How to Get Paid Faster: A Guide for Maltese Businesses

Late payment is the single biggest cash-flow killer for Maltese freelancers and small businesses. The good news: most slow payment is preventable with a few habits, and the law is on your side. Here is how to get paid faster, and what you are legally entitled to when a client drags their feet.

Agree clear payment terms before you start

Vague terms invite slow payment. State your terms on the quote and the invoice: the due date (for example 14 or 30 days), accepted payment methods, and any deposit. For larger jobs, ask for a deposit up front and stage the rest. Clear expectations remove the most common excuse for delay.

Make paying effortless

This is the highest-impact change you can make. The harder it is to pay you, the longer it takes. Put your IBAN on every invoice, and ideally add a pay-now link so clients can settle by card in one click. An invoice that can be paid the moment it is opened is settled far sooner than one that requires a manual bank transfer later.

Invoice immediately and correctly

Send the invoice the day the work is done, not at month-end. And make sure it is right first time: a missing VAT number, wrong amount or unclear description gives a client a reason to park it. Our compliant invoice checklist helps you avoid the errors that trigger queries.

Send polite, systematic reminders

Most late payers are simply disorganised, not dishonest. A short, friendly reminder a few days before the due date, on the due date, and a firmer one after, recovers most overdue invoices without damaging the relationship. The key is consistency: chase every overdue invoice, every time.

Know your legal rights in Malta

For business-to-business deals, Malta's late payment rules, which transpose EU Directive 2011/7, give creditors real teeth:

• If no payment date is agreed, payment is generally due within 30 days; B2B terms should not exceed 60 days unless expressly agreed and not grossly unfair.
• You are entitled to statutory interest on late payment at the European Central Bank reference rate plus 8 percentage points (10.15% from 1 July 2025, reset every six months).
• You can also claim a fixed EUR 40 minimum per invoice toward recovery costs, automatically, on top of the interest.

You will rarely need to invoke these, but mentioning your right to statutory interest in a final reminder is remarkably effective.

A reminder workflow that gets you paid

• Three days before: a friendly heads-up that the invoice is due soon.
• Due date: "invoice due today" with the pay link.
• Seven days late: a polite overdue notice.
• Fourteen days late: a firmer notice referencing statutory interest and the EUR 40 charge.

Let your invoicing handle the chasing

Doing all of this by hand is exactly why it slips. invoices.mt sends professional invoices with a built-in pay-now link, tracks which are paid, overdue or outstanding, and can nudge clients automatically so you are not the one writing awkward emails. You see your cash-flow at a glance and spend less time chasing, more time working. Try it free.