Blog | BillyPaid

Getting Paid 10 min 17 Oct

Deposit & Upfront Payments 2026: Only 23% of Contractors Collect One [Data Study]

Only 23% of contractors always collect a deposit before starting a job, according to Levelset's 2020 National Construction Payments Report. Full 2026 data on legal deposit caps in California, New South Wales, and Victoria, plus what actually protects a business from a client who disappears before work begins.

Getting Paid 13 min 17 Oct

75% Have Had Retainage Withheld: Milestone Billing 2026 [Complete Guide]

75% of contractors have had retainage, money withheld from a progress or milestone payment until the work is verified, held back on at least one project, according to Levelset's 2022 Construction Cash Flow & Payment Report (519 companies). Full 2026 data on how milestone billing works and what's changing.

Getting Paid 10 min 16 Oct

Early Payment Discounts 2026: 47% Offered, Only 24% Always Take Them [Full Data]

47% of businesses have received an early payment discount from a supplier in the past year, but only 24% take it every time it's offered, per a PYMNTS/Airbase survey of AP executives. Full 2026 data on discount terms, annualized returns, and why the money gets left on the table.

Getting Paid 11 min 16 Oct

92% of Invoices Are Paid Late: How Many Need a Reminder? [2026 Data]

92% of businesses say their invoices are typically paid after the due date, according to Chaser's 2026 Accounts Receivable Report, and only 8% land on time or early. The full 2026 breakdown of how many invoices need a reminder, and what closes the gap.

Getting Paid 12 min 15 Oct

78% vs 52%: Reminder Frequency After Due Date [2026 Data Guide]

A structured, escalating reminder frequency collects 78% of overdue invoices by day 15, versus just 52% for businesses with no defined schedule, per Chaser's 2026 Accounts Receivable Report. Full 2026 data on how far apart reminders should be spaced after an invoice goes overdue.

Getting Paid 11 min 15 Oct

WhatsApp Invoicing 2026 [Complete Guide]

WhatsApp Pay processed 167.89 million UPI transactions in India in July 2026, more than double the 74.6 million a year earlier, per NPCI data. Full 2026 data on how businesses are using WhatsApp to send invoices, collect payment, and follow up on what's overdue.

Getting Paid 15 min 14 Oct

Get Paid Faster: 15 Data-Backed Tactics [2026]

Businesses that follow up on 100% of overdue invoices are 76% more likely to be paid within one week than those that don't, according to Chaser's 2026 Accounts Receivable Report. 15 separate, individually sourced tactics for getting paid faster in 2026, ranked by the size of the effect each one shows in the data.

Getting Paid 10 min 14 Oct

SMS Payment Reminders 2026: 73% Paid Within 2 Weeks vs 49% by Email Alone [Data Study]

Businesses using SMS alongside email for payment reminders get invoices paid within two weeks 73% of the time, versus 49% for email alone, according to Chaser's 2026 Accounts Receivable Report. Full 2026 data on SMS reminder speed and a landmark government trial on text vs email.

Getting Paid 11 min 13 Oct

27% Ghosted Mid-Project: Client Ghosting on Invoices [2026 Data]

26.6% of freelancers have been ghosted by a client after work had already started, and 48.5% were ghosted before a project even began, according to Leapers' 2025 Mental Health in Freelancing Report (1,013 UK self-employed respondents). Full 2026 data on how often client ghosting happens, what it costs, and what actually gets a silent client to respond.

Getting Paid 12 min 13 Oct

Recurring Late Payers 2026: 86% Call It a Bankruptcy Warning Sign [Full Report]

86% of businesses say a customer's frequent or worsening late payment over a 12-month stretch is a moderate-to-high bankruptcy warning sign, per Creditsafe's 2025 Cost of Late Payments report. Full 2026 data on how common repeat late payers are, what they cost, and why credit keeps getting extended anyway.

Getting Paid 11 min 12 Oct

80% Paid by Reminder Two: Invoice Escalation Sequence [2026 Playbook]

80% of overdue invoices that get paid are collected within two reminder emails, according to debtor-management platform Trove, before a final notice, demand letter, or court ever enters the picture. The full 2026 playbook for every stage of the escalation ladder, from the due date to small claims.

Getting Paid 13 min 11 Oct

$2,500 to $25,000: Small Claims for Unpaid Invoices [Complete 2026 Guide]

Small claims limits range from $2,500 in Kentucky to $25,000 in Delaware and Tennessee, and 27 of 52 US jurisdictions cap claims at $7,500 or less (National Center for State Courts, 2023). The 2026 guide to what small claims court actually costs, how long it takes, and what real court data shows about winning.

Getting Paid 13 min 10 Oct

97% Resolved Without Court: How to Write a Payment Demand Letter [2026]

The Kaplan Group, a commercial collection agency, resolves 97% of its claims without ever going to litigation, starting every case with a written demand letter. The full 2026 guide to what a demand letter needs to say, when to send one, and what happens if it doesn't work.

Getting Paid 11 min 9 Oct

78% Compliance: Payment Plan Data for Overdue Invoices [2026]

78% of accounts placed on a structured payment plan actually comply with it, per Midwest Service Bureau's State of Debt Recovery 2026 report. Full 2026 data on when offering a payment plan beats writing an invoice off, and what happens without one.

Getting Paid 10 min 8 Oct

92% Paid: Reminder Tone Presets That Work [Complete 2026 Guide]

Invoices carrying an "Interest" or late-fee note, the firmest of four wording presets FreshBooks tracked across more than 1 million invoices, are ultimately paid 92.15% of the time. Full 2026 data on building a reusable tone preset library instead of picking one tone for an entire reminder sequence.

Getting Paid 9 min 7 Oct

Overdue Invoice Recovery Rate by Age 2026: From 68.9% to 8.9% [Data]

An overdue commercial invoice is 68.9% recoverable at 90 days past due, but that probability collapses to 8.9% by two years, per Commercial Collection Agencies of America benchmark data. Full 2026 breakdown of how recovery odds and write-off risk move at every stage of an invoice's age.

Getting Paid 9 min 6 Oct

89% Paid: How to Ask for Payment Politely [Complete 2026 Guide]

Invoices and reminders that ask politely, using "please" or a "Thank You" closing, are ultimately paid an average of 88.84% of the time, according to FreshBooks's 2026 analysis of more than 1 million small business invoices. Full 2026 guide to exactly what to say, at every stage from the first invoice to a firm final notice.

Getting Paid 10 min 6 Oct

When to Send Your First Payment Reminder 2026: 70% Send It Before the Due Date [Data]

70% of the businesses with the highest invoice-collection rates send their first payment reminder before the invoice is even due, according to debtor-management platform Trove. Full 2026 data on timing, term length, and what waiting costs.

Getting Paid 11 min 5 Oct

50% Higher Opens: Best Subject Lines for Payment Reminders [2026 Data]

Personalized payment reminder subject lines get opened 50% more often than generic ones, according to Yes Lifecycle Marketing's analysis of more than 7 billion emails. Full 2026 data on word count, personalization, urgency, and emoji effects on reminder open rates.

Getting Paid 9 min 5 Oct

Invoice Follow-Up Email Open Rates 2026 [Full Data]

Autoresponder sequences, the automated-email category closest to an invoice follow-up reminder, average a 51.05% open rate versus 45.38% for a single triggered send, according to GetResponse's 2024 Benchmarks Report on 4.4 billion messages. Full 2026 data on sequence position, timing, and channel.

Getting Paid 10 min 4 Oct

Automated Reminder ROI 2026 [Full Report]

Businesses using automated payment reminders get paid within two weeks 71% of the time, versus 47% for manual follow-up, according to Chaser's 2026 Accounts Receivable Report. The full 2026 report on what automating reminders actually returns.

Getting Paid 12 min 4 Oct

Chasing Payments Time Cost 2026: $17,224 a Year in Lost Time [Data Study]

Mid-sized US businesses spend 14 hours a week on payment-collection admin, worth an estimated $17,224 a year at the median bookkeeping clerk wage, and a 2026 Bluevine survey finds 18% of owners call that time, not the money itself, their biggest overdue-invoice problem.

Getting Paid 13 min 3 Oct

How Much Late Fee Can You Charge? 18% a Year Is Typical [2026]

Only 19% of small businesses charge a late fee despite 59% experiencing late payment, and the ones that do mostly land on 1-1.5% a month (12-18% a year), per Bluevine's 2026 survey. Full 2026 data on state-by-state legal caps, from 8% to no limit at all.

Getting Paid 11 min 3 Oct

10.4% EU Rate: Interest on Overdue Invoices by Country 2026 [Data]

The EU's statutory late-payment interest rate reaches 10.4% in the second half of 2026, the ECB reference rate plus the mandatory 8-point margin, per Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. See how the UK, US, Australia, and Canada compare.

Getting Paid 12 min 2 Oct

Late Fee Effectiveness 2026: 92% Paid When Invoices Warn of One [Data]

Invoices that warn of a late fee or interest charge are ultimately paid 92.15% of the time, versus a 78.62% baseline, according to FreshBooks's analysis of more than 1 million small business invoices. Full 2026 data on what businesses can legally charge, and whether they actually enforce it.

Getting Paid 10 min 2 Oct

Thank-You Receipt Emails 2026: 44.6% Open Rate [Data]

Triggered emails, the category payment receipts and confirmations fall into, get a 44.6% open rate versus 40.4% for promotional email, according to Zeta Global's 2025 benchmark data. Full 2026 data on why the receipt after a paid invoice is one of the highest-engagement messages a small business sends, and how it fits into a broader collections strategy.

Getting Paid 9 min 1 Oct

88% Paid: Polite Invoice Wording Gets You Paid Faster [2026]

Invoices that use courteous "please" wording are paid 88.07% of the time, according to FreshBooks's analysis of more than 1 million small business invoices, and a separate 350,000-email study finds thankful closings drive a comparable 36% relative lift outside invoicing entirely. Full 2026 data on why polite wording works almost as well as a firm late-fee warning.

Getting Paid 10 min 1 Oct

Pre-Due Reminder Data 2026: +1 Point Per Message, Zero After the Deadline [Data]

A reminder sent before an invoice's due date raises compliance by about 1 percentage point per message, while the identical reminder sent after the deadline shows no measurable effect, according to a 107,756-taxpayer randomized trial. Full 2026 data on pre-due timing and a practical T-7/T-3/T-1 cadence.

Getting Paid 10 min 30 Sep

How Many Reminders to Send Before Paid: 80% Within Two [2026]

58% of overdue invoices are paid after just one reminder, and 80% within two, according to 2026 data from invoicing platform Trove across thousands of chased invoices. Full 2026 breakdown of reminder count, cadence, automation, and wording data.

Getting Paid 8 min 30 Sep

Invoices With "Thank You" Paid 89% [2026 Data Study]

89.61% of invoices with "Thank You" wording are ultimately paid, according to FreshBooks's analysis of more than 1 million small business invoices. Full 2026 data on how "Thank You" wording compares to "Please," late-fee, and no-wording invoices.

Getting Paid 10 min 29 Sep

Debt Collection for Small Business 2026: 68.9% Recoverable at 90 Days [Data]

68.9% of an unpaid commercial invoice is still collectible at 90 days past due, but that falls to 21.4% by one year and 8.9% by two years, per Commercial Collection Agencies of America benchmark data. Full 2026 numbers on agency fees, industry size, and when to escalate.

Getting Paid 11 min 29 Sep

Final Notice Email 2026: 92% Paid When the Fee Is Stated [Complete Guide]

Final notice emails that state a late fee or interest note are paid 92.15% of the time, according to FreshBooks's analysis of more than 1 million small business invoices. Full 2026 data on when to send a final notice, what it needs to say, and what happens to the invoices it doesn't collect.

Getting Paid 9 min 28 Sep

Friendly vs Firm Reminders 2026: 92% Paid With Firm Wording [Data]

Invoices with firm, late-fee wording are paid 92.15% of the time versus 89.61% for warm Thank You wording, per FreshBooks's analysis of more than 1 million invoices. Full 2026 data on which reminder tone actually collects, and when to switch tone during a follow-up sequence.

Getting Paid 10 min 28 Sep

92% Paid: Overdue Invoice Reminder Templates [Complete 2026 Guide]

Reminder templates that state a late fee are ultimately paid 92.15% of the time, according to FreshBooks's analysis of more than 1 million invoices, versus a 78.62% baseline. Full 2026 data on what a working overdue invoice reminder template says at every stage.

Getting Paid 11 min 27 Sep

80% Paid: Best Payment Reminder Cadence [2026 Data]

80% of overdue invoices are collected within two reminder emails, 58% after the first and 21% more after the second, according to debtor-management platform Trove's analysis of thousands of chased invoices. Full 2026 data on reminder cadence and timing.

Getting Paid 10 min 27 Sep

How to Get Paid Faster: Full Follow-Up Means 76% Better Odds [2026]

Businesses that follow up on 100% of overdue invoices are 76% more likely to be paid within one week than those that don't, per Chaser's 2026 data. The full 2026 guide to what actually gets an invoice paid faster: reminders, terms, wording, and payment links.

Getting Paid 10 min 26 Sep

Payment Reminder Effectiveness 2026: 31% Don't Chase Every Invoice [Data]

31% of businesses don't follow up on every overdue invoice they're owed, according to Chaser's 2026 Accounts Receivable Report. Full 2026 data on what that follow-up gap costs, and what wording and automation actually change.

Invoicing 13 min 25 Sep

Future of Invoicing: 2027 Predictions [Data-Backed]

At least eight national e-invoicing mandate deadlines land in 2027, according to tax authorities in Germany, Poland, Spain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and France, while Gartner forecasts 62% of cloud ERP spending will be AI-enabled the same year. Here is what the named sources actually say about invoicing in 2027.

Invoicing 10 min 25 Sep

Invoice Trends 2026 [Full Report]

DSO fell from 45 to 39 days year over year among AR-automation adopters in 2025 (Billtrust), even as the broader US economy's median DSO rose. A year-over-year look at where invoicing is actually heading in 2026: e-invoicing volume, digital payment adoption, and AP automation.

Invoicing 11 min 24 Sep

51% of SMEs Struggle With Cash Flow [2026 Data]

51% of US small employer firms cited uneven cash flow as a financial challenge in the past year, according to the Federal Reserve's 2024 Small Business Credit Survey. A 2026 look at how many SMEs actually struggle with cash flow across the US, UK, and Australia, and why survey estimates range from 51% to 88%.

Invoicing 10 min 24 Sep

Invoicing for Startups 2026: Only 27% Chase Late Payments [Complete Guide]

Only 27% of startup founders chase late payers in a typical week, even though 44% create invoices every week, according to a Time Etc/Censuswide survey of 251 US entrepreneurs. A 2026 data report on how startups actually invoice, why so many run out of cash, and what the numbers say about which of that is fixable.

Invoicing 10 min 23 Sep

Invoice Payment Speed by Business Size [2026 Data]

Large-enterprise invoices were paid on time just 24% of the time in Q4 2025, down from 35% a year earlier, according to Ellisphere's Ellipro payment-behavior index. See how invoice payment speed actually breaks down by business size.

Invoicing 10 min 23 Sep

Which Industry Pays Slowest? Invoice Data 2026 [List]

Food and Beverage Services businesses have the highest share of invoices overdue by 60+ days of any Australian industry, 11.37%, ahead of Construction at 7.15%, per CreditorWatch's April 2026 Business Risk Index. Full industry-by-industry late-payment data.

Invoicing 9 min 22 Sep

53% Overdue: Global Late Payment Ranking by Country 2026 [Data]

Central and Eastern Europe has the world's worst B2B late-payment rate, 53% of invoices overdue, per Atradius's 2025 Payment Practices Barometer. See how every major region and country ranks.

Tax & 1099 10 min 22 Sep

Invoice Compliance 2026: 6 Countries Now Mandate E-Invoicing [Complete Guide]

Six major economies, Belgium, Poland, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and India, now require structured e-invoicing for at least some businesses, with new mandates landing through January 2028 (national tax authorities, compiled 2026). A country-by-country breakdown of dates, thresholds, and what actually counts as a compliant e-invoice.

Invoicing 11 min 21 Sep

How Much GST/VAT Flows Through Invoices [2026 Data]

Australia's net GST cash collections reached $90.2 billion in the 2024-25 financial year, all routed through GST tax invoices, according to the ATO's GST Administration Annual Performance Report. Here is how much flows through VAT and GST systems in the UK, the EU, and beyond in 2026.

Invoicing 12 min 21 Sep

Invoice Financing vs Factoring Data 2026 [Full Guide]

UK businesses that finance unpaid invoices choose confidential invoice discounting over invoice factoring by roughly three to one, 30,200 businesses versus 9,900, according to UK Finance's 2024 data. Full 2026 comparison of advance rates, cost, collections control, and credit protection between the two mechanisms.

Invoicing 12 min 20 Sep

Retail Invoicing 2026 [Full Report]

Sainsbury's Supermarkets takes an average of 49 days to pay a supplier invoice, 75% longer than Marks and Spencer's 28 days, according to each retailer's 2025-2026 filing with the UK government's Payment Practices Reporting Service. A full data report on retail invoicing, from supplier payment terms to return-driven credit notes.

Invoicing 11 min 20 Sep

Service Business Invoicing 2026 [Data Study]

70% of service contractors regularly face delayed payment, according to a 2025 Built/Talker Research survey of 250 US contractors. A 2026 data study on how service businesses bill, how fast they actually get paid, and what changes once payment goes digital.

Invoicing 9 min 19 Sep

Agency Invoicing 2026 [Full Data Report]

97% of marketing, creative, and digital agencies regularly chase late client payments, according to Ignition's 2025 Agency Pricing and Cash Flow Report. Full 2026 data on how agencies bill, how late invoices really run, and what it costs them.

Invoicing 10 min 19 Sep

E-commerce Invoicing 2026 [Complete Data]

Global e-commerce sales reached $6.42 trillion in 2025, per eMarketer, and 19.3% of that volume came back as returns, per NRF. E-commerce invoicing, payment, and returns data for 2026.

Invoicing 11 min 18 Sep

Consultant Invoicing 2026 [Complete Guide]

Just 29% of independent consultants still bill by the hour, per Consulting Success's Consulting Fees Study of nearly 1,000 consultants. Full 2026 data on consultant rates, billing models, and getting paid on time.

Invoicing 10 min 18 Sep

Creative Industry Invoicing 2026 [Report]

1.5 million creative freelancers make up 22% of the US independent workforce, per Fiverr's 2025 Freelance Economic Impact Report. Invoicing and late-payment data for designers, photographers, writers, and creative agencies.

Invoicing 11 min 17 Sep

Check vs Bank Transfer Invoice Data 2026 [Full List]

Just 26% of B2B invoice payments were made by check in 2025, down from 81% in 2004, according to the AFP Digital Payments Survey. Full data on cost, fraud risk, and adoption by business size.

Invoicing 9 min 17 Sep

Invoice Reminder Effectiveness 2026 [Data]

Businesses that follow up on 100% of their overdue invoices are 76% more likely to be paid within a week than those that skip some invoices, according to Chaser's 2026 Accounts Receivable Report. Full 2026 data on reminder cadence, automation, and channel effectiveness.

Invoicing 10 min 16 Sep

How Small Businesses Prefer to Get Paid [2026 Data]

83% of US small businesses with $1 million to $10 million in revenue still made or received a payment by paper check in 2024, more than any other business size segment, even as ACH bank transfer use jumped from 59% to 78% in a year, according to the Federal Reserve's 2024 Business Payments Study.

Invoicing 11 min 16 Sep

Small Business Payment Method 2026: 26% Still Pay by Check [Data]

26% of B2B payments in the US and Canada were still made by paper check in 2025, per the AFP's Digital Payments Survey. How small businesses actually get paid, from checks to ACH to Zelle.

Invoicing 10 min 15 Sep

Duplicate Payment 2026 [Full Data Report]

Even top-performing AP teams see 0.8% of annual disbursements come back duplicate or erroneous, per APQC's Open Standards Benchmarking survey. Data on how often it happens, what it costs, and who actually catches it.

Invoicing 11 min 15 Sep

Invoice Automation ROI 2026 [Data Study]

Best-in-Class accounts payable teams process an invoice for 79% less than other AP teams and 79% faster, according to Ardent Partners' State of ePayables 2025 report. Here is the full data behind the ROI case for invoice automation.

Invoicing 13 min 14 Sep

How Many Invoices Are Sent Per Business [2026 Data]

Businesses sent roughly 560 billion invoices worldwide in 2024, and only about 22% were structured electronic documents, according to Billentis. What the real, sourced data says about invoice volume per business in 2026.

Invoicing 12 min 14 Sep

Invoice Error Rate 2026 [Complete Guide]

18.4% of invoices trigger an exception that needs manual fixing before they can be paid, according to Ardent Partners' State of ePayables 2025 report. Data on error rates, rejection trends, duplicate payments, and what a high error rate actually costs a business in 2026.

Invoicing 10 min 13 Sep

Invoice Approval Workflow 2026 [Data Study]

Best-in-Class accounts payable teams approve and pay an invoice in 3.1 days on average, 82% faster than the 17.4 days it takes everyone else, according to Ardent Partners' 2025 AP Metrics report. Full 2026 data on approval automation, bottlenecks, and cost per invoice.

Invoicing 10 min 13 Sep

Multi-Currency Invoicing 2026 [Full Report]

US small businesses lost an estimated $800 million to hidden cross-border FX fees in 2023, according to Capital Economics research commissioned by Wise. Data on transfer costs, settlement speed, and which currencies invoices actually settle in, for 2026.

Invoicing 10 min 12 Sep

How Many Businesses Send Recurring Invoices? [2026 Data]

No census counts every recurring invoice sent, but Grand View Research puts the global subscription economy at $1.5 trillion by 2033, up from $492.3 billion in 2024, and Zuora's 2025 Subscription Economy Index shows subscription businesses growing 11% faster than the S&P 500.

Invoicing 12 min 12 Sep

Invoice Currency 2026: Cross-Border Data [Data]

63% of US small businesses that source internationally still pay overseas suppliers primarily in US dollars, and only 4% pay predominantly in the supplier's own currency, per a 2026 PYMNTS Intelligence and Mastercard study. Full 2026 data on cross-border invoice currency, conversion costs, and payment friction.

Invoicing 10 min 11 Sep

Invoice Numbering Best-Practice Data 2026 [Full Guide]

1.29% of invoices businesses process are duplicates, at an average cost of $2,034 each, per SAP Concur data. What sequential invoice numbering rules actually require in 2026, and what breaks when they aren't followed.

Invoicing 9 min 11 Sep

Mobile Invoicing 2026 [Full Report]

95% of small business owners would consider turning their phone into a payment terminal, per NMI's 2025 research. The data on mobile invoicing, tap-to-phone payments, and smartphone adoption for 2026.

Invoicing 10 min 10 Sep

Best Time to Send Invoices for Payment [2026 Data]

Omnisend's 2026 analysis of roughly 26 billion email sends found just a 1.77-percentage-point gap between the best and worst hour to send an email. What actually moves invoice payment speed, and what doesn't, from FreshBooks' 1-million-invoice wording study to Xero's latest late-payment data.

Late Payments & Fraud 4 min 10 Sep

Illinois's Freelance Worker Protection Act: What Your Written Contract Needs to Say

Illinois freelance work over $500 in 120 days needs a written contract with five specific elements. Here is what the law requires and where a real estimate already covers it.

Invoicing 11 min 10 Sep

Invoice PDF vs Link 2026 [Complete Guide]

Invoices with an online payment link get paid up to twice as fast as PDF only invoices, according to Xero, and QuickBooks data shows a 1.4x payment speed gain. Data on payment speed, method mix, and fraud exposure in 2026.

Freelance Economy 3 min 10 Sep

39% of US Workers Freelanced This Year: What First-Timers Get Wrong About Getting Paid

Upwork's Future Workforce Index found 39% of US workers freelanced in the past year, up from 35%. Here is what the newest freelancers usually get wrong about getting paid.

Freelance Economy 3 min 9 Sep

Fiverr's Real AI Disclosure Rules: What You Actually Have to Say (and When)

Fiverr does not require sellers to disclose AI use by default. Here is exactly when disclosure is required, when it is not, and what actually triggers account risk.

Tax & 1099 3 min 9 Sep

Missing a 1099 in 2026 Now Costs Up to $680 Per Form

For 1099 forms due in 2026, the IRS penalty per return runs from $60 up to $680 with no cap, and a single missed form can trigger the penalty twice. Here is the full tier breakdown.

Invoicing 8 min 9 Sep

When Are Invoices Actually Read? [2026 Data Study]

Invoices sent on a weekend get paid up to 10 days faster than ones sent on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday, per a Vistr analysis of 300,000 invoices. Full 2026 data on when invoices actually get opened and read.

Invoicing 10 min 8 Sep

Invoice Email Open Rate 2026 [Full Data]

Triggered emails, the category an invoice belongs to, open at 45.38% versus a 39.64% overall average, according to GetResponse's 2024 report on 4.4 billion messages. Full open-rate, client-share, and timing data for invoice emails in 2026.

Late Payments & Fraud 3 min 8 Sep

New York Closes the Retainage Loophole: What SB 5655 Means for Your Progress Payments

SB 5655 makes any private New York construction contract that allows more than 5 percent retainage void. Here is what changed, and how to itemize your progress payments so the cap is easy to verify.

Late Payments & Fraud 4 min 8 Sep

Two Men Sentenced Over a Three-Year Fake Invoice Scheme: The Internal Control That Would Have Caught It

A logistics employee created fake freight jobs for three years before anyone noticed. Here is the internal control that catches this kind of fraud on day one instead of year three.

Invoicing 12 min 8 Sep

Time Spent Chasing Payments: 14 Hours a Week [2026]

65% of mid-sized US businesses spend an average of 14 hours a week on payment-collection admin, per a QuickBooks-commissioned Wakefield Research survey. Global 2026 data on how much time businesses and freelancers lose chasing payments.

Tax & 1099 3 min 7 Sep

Australia's 2026 E-Invoicing Deadlines Are for Government Agencies, Not You (Yet)

Australia's July and December 2026 Peppol e-invoicing deadlines apply to Commonwealth government agencies, not small business suppliers. Here is what the mandate covers and who should pay attention anyway.

Freelance Economy 3 min 7 Sep

50+ Countries Now Offer Digital Nomad Visas: The Paperwork Freelancers Need

More than 50 countries now run a digital nomad visa program, with Slovenia and Moldova the newest entrants. The real bottleneck for freelancers is proving income, not the application.

Invoicing 11 min 7 Sep

Invoice Financing 2026 [Full Report]

Global factoring turnover surpassed EUR 4 trillion in 2025, up 3.7 percent from 2024, according to FCI's World Factoring Statistics. Full 2026 data on market size, regional volume, UK and US adoption, cost, and typical advance rates.

Invoicing 9 min 7 Sep

Small Business Admin Time 2026: 36% of the Week Lost [Data]

Small business owners spend 36% of a 45.5-hour work week, roughly 16 hours, on administrative tasks rather than billable work, according to a 2023 Time etc/Censuswide survey. Full 2026 data on where that time goes.

Invoicing 10 min 6 Sep

Bad Debt Write-Off 2026 [Complete Data]

5% of the total value of US B2B invoices was written off as bad debt in 2025, according to Atradius's Payment Practices Barometer. Data on write-off rates by country, industry, and why customers become uncollectable in the first place.

Invoicing 9 min 6 Sep

How Many Invoices Get Disputed? [2026 Data Report]

18.4% of all invoices get flagged as an exception before they can be paid, according to Ardent Partners' 2025 State of ePayables report. Here's the full data on how often invoices get disputed and why.

Tax & 1099 3 min 6 Sep

The IRS's 2026 Underpayment Rate Is 7%: What It Costs to Guess Wrong on Estimated Tax

The IRS underpayment interest rate for 2026 is 7% in three quarters and 6% in one, plus the safe harbor rule that decides whether you owe the penalty at all.

Late Payments & Fraud 4 min 6 Sep

Zelle's Fraud Liability Gap Is Being Decided in Court, Not by a Rule: What It Means for How You Get Paid

Zelle carries a real fraud liability gap that federal card protections do not have, and state lawsuits, not a settled rule, are currently defining it. Here is what that means if a client pays you through it.

Invoicing 9 min 5 Sep

Invoice Dispute 2026: Shocking Findings [Data]

65% of freelancers and 38% of small-business owners dealt with an invoice dispute in the past year, according to a Skynova survey. Data on causes, relationship fallout, and how disputes show up as a reason for late payment across the US, UK, and Australia in 2026.

Freelance Economy 3 min 5 Sep

Seattle's Gig Pay Law Sparked a Data Fight: What It Means If You Also Take Direct Clients

Seattle's city report, a Carnegie Mellon study, and DoorDash all measured the same 18 months of the PayUp law and reached different conclusions. Here is what each one found.

Invoicing 11 min 5 Sep

Sole Trader Payment 2026 [Complete Guide]

35% of UK self-employed workers, most of them sole traders, were not paid on time in the last 12 months, per IPSE. The complete 2026 data on how many sole traders there are, how often they get paid late, and what it costs them.

Late Payments & Fraud 4 min 5 Sep

The UK's 'Failure to Prevent Fraud' Law Is Changing How Clients Verify Invoices

The UK's new failure to prevent fraud offense puts large organizations at criminal risk for fraud committed by associated persons. Here is why that is making clients stricter about verifying invoices, and how to make your own easy to check.

Late Payments & Fraud 3 min 4 Sep

AI Voice Cloning Is the New Invoice Scam: What to Verify Before You Pay

Cloned voices and deepfake video calls are now driving business email compromise. Here is how the scam works and the one record a clone cannot fake.

Invoicing 12 min 4 Sep

Micro-Business Invoicing 2026 [Full Report]

78.4% of all US business establishments have no paid employees, and the pattern repeats in the UK (95%), the EU (99.1%), and Australia (63.6%). A full 2026 data report on how many micro-businesses exist, how they invoice, and where their time actually goes.

Invoicing 10 min 4 Sep

Self-Employed Invoicing 2026 [Data Study]

72% of self-employed 1099 workers who invoice their own clients say they have outstanding, unpaid invoices, per the Independent Economy Council. Data on how many self-employed workers there are, how they build invoices, and how often they get paid late in 2026.

Tax & 1099 3 min 4 Sep

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Starts April 2026: What UK Freelancers Need to Have Ready

HMRC's Making Tax Digital for Income Tax becomes mandatory on 6 April 2026 for self-employed people and landlords over 50,000 pounds. Here is what changes and how to check if you're affected.

Freelance Economy 3 min 3 Sep

Australia's New Minimum Standards for Gig Delivery Workers Start August 17: What's Covered and What Isn't

The Fair Work Commission's first minimum standards order sets a legal pay floor for on-demand delivery gig workers from August 17, 2026. Here is what it covers, and what stays outside it for direct client invoicing.

Late Payments & Fraud 4 min 3 Sep

The EU's 30-Day Payment Cap Never Happened: What Actually Protects You

A 2023 proposal would have capped every EU commercial payment term at 30 days. It stalled in Council and will not become law. Here is the rule that actually applies to your invoices in 2026.

Invoicing 9 min 3 Sep

Gig Economy Payment 2026 [Complete Data]

53% of US gig workers have faced slow or delayed payment, per a 2025 Worldpay/Savanta survey. Gig economy payment, instant-pay, and income data for 2026.

Invoicing 9 min 3 Sep

Number of Freelancers Worldwide 2026 [Full List]

Up to 435 million people worldwide do online gig or freelance work, per the World Bank's global gig-economy report. Country-by-country freelancer counts for the US, UK, and India, sourced and dated.

Freelance Economy 4 min 2 Sep

The EU's Platform Work Directive Deadline Is December 2026: What Changes for You

The EU's Platform Work Directive must be written into national law in every member state by December 2, 2026. Here is what the presumption of employment covers, and what stays unaffected in your direct client invoicing.

Invoicing 9 min 2 Sep

Freelancer Late Payment 2026 [Full Report]

29% of freelance invoices are paid at least one day late, according to Bonsai's analysis of three years of data from 100,000+ freelancers. The complete 2026 data on how often, how long, and which freelancers get paid late.

Invoicing 11 min 2 Sep

How Many Invoices Does a Freelancer Send? [2026 Data]

No single industry census counts invoices per freelancer, but a 2026 FreshBooks and Stripe survey found 54% of freelancers hit at least one invoicing problem, and those spending 5+ hours a month on it are nearly 3x as likely to face cash-flow trouble.

Tax & 1099 3 min 2 Sep

The 2026 Social Security Wage Base Jumped to $184,500: What It Means for Your Self-Employment Tax

The Social Security wage base rose to $184,500 for 2026, up from $176,100. Here is what that ceiling caps, and why your quarterly estimate depends on knowing your real year-to-date income.

Tax & 1099 3 min 1 Sep

The IRS's New 1099-DA Form Is Here: What It Means If You Get Paid in Crypto

The IRS now requires crypto exchanges to report your sales on Form 1099-DA. Here is what the form covers, and why a client who pays you crypto directly still leaves you with no form at all.

Invoicing 11 min 1 Sep

Invoice Payment Terms 2026 [Complete Guide]

Invoices carrying a 7-day payment term get paid within a week 58.05% of the time, versus just 40.22% for a 30-day term, according to a FreshBooks analysis of over 1 million small business invoices. Full 2026 data on term length, wording, and country by country norms.

Invoicing 11 min 1 Sep

Net 30 vs Net 7 Payment Data: Get Paid Faster [2026]

Invoices with '7 Days' payment terms get paid within 7 days 58.05% of the time, compared to just 40.22% for invoices with '30 Days' terms, according to FreshBooks' 2026 analysis of 1.39 million invoices.

Late Payments & Fraud 3 min 1 Sep

The UK's Fair Payment Code: What the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Badges Tell You

The Fair Payment Code replaced the UK's old Prompt Payment Code with a tiered Gold, Silver, and Bronze badge system. What each tier requires, and how to check a client's status before you take the job.

Invoicing 12 min 31 Aug

Global Invoice Volume 2026 [Full Report]

An estimated 87 billion B2B e-invoices were issued worldwide in 2026, per Billentis. Global invoice volume, software market size, and country-by-country e-invoicing mandate data for 2026.

Invoicing 8 min 31 Aug

How Many Businesses Use Invoicing Software [2026 Data]

Xero alone counts 5 million business customers worldwide in 2026. A data-backed look at how many businesses actually use invoicing software, how many still invoice manually, and why adoption is accelerating.

Late Payments & Fraud 4 min 31 Aug

Invoice Fraud Is Costing Contractors Millions: What the NCA's Construction Warning Means for You

The NCA and National Federation of Builders just warned construction finance teams about invoice fraud. Here is how the scam actually works and the one habit that stops it.

Freelance Economy 3 min 31 Aug

Upwork's Fees Are Pushing Freelancers Off-Platform: What You Need to Handle Yourself

Upwork's fees are climbing and its client base is shrinking. If you take on direct clients instead, here is everything the platform used to handle for you.

Tax & 1099 3 min 30 Aug

The 1099-NEC Threshold Just Jumped to $2,000: What You Need to Track Now

The 1099-NEC threshold rises from $600 to $2,000 for tax year 2026, and the e-file requirement drops to 10 forms. Here is what changes and what to track.

Late Payments & Fraud 4 min 30 Aug

California's AB 2272 Tightens Prompt Payment for Subcontractors: What It Means for Your Invoice Reminders

AB 2272 gives California subcontractors a way to check whether a prime contractor passed along payment. Here is what the bill changes, and why your own invoice is what makes the protection worth anything.

Invoicing 10 min 30 Aug

Invoice Processing Cost 2026 [Complete Data]

Inefficient billing operations spend $6.00 to send a single invoice, more than 4 times the $1.42 spent by the most efficient ones, per APQC's benchmarking data via CFO.com. What invoicing and accounts payable processing actually cost in 2026.

Invoicing 10 min 30 Aug

Paper vs Digital Invoice 2026 [Data Study]

Digital invoicing cuts processing costs by 60 to 80 percent compared to paper, according to Billentis's e-invoicing cost research. Data on cost, speed, error rates, and how much of the world has gone digital in 2026.

Tax & 1099 4 min 29 Aug

IRS Keeps the 1099-K Threshold at $20,000: What It Means for Your Invoices

The IRS has confirmed the Form 1099-K reporting threshold stays at $20,000 and 200+ transactions for 2026, reversing the scheduled drop to $600. Here is what that changes for freelancers who invoice clients.

Invoicing 11 min 29 Aug

Cash Flow Failure: Why Businesses Close 2026 [Full Report]

Late payments close an estimated 14,000 UK businesses a year, about 38 a day, according to a joint 2025 report from the UK Department for Business and Trade and London Economics. A 2026 data report on how cash flow problems actually close businesses.

Invoicing 10 min 29 Aug

Digital Invoicing Adoption 2026: Only 29% Go Electronic [Data]

Only 29 percent of the world's B2B invoices were sent electronically in 2026, about 87 billion of an estimated 300 billion issued worldwide, according to Billentis's global e-invoicing report. Data on regional adoption, mandate-driven growth, and how fast digital invoicing is actually spreading.

Freelance Economy 4 min 29 Aug

New Jersey Reclassifies Gig Drivers as Employees: What It Means If You Still Freelance There

New Jersey's new worker classification rules make many platform drivers employees starting October 2026. Here is what changes for your platform income, and what stays exactly the same for direct client invoicing.

Invoicing 12 min 28 Aug

How Long Businesses Wait to Get Paid [2026 Data]

US small businesses waited an average of 29.3 days to get paid in Q2 2026, up from 28.3 days two quarters earlier, according to Xero's Small Business Insights. See how the wait breaks down by industry, whether it is improving, and how freelancers compare.

Invoicing 10 min 28 Aug

Invoicing Mistakes 2026 [Complete Guide]

54% of accounts payable professionals name reducing errors, missed payments, and double payments their single biggest AP challenge, per Stampli and Probolsky Research's 2023 AP survey. The invoicing-mistakes data for 2026: error rates, what drives them, and what actually fixes them.

Late Payments & Fraud 10 min 27 Aug

Invoice Fraud 2026: 76% of US Firms Hit [Data]

76% of US organizations experienced attempted or actual payment fraud in 2025, according to the 2026 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey. Full 2026 data on business email compromise, per-case losses, and how invoice fraud compares across the US, UK, and Australia.

Invoicing 10 min 27 Aug

Late Payment Cost to Small Business: $39,406 a Year [2026 Data]

US small businesses lose an average of $39,406 a year to late payment delays, per a 2025 Gateway Commercial Finance survey of 503 owners. Data on what late payment actually costs small businesses in the US, UK, and Australia.

Invoicing 10 min 26 Aug

B2B Payment Practices 2026: 45% Blame Customer Liquidity [Data]

45% of US businesses say a customer's own liquidity issues are the top reason B2B invoices are paid late, according to Atradius's 2025 Payment Practices Barometer. Full 2026 data on trade credit, overdue rates, bad debt, and how businesses manage B2B payment risk across the US, UK, and Europe.

Invoicing 9 min 26 Aug

Days Sales Outstanding Benchmarks 2026: 40-Day US Median [Full List]

The median US company's Days Sales Outstanding reached 40.12 days in Q1 2026, per the Credit Research Foundation. See DSO benchmarks across the US, Europe, and company size, and what closes the gap to best-possible DSO.

Invoicing 8 min 25 Aug

Unpaid Invoices Cost Small Business $17,500 [2026 Data]

US small businesses with unpaid invoices are owed an average of $17,500, per Intuit QuickBooks's 2025 Late Payments Report, a figure that already climbed to $17,700 in the 2026 wave as more businesses fall behind.

Invoicing 10 min 25 Aug

What Percentage of Invoices Are Paid Late? [2026 Data]

About 10% of all invoices sent by US small businesses are more than 30 days overdue, per Intuit QuickBooks's 2025 report. The percentage of late invoices by country, industry, and threshold for 2026.

Invoicing 12 min 24 Aug

Average Invoice Payment Time by Country [2026 Data]

The average business waits 51 days to get paid on a B2B invoice in 2026, per Sidetrade's Data Lake study of 285 million invoices. See how payment time compares across the Netherlands, the United States, Australia, India, and more.

Invoicing 10 min 24 Aug

Overdue Invoice 2026: The Complete Picture [Data]

59% of small businesses now carry invoices overdue by 30 days or more, up from 47% a year ago, per Intuit QuickBooks's 2026 Small Business Late Payments Report. The complete data picture on overdue invoices.

Invoicing 12 min 23 Aug

How Many Invoices Are Paid Late? [Complete 2026 Data]

47% of B2B invoices in Western Europe were overdue in 2025, per Atradius, with Asia at 44% and North America at 43%. Country, industry, and bad-debt data on how many invoices are actually paid late in 2026.

Invoicing 11 min 23 Aug

Small Business Cash Flow 2026 [Full Report]

Half of small businesses hold less than 15 days of cash buffer, per JPMorgan Chase Institute research, and 59% carried invoices overdue by 30+ days in 2026 (Intuit QuickBooks). A full data report on small business cash flow, financial challenges, and the personal cost to owners.

Invoicing 6 min 22 Aug

Invoice 2026: 40+ Shocking Data Points [Full Report]

55% of US B2B invoices were overdue in 2025. A complete roundup of invoicing statistics for 2026: payment speed, cost to small business, freelancer data, collections, market size, and e-invoicing mandates.

Invoicing 8 min 22 Aug

Late Payment 2026: 55% Overdue Revealed [Data]

55% of all US B2B invoiced sales were overdue in 2025, per Atradius's Payment Practices Barometer. Late-payment data for the US, UK, and Australia, and what actually gets invoices paid.

Getting Paid 2 min 16 Aug

A Simple Way to Chase Overdue Invoices Without Sounding Awkward

A short, repeatable sequence for following up on late payments, with real wording you can send, so it never feels like an uncomfortable conversation.

Estimates & Quotes 2 min 10 Aug

Estimate vs. Quote vs. Proposal: What's the Difference and When to Use Each

These three documents get used interchangeably, but they carry different promises. Here's when to send each one, and what happens if you mix them up.

Invoicing 2 min 3 Aug

How to Write an Invoice That Actually Gets Paid on Time

The invoice details that speed up payment, the ones that slow it down, and a simple structure you can reuse for every client.

The research behind a better invoicing platform

Best Day to Send an Invoice: Data Reveals All [2026]

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