1. How fast should I invoice?
Send it before you leave site, while the job is fresh and the customer's happy — a week's delay is a week the lead goes cold. Your invoice needs to be a proper tax invoice if you're GST-registered (business name, ABN, GST shown). No app yet? Use the free generator below.
2. What's the easiest way for a customer to pay me?
Put a one-tap payment option right on the invoice — every extra step is a reason to put it off. PayID is the standout for tradies: the customer pays from their banking app in seconds, it's free to receive, and there's no BSB to mistype.
3. How do I protect myself before the job starts?
Take a deposit on bigger jobs so you're never fully out of pocket, and set clear payment terms like "due in 7 days" so you've got an actual date to chase from. Spell the terms out before you start, including any late fee. That's what makes them stick.
4. What do I do when a customer pays late?
Late payment is the norm, not the exception: about half of all Australian invoices are paid late, and small businesses wait around 24 days on average to see the money — roughly a week past the due date (Xero Small Business Insights, 2026). So plan for it. Chase calmly and keep chasing — a scheduled set of reminders beats weeks of awkward silence and a blow-up. The key is consistency, not pressure.
Let the app do the boring bits
Doing all of this by hand — remembering who's overdue, what to say and when to follow up — is exactly the admin that falls through the cracks on a busy week. Yamate invoices in a tap with your PayID built in, then chases overdue invoices automatically by text and stops the moment they pay.
Get paid faster with Yamate — invoicing + auto-chasing built in →Want the job before it is advertised? Homeowners post their problems in Who Do I Call? Australia, our free Facebook group. Answer one well and you are the tradie they ring. Join, help out, and put your business in front of the people asking.
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Common questions about getting paid
Why do customers pay late?
Around half of Australian invoices run late, mostly by a week or so, not months (Xero Small Business Insights) — which tells you it's usually drift and admin, not people refusing to pay. Two things you actually control push against it: a clear due date to chase from, and one-tap payment so there's no "I'll do it tonight". Set terms of "due in 7 days", put a PayID on the invoice, and start the day after it's due.
How soon should I chase an overdue invoice?
The day after it's due. A polite reminder that early reads as admin, not a confrontation — for most it's an oversight, and an early nudge is what settles it. The full chasing schedule is here.
Can I ask for a deposit before I start?
Yes, and on bigger jobs you should. Some states cap what you can ask for on residential building work, so check the limit for your state before you quote.
Free tools to help you get paid
General information for Australian businesses, not legal or financial advice.