A 30-page contract that does not protect you is worse than a short one that does. The difference is not length — it is the clauses that matter when things go wrong.
This is the tactical list, with examples. The broader logic — how to build a contract so you can claim payment — is in preventing debts through contract structure. None of the clauses below guarantees collection. Effect depends on wording, evidence and the file.
1. The due date — exact, not relative
Weak: “Payment shall be made within 30 days of delivery.”
Clearer: “Payment shall be made within 30 calendar days of the date both parties sign the acceptance note.”
The first wording is ambiguous: delivery of what, proven how? The second is calculable.
2. Late-payment interest or penalty
Without a clause, a court will as a rule award only what the law gives — often modest. A clear rate (for example 0.1% per day from the due date) also changes negotiation. The cap and the percentage must stay reasonable for your contract; they are not a universal recipe.
3. Retention of title
“Delivered goods remain the seller’s property until the price is paid in full.”
It can help if the debtor enters insolvency — but not automatically: it must be in the contract before delivery, and opposability to third parties depends on formalities. Do not treat it as insurance.
4. Electronic correspondence address
“All notices, demands and communications are deemed received if sent to: [exact email].”
Without it the debtor can contest receipt. With it, an email to the agreed address is a written trail — not a substitute for every form of notice a given file may require.
5. Recovery costs on the debtor
“On non-payment at maturity, the debtor bears recovery costs, including fees and procedural expenses, to the extent the law and the court allow.”
The court decides what to award. The clause does not mean you automatically recover everything you spent.
6. Right of set-off
If you have several contracts with the same client, set-off may let you apply a payment to the overdue invoice, not only to the one the debtor prefers. Exact conditions are a matter of contract and law.
7. Acceleration
“If one invoice is unpaid at maturity, the other outstanding sums may be declared immediately due.”
Without it each invoice is pursued separately. With it, a single delay can change the negotiation — if the wording is valid.
8. Venue and competent court
Without a clause, venue is as a rule at the debtor’s seat: travel, time, cost. Specifying the court (where the law allows it) reduces that friction. It does not force the debtor to pay; it removes a practical obstacle.
9. Acceptance note
“Delivery is deemed made on the date the buyer’s authorised representative signs the acceptance note.”
Without a signed note, delivery is easy to contest. With it you have evidence.
10. Waiver of minor formal objections
Debtors sometimes raise details: “no stamp”, “the wrong person signed”, “one digit differs”. A clause that the parties will not invoke minor formal irregularities that do not affect the substance of the obligation can reduce delay tactics. It will not save an empty file.
How to use them
You do not need all of them in every contract. Large amount, new client, high risk — more clauses. For small, repetitive deals, a template with due date, penalty, notice email, costs and acceptance note (1, 2, 4, 5 and 9) is often enough. Choose by the file, not by the list.
For a reading of the standard contract, prevention consulting is the commercial page. This article stays the tactical list.