GUIDE · NOT GETTING PAID
What To Do If A Client Doesn't Pay
Let's not dance around it: having an independent verification report doesn't mean the client's payment shows up automatically. So the report comes back clean and the client still isn't paying -- now what?
Lancerix today (Faz 1) doesn't hold funds and can't force a client to pay -- the escrow infrastructure that would do that hasn't been built yet. A verification report is independent, timestamped evidence that the criteria were met; it isn't a payment-collection mechanism. Seeing that distinction clearly is the first step to using the tools you actually have.
First, check whether your evidence is actually complete
Before pursuing any legal process or confrontation, check: is the contract signed, are the acceptance criteria written and clear, is the delivery timestamped, does the report say the criteria were met? If all four are true, you have a genuinely strong file.
If one of them is missing (say, criteria were never written down), fix that in your next contract -- you can't retroactively complete a past gap, but you can make sure you never hit it again.
Formal debt collection: the official route for a written debt
In Turkey, starting a formal debt-collection process (icra takibi) over a signed contract and an unpaid amount is a legitimate legal route -- it's the standard mechanism for turning a written debt into an official collection process.
This guide is not legal advice and doesn't state exact procedures, costs, or current thresholds -- those change and depend on your specific situation. For concrete next steps you need a lawyer or legal advisor. The only point here is that this route exists, and a signed contract plus clear acceptance criteria plus a timestamped delivery are the most valuable documents you'll be carrying into it.
Sharing the report: not a legal tool, but a real one
You can choose to publish an accepted verification report on a public, shareable link -- off by default, entirely your call. The shared version shows the contract title, project category, acceptance criteria, and the result; it never shows either party's name, contact details, or the amount involved.
It isn't a collection mechanism, but it has a real effect: a client who leaves independently-verified, criteria-met work unpaid now faces a visible record of that. In some disputes, what moves payment along isn't a courtroom -- it's that visibility.
For next time: reducing the risk up front
The strongest fix for non-payment is a contract structure that makes it harder in the first place: asking for an upfront payment before starting, splitting large projects into stages delivered separately, and writing separate acceptance criteria for each stage. None of this is specific to Lancerix -- it's general freelance practice -- but it fits directly into how contracts and criteria already work here.
Acceptance criteria have to be agreed by both sides before the contract is signed -- a criterion added or changed afterward runs straight into "that was never part of the deal" the moment a dispute happens.
Frequently asked
Does Lancerix collect unpaid money on my behalf?
No. Lancerix today doesn't hold funds or run collections -- it provides an independent verification report and a signed contract. Collection is a separate legal process you (or your lawyer) would pursue.
Does a clean report count as evidence in court?
This isn't legal advice, and only a lawyer can give you a definitive answer. What can be said generally: a signed, timestamped, tamper-proof record is a stronger document than an agreement scattered across conversation and messages.
Does publishing the report publicly end the relationship with that client?
Probably, yes -- it's a firm step and should be treated as one, used as a last resort where the relationship is already over. The report doesn't say anything negative about anyone; it only shows that the criteria were met.
How do I prevent this ahead of time?
Asking for an upfront payment, splitting the project into stages, and writing separate acceptance criteria locked in before signing -- none of it is a guarantee, but each measurably lowers the risk.
Set your next contract up stronger, today
Clear acceptance criteria and an independent verification layer don't eliminate the risk of not getting paid, but they measurably strengthen the evidence you'd be holding if it happens.