Fees and timing
Freelance kill fee
A kill fee is what a client owes when they cancel after work has started. Put the trigger and amount in the proposal before kickoff.
More guides sit on the guides index.
Short answer
What is a freelance kill fee?
A kill fee is what a client owes when they cancel a freelance project after work has started. Structure it as a flat percentage of the fee, a stage-based percentage, or completed work plus a share of the remainder. Put the trigger and amount in the proposal before kickoff.
What a kill fee covers
It covers work already done and capacity you reserved when you turned other work down.
It is not a rush fee. Rush is about speed — see rush fee.
It is not a pause fee. A pause assumes they may return. A kill fee ends the project.
When it triggers
Written cancel notice after kickoff.
Optional: silence past a stated number of days treated as cancel. For example, fourteen days without reply after you asked for a decision.
State the trigger in the proposal so nobody is surprised.
Three simple structures
Flat percentage of the project fee. For example, 40% of the total fee if they cancel after kickoff.
Tiered by stage. For example, 25% early, 50% mid-project, 75% late.
Completed work plus a share of the remainder. Invoice finished work, then add for example 25% of what was still unbilled.
Always say how the deposit is treated. For example, non-refundable, or credited against amounts owed.
What to put in the proposal
Trigger (written notice, and optional silence after a set number of days).
Fee method and amount. Deposit treatment. Payment due within a set number of days. For example, due within fourteen days.
Work in progress is not delivered until the kill fee is paid, if that is your policy.
Sending the cancel invoice
Keep it calm: what is owed, when it is due, and that unfinished files stay with you until paid.
See the email page for related wording patterns.
How this fits with other guides
This page is cancel after start, three fee shapes, and proposal wording.
Rush fee is for expedited speed, not cancel.
If you want tools later
You do not need these to use the guide. One-time files.
Also: change-order email page · blank change-order template · Payhip store
FAQ
Is a kill fee the same as a deposit?
No. A deposit is an upfront floor. A kill fee is the cancel settlement after work starts.
Is it the same as a pause fee?
No. Pause assumes return. Kill ends the project.
Will it scare good clients?
Serious clients expect calendar protection. Frame it as a normal term.
Do I need a huge percentage?
No. Use a number that protects reserved capacity. For example, 40% after kickoff.
Not legal advice. Match your contract and local rules. This is a process aid, not a lawyer.