5 Invoice Mistakes That Delay Your Payments

You did the work. You sent the invoice. Two weeks later, crickets. Before you blame the client, check if your invoice is making it easy for them to pay.

1. No clear payment terms. "Due upon receipt" is vague. "Net 15" or "Due by March 15, 2026" is specific. When the due date is clear, clients prioritize it.

2. Wrong or missing tax. If your invoice shows the wrong GST/HST amount, many clients will hold payment until you send a corrected version. That's an extra round-trip that can add weeks.

3. No payment instructions. How should the client pay? E-transfer to which email? Bank transfer to which account? Include payment details on every invoice.

4. Incomplete business details. Some clients need your full legal name, business number, or GST/HST registration number for their records. Missing info means a follow-up email before they can process payment.

5. Sending to the wrong person. If your contact isn't the one who pays bills, your invoice sits in their inbox. Ask: "Who should I send invoices to?" and get the accounts payable email.

norabooks helps with all of these. Payment terms are set on every invoice. Tax is calculated automatically. Your business details are included by default. All you need to do is make sure you're sending to the right person.