Poll: In 2019, the longest payment term I have agreed to was for...
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Nov 25, 2019

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "In 2019, the longest payment term I have agreed to was for...".

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neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 23:24
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Nov 25, 2019

One client will finally pay me 2 outstanding bills from November 2018 either by the end of this year, or in March/April 2020. The two invoices for some reason did not get processed in time and I didn't notice until other billing issues cropped up. The same institution has yet to pay me for a couple of bills initially issued in July this year, which i had to re-issue as they "moved the goalposts" ( = changed the billing procedure).


After working in Spain for decades, I find it
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One client will finally pay me 2 outstanding bills from November 2018 either by the end of this year, or in March/April 2020. The two invoices for some reason did not get processed in time and I didn't notice until other billing issues cropped up. The same institution has yet to pay me for a couple of bills initially issued in July this year, which i had to re-issue as they "moved the goalposts" ( = changed the billing procedure).


After working in Spain for decades, I find it quite amusing when colleagues in more, ahem, " serious" countries complain when their bills are no more than a week or so late after 30 or 60 days...
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maryblack
Paul van Zijll
 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 23:24
Member (2006)
German to English
Longer than 60 days Nov 25, 2019

I generally have a payment term of 30 days from invoicing, but have a couple of customers that pay after a couple of weeks. Most pay after 30 days, some 30 days from the end of the month, some 6 weeks after invoicing. It is a healthy mixture in my case.
I also find it funny when some complain when the payment is not made immediately, but everyone for themselves....


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 22:24
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
45-60 days Nov 25, 2019

I’ve been working regularly (every month) since 2011 with an agency which pays like clockwork at 60 days. I have 3 clients who pay after two or three days, others within one or two weeks, most after 30 days. I haven’t had a single non-payment (touch wood!) for some time…

 
Ventnai
Ventnai  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 23:24
German to English
+ ...
None agreed Nov 25, 2019

I have agreed on none this year - they are already established. Most agencies that I deal with are improving. The longest period I generally wait at the moment is a month with many paying fourteen days after they have received the invoice.

 
Nina Khmielnitzky
Nina Khmielnitzky  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 18:24
Member (2004)
English to French
Agreeing to 30... but some don't pay on time Nov 25, 2019

No matter how often I specify that my payment term is 30 days net, some clients consider it like a suggestion, just like speed limit: 100 km/h = 100-ish, meaning 120. Thus, they take 2-3 extra weeks to pay me.
Luckily, I have 3 reliable clients, one of which pays me as soon as he gets my invoice, or within a week. He's my favorite client and I always make time for him. Then I have my main client, who got me used to being paid quickly, but now is taking a bit more time, although still in th
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No matter how often I specify that my payment term is 30 days net, some clients consider it like a suggestion, just like speed limit: 100 km/h = 100-ish, meaning 120. Thus, they take 2-3 extra weeks to pay me.
Luckily, I have 3 reliable clients, one of which pays me as soon as he gets my invoice, or within a week. He's my favorite client and I always make time for him. Then I have my main client, who got me used to being paid quickly, but now is taking a bit more time, although still in the 30-day limit. But at least, they pay by ETF.
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Bernhard Sulzer
Bernhard Sulzer  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:24
English to German
+ ...
The longest payment term you agreed to ... Nov 26, 2019

... doesn't mean the longest you had to wait to get paid because the client turned out to be bad.
We all have stories about the latter.

One thing's for sure: I'm not a bank. I do business over the internet. I sell translations and must receive payment. What can you buy over the internet that you can pay for in 30, 45, 60 or whatever many days that YOU stipulate?

It's a topsy turvy world those translators live in that agree to these outrageous terms - and it's beca
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... doesn't mean the longest you had to wait to get paid because the client turned out to be bad.
We all have stories about the latter.

One thing's for sure: I'm not a bank. I do business over the internet. I sell translations and must receive payment. What can you buy over the internet that you can pay for in 30, 45, 60 or whatever many days that YOU stipulate?

It's a topsy turvy world those translators live in that agree to these outrageous terms - and it's because they think they have to. But they don't have to and they shouldn't. Despite this disappointing poll result.


Also see:

https://wiki.proz.com/wiki/index.php/Determining_your_rates_and_fees_as_a_translator#Payment_terms
But these agency standards are widely discussed and disputed among professionals. Some of them point out that a translator can provide better results when concentrating on his/her skills best, not trying to develop another business - a translator is not a bank and should be therefore not treated as a money lender. Or as a professional offering freebies. Upon negotiations with direct clients it's not uncommon to negotiate upfront payment or payment in advance - this can be a full payment in total or milestones payment when dealing with a larger text. Of course, in order to process a translation order with upfront payment accordingly, the translation client should check the business practices of the translator. Checking the feedback like the LWA entries on ProZ or the recommendations on other networking platforms can help, although - just like translators back-checking the business practices of their clients - the client should while checking not forget to take a look at the feedback granters. Reliable companies among such feedback entries might help in order to get some reassurance about the professionalism and reliability of the language service provider.

B
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Jose Paez
 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 15:24
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Two to three weeks Nov 26, 2019

After I voted, I realized that another company twice waited 45 days to pay me. With my clients, I really don't have a say in how long they take and I'd be surprised if other colleagues get to negotiate payment terms.

 
Philip Lees
Philip Lees  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 00:24
Greek to English
I don't agree, the client does Nov 26, 2019

As the service provider, I'm the one who sets the payment terms and it's up to the client whether they agree to them or not.

My terms are generous: end of the month following the invoice month. I invoice on delivery, so that allows plenty of wriggle room for clients who invoice at the end of each month. Of course, if they prefer to pay sooner ... (and some do).

Any client who misses a payment deadline, even by one day, gets a stern email. I have had few such problems an
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As the service provider, I'm the one who sets the payment terms and it's up to the client whether they agree to them or not.

My terms are generous: end of the month following the invoice month. I invoice on delivery, so that allows plenty of wriggle room for clients who invoice at the end of each month. Of course, if they prefer to pay sooner ... (and some do).

Any client who misses a payment deadline, even by one day, gets a stern email. I have had few such problems and they have almost always been easily resolved.
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Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 19:24
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
30-45 Nov 26, 2019

I no longer accept proposals above 45 days, for a long time now.
However, I did have to wait more than 90 days in one case, a new client who I will never work for again.


 
Alexandra Hirsch (X)
Alexandra Hirsch (X)  Identity Verified
Austria
Local time: 23:24
English to German
+ ...
One year Nov 27, 2019

One year, but it's a long-term client who sends me small tasks on a regular basis -- or rather, used to, because after switching shop software, they are now using the add-on translation module (as I suggested...stupid me!) --, so it was really a cumulative invoice.

 


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Poll: In 2019, the longest payment term I have agreed to was for...






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