How Catalant Supports Expert Invoice, Collections, and Payments
Managing the end-to-end payment process as an independent consultant—securing a purchase order, issuing invoices, and following up on collections—can be time-consuming and uncertain. The reality is that large companies often have long payment terms, sometimes extending to 90 or even 120 days. While private equity-backed companies tend to offer better terms (typically 30 to 60 days), they still frequently pay late. In some cases, especially with smaller businesses, clients may be unable to pay at all due to financial distress.
At Catalant, a core part of our value proposition is handling this complexity on your behalf. We manage the collection of purchase orders, coordinate invoicing, pursue collections, and assume the risk of late or non-payment—all while providing Experts with guaranteed, predictable payments.
We have a dedicated team focused on this process, along with systems and infrastructure that optimize how we manage client payments. We’re continually investing in improving our processes and negotiating better terms with clients. Like any business, our payment terms are critical to managing cash flow and minimizing bad debt.
To align with our average client payment terms, Catalant pays Experts on 60-day terms. This ensures consistency and allows us to absorb the variability and risk of client delays. Your payment date is guaranteed, and you’ll know exactly when to expect it—regardless of whether the client pays late or not at all.
All Catalant projects, including extensions, follow 60-day payment terms. Over time, as we improve client payment terms, we aim to pass those benefits along to our Experts.
Best Practices for Setting Payment Milestones
We’ve observed that some Experts don’t take full advantage of best practices when defining payment milestones. One simple change can make a significant difference:
Most leading consulting firms invoice a meaningful portion of the project fee at kickoff. This approach acknowledges the upfront effort in scoping and launch and improves cash flow significantly. This can be as much as 50% of a project. In the case of time and materials, invoicing for the first month up-front is best practice.
In our data, Experts who adopt this structure experience, on average, a 30-day improvement in overall payment timing.
Below is a diagram comparing the typical approach we see with the best-practice approach used by top consulting firms and experienced Catalant Experts:
Under Optimized Approach
Best Practice Approach
If you have any questions regarding the payment process, please contact Catalant Support at support@gocatalant.com for further assistance.