Most therapists undercharge for their tolerance of unpaid balances. Session 12 arrives and there's a four-session balance nobody has mentioned - awkward for you, and honestly, not great for the client relationship either.
You're not imagining it: Bonsai's analysis of 100,000+ freelancers found 29% of invoices are paid at least a day late, and QuickBooks reports 47% of small businesses carry invoices 30+ days overdue.
What works specifically for therapists
- Charge at time of service. Card on file, charged after each session, is the private-practice norm for a reason: balances never accumulate into a difficult conversation.
- If you invoice monthly, automate it. A recurring invoice on the 1st with a pay link removes you from the collection loop entirely.
- Put payment terms on the intake paperwork alongside the cancellation policy, signed before session one - money norms set at the start never have to be renegotiated mid-treatment.
The universal layer
- A pay link in every invoice - payment friction is measured in taps.
- Due-soon reminders before the deadline, automatic nudges after. Consistency collects better than charisma.
- State terms before work happens - on the agreement or intake form, signed. Terms announced after the fact are requests.
Need the words for an overdue balance? Our payment reminder templates cover the full sequence, and the get-paid-faster guide has the structural fixes.
Invoicing that runs itself
Ivy sends invoices with pay links, auto-charges cards on file, and nudges overdue balances automatically - payments go straight to your Stripe, 0% platform fees.
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