You cannot charge interest--and expect them to be obligated to pay it--if you have not previously notified your clients that you will do so if payment is late. That's changing the terms of your agreement.
If you could get away with that, your clients could just as easily come back to you and say, "I'm not paying you $100 per dog sit; I'm only paying $50," and you'd have to stick with that.
However, if you had a written agreement (that they signed) stating your fees and that interest would be charged on late payments, then yes, you would be entitled to collect, because it's part of your contract.
Even better, get the client to agree (in writing) to monthly charges to a valid credit card. That way, you won't have to deal with late payers.
Nina L. Kaufman is an award-winning business attorney, author and speaker. For more than 15 years, she has successfully navigated thousands of small businesses through the legal hurdles they face in starting and running their companies. Under her
AskTheBusinessLawyer.com brand, she reaches thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners with her legal services, professional speaking, information products, and
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