Branded invoices with your logo and bank details, sent as links that tell you the moment they're opened. Deposits and part payments show a running balance both sides can see, and overdue ones get a one-tap polite reminder.
The single biggest factor in getting paid on time is invoicing immediately - the job is fresh, the goodwill is high, and accounts teams batch payments weekly. Every day you wait adds days to payment.
Day rate, edit, deliverables, travel - split them out. Clients query mysterious totals; they approve itemised ones. It also makes next quarter's quote easier: you already know what everything costs.
A third to a half up front is normal for anything sizeable. It filters out non-serious clients, funds your kit hire, and turns 'will I get paid?' into 'when's the balance due?'. Record it against the invoice so the running balance stays visible to both sides.
Bank transfers arrive naked - the invoice number as payment reference is how you match money to jobs. Make it prominent on the invoice, next to your bank details.
Half of late payment is 'it went to spam' or 'it went to the wrong person'. Send invoices as links with viewed-tracking and that whole category of chasing disappears - you know whether you're reminding someone forgetful or someone avoiding you.
One line, friendly, with the link and the amount, the day after it falls due. Long apologetic chases signal you don't expect to be paid. Short warm ones assume good faith and almost always work.
Cinella generates the invoice from the shoot's day fee - or from an agreed contract - with your branding, VAT handling and payment terms already set. It goes to the client as a link and appears on their portal; you get a notification the moment they open it. Record a deposit or any part payment with a label and date, and the invoice shows total, paid and balance due everywhere - flipping itself to paid when the balance hits zero. Long descriptions, discounts and one-tap polite reminders included.
Your business details, the client's details, an invoice number, issue and due dates, clear line items (day rate, edit, deliverables, expenses), VAT if you're registered, the total, your bank details and a payment reference. The reference matters more than people think - it's how your bank transfer gets matched to the job.
Agree it up front (a third to a half is common for bigger jobs), invoice the full amount, and record the deposit as a part payment against it. The client then sees paid-so-far and balance-remaining on the same invoice, which kills the 'did you get my payment?' emails.
You record each payment against the invoice with a label ('Deposit', 'Instalment') and a date. The invoice, your dashboard and the client's copy all show the total, what's been paid and the balance due - and when the balance hits zero it marks itself paid.
No. Invoices go out as a link (and land on the client's portal page too). You get told the moment it's opened, so 'I never received it' stops being a conversation.
Short, friendly, and assume good faith: a one-line reminder with the invoice link and the amount. Cinella has a one-tap polite reminder for exactly this - it re-sends the invoice with a gentle note, and because you can see whether it was opened, you know whether you're chasing forgetfulness or avoidance.
£12 a month for everything - invoicing with part payments, call sheets, the client portal, contracts and enquiry forms. 14-day free trial, no card needed, and the launch price stays yours for as long as you subscribe.
Related: Call sheet software + free template · Enquiry form for videographers · Everything Cinella does
All before you've packed the van.
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