The Rivit Invoices blog

Getting paid, honestly

Research-backed writing on the unglamorous half of freelancing: late payments, fees, payment terms, invoice fraud, scope creep — and what fixes them. Stats cited, caveats included.

Before you hand an unpaid invoice to a collection agency

What a commercial collection agency charges, why the federal collection law doesn't cover business invoices, and what to check in the contract before you sign.

8 min read

Your client replied with a thumbs-up. A court has called that a signature

A typed name, an email footer and even a thumbs-up emoji have been held to accept a deal. What courts looked for, where a casual yes fails, and how to get one that holds.

8 min read

The check you never cashed didn't vanish. Your state may be holding it

An uncashed client check doesn't go back to the client. After three to five years it goes to the state as unclaimed property. How to find it and claim it yourself.

7 min read

Your client never disputed the invoice. In court, that silence can count

If a client keeps your invoice without objecting, a court can treat that as agreement on the amount. How an account stated works, where it fails, and what to keep.

7 min read

Freelancing in Japan? Your client has 60 days to pay, and it's the law

Japan's Freelance Act makes clients put the terms in writing and pay within 60 days of receiving the work. Who it covers, what counts, and how to report a breach.

8 min read

Your international wire arrived short. Here's where the money went

Correspondent banks, receiving fees and exchange rates can each take a cut of an international wire. What OUR, SHA and BEN mean, and what to put on your invoice.

7 min read

Your client's bank now checks the name on your invoice. If it doesn't match, they get a warning

Euro-area and UK banks now check the payee's name before a transfer. Why freelancers trip the check, how often names don't match, and how to fix yours.

7 min read

Your December invoice has a deadline, and it isn't the due date

Many big clients stop paying for two or three weeks over Christmas. Real 2026 cut-off dates, what the banks do over the holidays, and how to make the last payment run.

7 min read