Getting paid, explained

Practical guides on invoicing, GST, and collecting what you're owed — written for Indian freelancers and small businesses.

Getting paid

How to follow up on an unpaid invoice (without burning the relationship)

A practical follow-up sequence for freelancers in India — what to send, when to send it, and the wording that keeps a client relationship intact while still getting you paid.

6 min read
GST & compliance

What a GST-compliant invoice must contain in India

The fields a GST invoice legally needs, the difference between intra-state and inter-state tax treatment, and the mistakes that most often cause an invoice to be rejected.

7 min
Getting paid

Payment terms that actually get freelancers paid faster

Net 30 is a default, not a law. How to set payment terms, advances, and late fees that shorten the gap between finishing work and seeing the money.

5 min
Getting paid

How to send payment reminders on WhatsApp without sounding pushy

WhatsApp gets read within minutes, unlike email. The wording, timing, and tone that make a reminder land as a helpful nudge instead of a demand.

5 min
Choosing a tool

Free GST invoicing software: what to actually check before signing up

Most free invoicing tools cap invoices, watermark PDFs, or gate GST fields behind a paid plan. The questions worth asking before you commit to one.

5 min
Getting paid

Why invoicing should take under a minute, and how to get there

Slow invoicing is not a tooling inconvenience — it is the reason invoices get sent late, or not at all. What actually needs to happen in that minute.

4 min
GST & compliance

CGST, SGST, and IGST: which applies to your invoice

The tax split depends entirely on where your client is registered, not where you are. A plain explanation of the rule and the mistake that trips up most freelancers.

5 min
GST & compliance

GST invoice format for service providers, not product sellers

Service invoices differ from goods invoices in a few specific ways — SAC codes instead of HSN, no shipping details, and how to describe billable time.

5 min
GST & compliance

Do freelancers need GST registration? The threshold, plainly

Registration is not automatic at every income level, and it is not optional past a certain one either. What the threshold actually is and when it applies.

4 min
Getting paid

Invoicing international clients: currency, tax, and what changes

Billing a client in Singapore or elsewhere outside India changes the currency, the tax treatment, and how payment actually reaches you. What to set up before the first invoice.

6 min
GST & compliance

E-invoicing and the IRP: do small businesses actually need it

E-invoicing is mandatory above a turnover threshold, not for every GST-registered business. What it involves, and what changes if it applies to you.

5 min
Getting paid

Why a UPI payment link on the invoice gets you paid faster

Bank account and IFSC details ask the client to do work. A UPI link or QR code removes every step between opening the invoice and paying it.

4 min
GST & compliance

Invoice numbering: the rules, and why gaps cause problems

Sequential numbering is not a formality — it is a compliance requirement, and a broken sequence draws more scrutiny than almost any other invoicing mistake.

4 min
Getting paid

How to invoice for freelance work in India: GST, formats, and getting paid on time

A start-to-finish walkthrough for Indian freelancers: what a compliant invoice needs, whether GST applies to you, and how to get paid without chasing every client by hand.

6 min
GST & compliance

How to find the right SAC code for your freelance service

SAC codes are not calculated and there is no approval step to claim one — you classify your service against the CBIC list and put it on the invoice. Here is how to do that correctly.

5 min
Getting paid

5 WhatsApp follow-up templates for overdue client payments

Five message templates for the exact point a client is late — from the first friendly nudge to the last notice before you escalate — plus how to stop sending them by hand.

5 min
Getting paid

Payment gateway fees vs. direct UPI invoicing: what a freelancer actually keeps

A payment gateway sits between an invoice and the money, and takes a cut for it. A direct UPI link on the invoice does not. Here is what that difference is actually worth.

5 min
Getting paid

Invoicing tools with WhatsApp reminders for Indian agencies: a comparison

Several Indian invoicing tools now send payment reminders over WhatsApp, not just email. What each one actually does, what it costs, and where Paxbil fits.

7 min
GST & compliance

How a sole proprietor collects GST on an invoice paid via UPI

GST-registered and paid over UPI are two independent facts about an invoice — one does not change how the other works. What a sole proprietor actually needs to do at invoice time.

5 min
Getting paid

Razorpay and Instamojo alternatives for direct UPI settlement

What Razorpay and Instamojo currently charge on a standard UPI transaction, how settlement timing works, and what changes when nothing sits between the invoice and the payment.

5 min