and payment from the start. Manufactured urgency is a manipulation tactic.

What to do: "Happy to prioritise this—let me send over the contract now so we can both sign today and I'll start immediately." If they still resist, walk away. The urgency is a trap.

3 They Don't Ask About Your Payment Terms

Good clients treat freelancers like business partners. They care about the working relationship, including how and when you get paid. They'll ask about your rates, payment terms, and invoicing process because they plan to follow them.

When a client shows zero interest in your payment terms, it means one of two things: they assume they'll dictate the terms later, or they don't intend to pay attention to them at all. Either way, you're heading for problems.

What to do: Bring up payment terms yourself, early and clearly. "My standard terms are 50% upfront and 50% on delivery, net 14. Does that work for you?" Their reaction tells you everything.

4 The Scope Is Vague: "We'll Figure It Out as We Go"

Vague scope is the gateway to scope creep, and scope creep is the gateway to disputes, and disputes are the gateway to non-payment. It's a well-worn path.

When a client can't (or won't) clearly define what they want, several bad things happen:

• You deliver something, and they say it's not what they had in mind
• The project keeps expanding without additional payment
• When it's time to pay, they claim the work wasn't complete or satisfactory
• You have no written brief to point to as evidence of what was agreed

Vague scope isn't always malicious—some clients genuinely don't know what they want. But the outcome is the same: you do work you can't prove was agreed to, and getting paid becomes a negotiation instead of a formality.

What to do: Write the scope yourself based on your discussions. Send it as a formal brief for approval. "Here's what I understand the project includes. Please confirm this is correct before I begin." No confirmation, no work.

5 They Badmouth Their Last Freelancer

Pay close attention to how a potential client talks about people they've worked with before. "Our last designer was terrible." "The previous developer completely let us down." "We've been burned by freelancers before."

Maybe they genuinely had a bad experience. Once. But if they paint every previous freelancer as incompetent, lazy, or dishonest, the common denominator isn't the freelancers—it's the client.

This pattern usually means they have unrealistic expectations, communicate poorly, change requirements without paying for the changes, and then blame the freelancer when the project doesn't meet their (never clearly stated) vision. And when it comes to your invoice? "Well, the work wasn't what we expected, so we're not paying the full amount."

What to do: Ask specific questions. "What went wrong with the previous freelancer? What would you do differently this time?" If their answers are vague or entirely one-sided, consider this a strong warning. If they can reflect honestly on what went wrong (including their own contribution), they might be worth working with.

6 The Company Looks Newly Formed or Has No Real Web Presence

Not every new company is a risk. But a company with no website, no LinkedIn presence, no online reviews, and a Companies House registration date from last month deserves extra scrutiny.

Check the basics:

• Companies House: When were they incorporated? Have they filed accounts? Are there any CCJs against them?
• Website: Does it look legitimate, or is it a template with placeholder text?
• LinkedIn: Do the people you're dealing with have real professional histories?
• Reviews: Can you find any evidence of them working with other suppliers or freelancers?

A brand-new company with no track record isn't automatically a bad client, but they're a higher-risk one. They may not have established cash flow, they may not survive long enough to pay your invoice, and if things go wrong, there's no reputation at stake for them.

What to do: For new or unverifiable companies, run a credit check and increase your protection. Require a larger deposit (50%+), use milestone billing, and keep payment terms short. If they resist these measures, that tells you all you need to know.

7 They Keep Delaying the Deposit

You've agreed the project. The contract is signed. You've sent the deposit invoice. And then... nothing. "We're just waiting for budget approval." "Our finance person is on holiday." "Can you start and we'll send it next week?"

A deposit is a commitment signal. It separates serious clients from tyre-kickers. If a client can't (or won't) pay a deposit—the smallest, easiest payment in the whole project—what makes you think they'll pay the larger final invoice?

Every excuse for delaying the deposit is a preview of the excuses you'll hear when the final invoice is due.

What to do: Set a firm policy: work begins when the deposit clears. Not before. Communicate this clearly and without apology. "I'll block out the time in my schedule as soon as the deposit arrives. I can't hold the slot without it." If they still delay after a week, move on.

8 Communication Goes Silent After Deliverables

This one hits mid-project, not before it. You deliver work—a draft, a milestone, the final product—and the client goes quiet. No feedback. No approval. No rejection. Just silence.

Silence after delivery is one of the most common signs a client won't pay. Here's why it happens:

• They've got what they need and are hoping you'll just go away
• They're preparing to dispute the work quality to justify non-payment
• They genuinely don't have the money and are avoiding the conversation
• They've deprioritised your project and your payment with it

Whatever the reason, silence is not acceptance. Don't let weeks of silence pass without action—follow the client ghosting escalation playbook.

What to do: Follow up within 48 hours of delivery. "Just checking you've received [deliverable]. I'd love your feedback so we can move forward." If no response after two follow-ups, send the invoice anyway—you've delivered, and your payment terms start from the invoice date, not from their approval.

9 "The Cheque Is in the Post" — Endless Excuses

The invoice is overdue. You've chased. And the excuses roll in:

• "Our accounts team only processes payments on the last Friday of the month"
• "There's been a mix-up in the system—we'll sort it this week"
• "The person who approves payments is away until [always two weeks from now]"
• "We're switching payment systems and everything's delayed"
• "The payment has been sent—it should arrive any day now"

One excuse is human. Two is a pattern. Three is a strategy. Clients who intend to pay don't produce a new excuse every time you chase. They pay, or they give you a specific date and stick to it.

Serial excuse-makers are either cash-strapped and hoping the problem resolves itself, or they're deliberately stalling because they've calculated that most freelancers will eventually stop chasing.

What to do: After the second excuse, switch to writing. "I understand there have been delays. I need a confirmed payment date in writing. If payment isn't received by [specific date], I'll begin formal recovery proceedings." Then follow through. Every time. The structured chasing process ensures you escalate at the right pace.

10 They Dispute Quality After Accepting the Work

This is the most infuriating red flag because it appears at the worst possible time—after you've done all the work. The client approved the project (or used it, launched it, published it), and now that the invoice is due, suddenly the quality "wasn't what they expected."

This is a payment avoidance tactic, pure and simple. If the work was genuinely substandard, they would have raised concerns during the project, at review stages, or before deployment. Raising quality issues only after the invoice arrives is a negotiating ploy to reduce or eliminate what they owe.

What to do: This is why written approvals matter. If you have emails confirming milestone approval, sign-off on deliverables, or positive feedback during the project, these are your evidence. Respond factually: "The work was delivered as specified and approved by you on [date]. The invoice remains due." If they persist, this is where your contract's dispute resolution clause comes into play.

What to Do If You Spot These Red Flags

Spotting red flags doesn't always mean walking away. Sometimes the project is worth the risk—if you adjust your protection accordingly. Here's your decision framework:

The best time to avoid an unpaid invoice is before you send one. The second best time is to make sure you're covered when you do.

Build Your Client Vetting System

Don't rely on gut instinct alone. Build a simple checklist you run through before accepting any new client:

1. Companies House check: How old is the company? Accounts filed? Any red marks?
2. Online presence check: Real website? Real people on LinkedIn? Any reviews from other suppliers?
3. Contract reaction: Did they sign promptly, or was there resistance?
4. Deposit reaction: Paid on time, or excuses?
5. Communication quality: Are they responsive, clear, and professional?
6. Scope clarity: Can they articulate what they want?
7. Reference check: For larger projects, ask for references from other freelancers they've worked with

This takes ten minutes per client. It can save you weeks of chasing and thousands of pounds of unpaid work. Make it a habit, and the red-flag clients will filter themselves out before you write a single line of work.