The average UK contractor waits 42 days to get paid. Not because customers are deliberately slow - but because paying invoices is friction. Bank transfer details to copy. Logging into online banking. Remembering to actually do it. It's always "I'll do it later" - and later becomes weeks.
HiveSuite users get paid in an average of 14 days. That's 3x faster - and it's not because their customers are different. It's because the payment process is frictionless.
Here's exactly how it works.
The Problem: Manual Invoicing Creates Friction
The Traditional Way
- Complete job on Friday
- Create invoice Monday (when back at desk)
- Email PDF to customer
- Customer sees it eventually
- Customer notes "need to pay this"
- Customer forgets
- You send reminder 30 days later
- Customer logs into bank, copies details, transfers
- You manually check bank and update spreadsheet
- Payment arrives 6 weeks after completing work
The HiveSuite Way
- Complete job on Friday
- Create & send invoice from phone on-site (2 minutes)
- Customer gets email with payment link immediately
- Customer clicks link, pays with card (30 seconds)
- Payment confirmed instantly
- Invoice auto-marked as paid in system
- Finance ledger updated automatically
- Cash in your account within 2 business days
No waiting. No chasing. No manual reconciliation.
How HiveSuite Eliminates Payment Friction
Integrated Stripe Payments
Every invoice includes a "Pay Now" button. Customers click it, enter card details (or use Apple Pay/Google Pay), and they're done in 30 seconds. No bank login required. No copying payment details. No "I'll do it later".
- One-click payments Customers pay without logging into online banking. Card details auto-saved for repeat customers. Mobile-optimised checkout works on any device.
- Instant confirmation You get notification the moment payment is made. Invoice automatically marked as paid. No need to check your bank account manually.
- Fast settlement Money in your business account within 2 working days. Faster than waiting weeks for bank transfers. Predictable cash flow.
- No customer accounts needed Customers don't need to create logins or remember passwords. Guest checkout means they can pay immediately without barriers.
Every invoice includes a prominent "Pay Now" button - customers can pay in seconds without leaving their email.
Automated Payment Reminders (That Actually Work)
Even with payment links, some customers forget. HiveSuite's automated reminder system ensures invoices don't fall through the cracks - without you having to chase manually.
Smart Reminder System
- Automatic scheduling Set reminder triggers once (e.g., 7 days before due date, on due date, 7 days overdue). System sends automatically for every invoice. No manual tracking needed.
- Professional tone Pre-written reminder emails that are polite but firm. Customise templates to match your brand voice. Include payment link in every reminder.
- Escalating urgency First reminder is friendly. Second is firmer. Third indicates serious consequences. Graduated approach maintains customer relationships.
- Stops when paid Once payment received, all future reminders cancelled automatically. No awkward "I already paid!" emails because the system knows.
Real example: Dave, a bathroom fitter, used to spend Friday afternoons going through unpaid invoices and sending chase emails. Now he doesn't think about it - the system handles everything. He's recovered £4,200 in overdue payments in the last quarter that would have been forgotten without automatic reminders.
Recurring Invoices = Predictable Cash Flow
The ultimate payment automation: invoices that send themselves on schedule. Perfect for maintenance contracts, retainers, or any regular work.
Set It and Forget It Billing
- Create once, runs forever Set up recurring invoice with frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually). Include payment link automatically. System generates and sends on schedule without your involvement.
- Customers can pay automatically Regular customers can save card details for automatic charging. No action needed from either of you - invoice generated, payment taken, both notified. Ultimate hands-off billing.
- Perfect for service contracts Annual boiler services, quarterly maintenance checks, monthly retainers - invoice and collect payment automatically. Never miss a billing cycle.
- Predictable income Know exactly when money is coming in. Makes cash flow forecasting trivial. Recurring revenue is the most valuable type of income.
Real example: Sarah, a heating engineer, has 47 annual service contracts. Before HiveSuite, she'd manually invoice once per year - which meant 47 invoices to create in January, all due at once. Now each contract has a recurring invoice tied to the service date. Invoices spread throughout the year. Payments automated. £42,000 annual recurring revenue that runs on autopilot.
Real-Time Payment Tracking
Know exactly who's paid, who hasn't, and who's overdue - instantly. No spreadsheets, no manual reconciliation, no guessing.
Complete Payment Visibility
- Dashboard overview See total outstanding, overdue amounts, and expected payments at a glance. Filter by customer, date range, or status. Identify cash flow problems before they happen.
- Customer payment history Track which customers pay on time vs late. Make informed decisions about payment terms for problem customers. Spot patterns in payment behaviour.
- Ask HiveIntel "Which customers owe me money?" "Show me all overdue invoices." "What's my expected income for next week?" Get instant answers in plain English.
- Export for accountant One-click export of all payment data for tax returns. Professional reports for finance meetings. Integration-ready for accounting software.
Mobile-First Invoicing
The fastest way to get paid is to invoice immediately. The fastest way to invoice is from your phone, on-site, before you've even left the job.
Invoice While You're Still There
- Create invoices in 2 minutes Mobile interface designed for on-site use. Large buttons, simple flows, minimal typing. Generate professional invoice faster than filling out a paper receipt.
- Customer details auto-populated Select customer from CRM, all details filled automatically. Add line items from saved product/service catalogue. Totals calculated instantly.
- Branded templates Your logo, colours, and payment terms on every invoice. Looks professional even when created on a phone. Customers can't tell it wasn't made at a desk.
- Send immediately Email invoice with payment link before you've left the property. Customer can pay whilst you're packing up. Payment received before you're home.
Why this matters: Invoices sent the same day get paid 40% faster than invoices sent a week later. The job is fresh in the customer's mind. They're satisfied with the work. They're ready to pay. Strike whilst the iron is hot.
The Cash Flow Impact
Getting paid 3x faster isn't just convenient - it transforms your business finances. Here's the maths:
Real Numbers
Scenario: You invoice £10,000 per month on average
Traditional invoicing (42-day payment cycle):
- January work invoiced: £10,000
- Paid in mid-March
- You're £20,000 out of pocket in February
- Need overdraft/credit to cover the gap
HiveSuite automation (14-day payment cycle):
- January work invoiced: £10,000
- Paid by mid-February
- You're only £5,000 out of pocket in February
- No overdraft needed
Result: £15,000 better cash position every month. That's £180,000 annual improvement in working capital - just from getting paid faster. No extra work required.
The Bottom Line
Getting paid faster isn't about pressuring customers or aggressive debt collection. It's about removing friction from the payment process. When paying is easy, customers pay quickly. When it requires effort, they delay.
HiveSuite makes payment effortless:
- One-click Stripe payments (no bank login needed)
- Automatic reminders (you don't chase manually)
- Recurring invoices (set once, runs forever)
- Mobile invoicing (invoice on-site, get paid immediately)
- Real-time tracking (always know who's paid)
The result: contractors get paid in 14 days instead of 42. That's not marketing fluff - that's the average across all HiveSuite users who've enabled payment automation.
Get Paid 3x Faster
Try HiveSuite free for 30 days. Enable Stripe payments, set up automatic reminders, and see how much faster your invoices get paid. No credit card required to start.
Stripe integration included. No transaction fees from HiveSuite (standard Stripe fees apply).