Every service business knows the moment: the work is delivered, the invoice is past due, and the client has stopped answering. ClientVetter keeps a shared database of documented reports about non paying clients, filed by members who can show the contract, the invoice and the delivery. Before you sign a new account, you can see whether other vendors were left unpaid, what the company said in reply, and whether the debt was later settled.
A state registry tells you a company exists. A domain record tells you how old its website is. Neither tells you that the same company left three freelancers with unpaid invoices last year. That knowledge usually lives in private conversations and forum threads, where it is hard to find and impossible to verify.
The non-payment database puts that knowledge in one place with rules strict enough to be fair to both sides. It is part of the full client report, next to the registry match, footprint, public dispute mentions and sanctions screening, and it feeds the risk score with a written reason for every point.
A member can file a report only about a business client, never about a private individual, and only with documents that support each fact.
A signed contract, accepted proposal or written order that shows the agreement
The unpaid invoice with its date, due date and amount
Proof of delivery or correspondence that shows the work was done or accepted
Reports contain facts only: an amount band, dates and status. Opinions, insults and names of private individuals are not allowed. A report that reads like a review gets sent back to the member.
Every new report is reviewed before it becomes visible to other members. Moderation checks that the documents match the company, the dates and the amount band, and that the wording sticks to facts. Reports that do not meet the rules are rejected.
When a report passes moderation, the reported business is notified at its public business address or domain contact. It can add a reply, which is shown right next to the report so every member reads both sides together. It can also dispute the report. During a dispute the report is hidden from members while it is reviewed, reports that turn out to be unsupported are removed, and invoices that were paid are marked Resolved. The reported business can follow the steps on the dispute a non-payment report page.
A Resolved report still says something useful: the company paid. Many members read a Resolved entry as a mild signal, not a red flag, and the score treats it that way.
Reports are visible only to logged-in paying members. They are never published as public pages, never indexed by search engines and never shared outside the platform. Running a check is private as well: the client is not told that you looked it up. Only a filed report leads to a notice to the reported company.
| Plan | Non-payment reports | Price billed yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Search | $24/mo ($288/yr) |
| Team | Search and submit | $64/mo ($768/yr) |
| Agency | Search and submit | $149/mo ($1,788/yr) |
| Enterprise | Search and submit | $399/mo ($4,788/yr) |
Monthly billing is $49, $129, $299 and $799, and yearly billing saves 50%. Details are on ClientVetter pricing.
A report rarely means you must refuse a client. It tells you how to protect yourself. One old, Resolved report on a long running company is a different picture from two recent, unanswered reports on a company formed last spring. The report shows dates, amount bands, status and the company's reply, and the suggested terms for the risk band help you decide on a deposit, milestone billing or shorter payment terms.
Pair the database with business credit monitoring, so you hear when a new report is filed about a client you already work with, and with a company credit check before larger projects. If a client already owes you money, our guide on how to collect from a client who won't pay covers the steps before and after you file a report.
ClientVetter is not a consumer reporting agency, and its reports are not consumer reports. They cover businesses and people only in their role at a business, and may not be used for decisions about an individual's credit, insurance, employment or housing. The fcra compliant background check page explains the permitted use. Filing a report is not a debt collection step and is not legal advice; for collection, talk to your own advisor.
No. Only paying members can file, only about a business client, only with a contract, the unpaid invoice and proof of delivery, and only after moderation. The company is notified and can reply or dispute.
The report is marked Resolved. It stays as a record that the invoice was eventually paid, with the reply from the company if it gave one.
Starter includes searching reports. Filing reports is part of Team, Agency and Enterprise.
The company sees the facts of the report and the documents needed to answer it, because a fair reply is not possible otherwise. Members should file only facts they can stand behind.
Check a client and see documented non-payment reports, replies and Resolved entries in the same report as the registry and domain data.
Your full report for this client is saved to your account.