Consultancy Work

[TykeMerc]

I was initially asking how you bill before or after work that's all ffs

You asked a question which implied a payment on delivery schedule and then revealed you're billing on a daily rate, the approaches to those are mutually opposing.

Daily rate is just billed at agreed intervals. Customer owns the deliverables as soon as they exist.
Deliverables is billed by deliverable. Customer owns the deliverables in accordance with the contracted agreement.

You asked a confused question which doesn't have a single or simple answer.

[steve80]

Thanks for your comments

[yasockie]

Since you are on a daily rate, bill at the end of the month or whatever your contract says - you are paid on time & materials basis and not for deliverables directly.

[colinrobinson]

as its daily rate

As it's daily rate, it will be hard to explain why you want payments on milestones rather than at the usual payment schedule. It's no different to working BAU and waiting for payment 30 days later for example.

IMO OP is trying to complicate his life based on paranoia, if you are trembling in fear over payment every time you work with new client, i suggest you go back to permiedom. Life is too short.

As its daily rate, They are paying for your time and experience, the actual design isn't the issue. they will use you again if they like it or they won't. you will get paid for the time in any event.

as you've found you take on a real risk when you take on the work thats contracting! and if you don't get paid you can always write it off as a bad debt in the accounts.