Someone who's paid half upfront is way less likely to ghost. It's why I call the advance the biggest lever you have. Less likely isn't never, though. A client paid the advance, you started the work, and then the replies stopped. This is a different problem from a client who vanishes after final delivery. You're mid-project, you've been paid something, and you don't know whether to keep working. Here's the order to handle it in.
Work through it in order. Check in with a clear, friendly message and a date. If there's still no reply, pause work in writing and say what restarts it. If the silence continues, close out the project: invoice completed work, record what was paid and keep every message. Don't keep working for free in the hope that the client returns.
Nothing here is legal advice. Whether you can keep an advance depends on your agreement and the facts, so ask a lawyer before you act on a large sum.
Why a client ghosts after paying the advance
You can't know the reason, and guessing doesn't help. Common ones: the client's budget changed, their own client went quiet, someone internal changed their mind, or they simply got busy and forgot you. Many of these have nothing to do with you.
What you can control is what you did before the silence started. If you had a quotation with an accepted schedule, you have a clear record. If you had a chat thread, you have something. Next time, set this up before work starts: a payment schedule in the quotation and a staged handover.
Step 1: The check-in (days 1 to 7)
Wait a few working days before assuming the worst. Then send one clear message on the channel you normally use.
Hi Rahul, I've finished the design stage and need your feedback to start the next one. Could you review the files by Friday? If the schedule has changed on your side, let me know and we can adjust.
It shows what's blocked, gives a date, and leaves room for a change of plan, so the client can reply without feeling accused.
Step 2: The pause notice (days 8 to 14)
If there's still no reply, say plainly that you're pausing.
Hi Rahul, I haven't heard back since 6 Oct, so I'm pausing work on the project. I'll restart as soon as you send feedback, and we can agree a new timeline then. The work completed so far is the design stage.
Keep it short and factual. Name the date of the last reply, say that work is paused, and say what restarts it. Don't threaten or lecture.
If the client is slow rather than gone, there's a softer note I'd send when their delay pushes the timeline:
Since feedback has moved two weeks past plan, I'll need to reslot this to the next available window.
It sets the expectation that your time isn't infinitely flexible, without making it personal.
Step 3: Take stock of what you have
While you wait, make a list. This is useful whatever happens next.
- The accepted quotation or agreement, with the price, the schedule and the scope.
- The advance received, with date and amount.
- Work completed, by stage.
- Messages, including the last reply and every attempt since.
- Invoices sent, and their status.
If your quotation was accepted in Riffit, the acceptance is stored with its date, so you have one dated record instead of a chat to scroll. Riffit doesn't decide who is right. It just keeps the record in one place.
Step 4: Invoice for what you completed
If the client stays silent for about two to three weeks, send an invoice for the work completed to date, minus the advance already paid. Example for a ₹60,000 project with a ₹30,000 advance: if you delivered the design stage and your quote priced it at ₹40,000, the invoice is for the ₹10,000 difference. If the advance already covers what you delivered, there may be nothing further to bill, and the invoice is simply a record.
Be careful here. Whether an advance is refundable or retainable depends on your agreement, and this is where a lawyer's advice is worth it. If your quote didn't say, don't assume.
Send the invoice with a short note, and use the reminders to follow up. On the free plan Riffit sends one email on the due date. On Pro you get a full schedule on email and WhatsApp. The follow-up scripts and the WhatsApp reminder scripts cover the wording.
Step 5: Close it out
If the client replies and wants to continue, restart with a revised timeline in writing. If they want to stop, agree what's owed and close it. If they stay silent, send a final message and mark the project closed on your side.
Hi Rahul, since I haven't heard back, I'm closing this project on my side. The design stage delivered on 29 Sep comes to ₹40,000 under the quotation. With the ₹30,000 advance, the invoice I sent covers the remaining ₹10,000. If you would like to restart later, send me a message and I'll send a new quotation.
Check what your quotation says about the advance before you send this.
In Riffit, record any payment against the invoice once you've seen it in your account. Riffit doesn't detect payments on its own. If you settle for less than the full amount, use Close Invoice to close it short. If an invoice is no longer valid and nothing has been paid on it, cancel it. A clean ending is easier to carry than an open item that nags.
Keep the accepted quotation, invoices and payments for each project in one place on the dashboard.Try Riffit freeWhen it isn't mid-project
If the work was delivered in full and the client has stopped replying, read what to do when a client ghosts after delivery. If the client disputes the invoice itself, see what to do when a client disputes an invoice.
FAQ
Send a clear check-in with a date, then a written pause notice if there is still no reply. After that, invoice for work completed and close the project in writing. Keep every message and the accepted quotation as your record.
It depends on your agreement and the facts. If your quotation or contract states what the advance covers, that is the starting point. For a large amount, ask a lawyer before you decide.
Not for long. After a check-in and a pause notice, stop work and say in writing what restarts it. Continuing without payment or feedback only increases what you lose.
A week after the last reply is a reasonable point to send a pause notice. The right gap depends on the project, so pick a rule and tell the client what it is.
The accepted quotation or agreement, the advance payment details, completed stages, all messages and any invoices sent. In Riffit, accepted quotations and invoices are stored with their dates.
Agree a new timeline in writing before you restart. If the scope or the price has changed, send a revised quotation so the client accepts the new terms rather than the old ones.