UK freelancers keep getting burned by net-30 payment terms. Here is the fix.

You sent the invoice. They said "net 30." You waited. You chased. You waited more. Six weeks later you are doing the awkward "just following up on my follow-up" email dance while your rent is due. Sound familiar? It should not. This is entirely preventable. Why "net 30" is a trap for freelancers Net 30 is a corporate payment convention. It assumes you are a supplier with cash reserves, a credit line, and an accounts payable department on the other end. You are a freelancer. You have none of those things. What "net 30" actually means in practice: Day 1: Invoice sent Day 15: They have not looked at it Day 30: "Payment due" — nothing happens Day 35: You send a polite chase Day 42: "It is with finance, sorry" Day 50: Another chase. Slightly less polite Day 60: Money arrives (if you are lucky) That is two months of cash you have already spent on the project sitting in someone else is bank account earning them interest. The actual fix: change the terms before the project starts Most freelanc