MilestoneGate.
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For agencies with many clients

Stop chasing invoices. Start gating the work.

Get paid before you deliver the next stage.

Create a shared project plan where every milestone has a deliverable, a price and a payment gate. Check that payment has arrived, then mark the stage as paid to unlock the next stage in the plan. Payment confirmation is currently manual.

Example · Lumen Launch · $16,000 brand package
Stage 1Paid
Discovery & brief
$2,000
Stage 2Paid
Brand book
$4,800
Stage 3Awaiting
Website build
$6,200
Hover or tap to simulate confirmation
Stage 4Locked
Launch kit
$3,000
Opens when Stage 3 is marked paid
→ Check that the $6,200 has arrived, then mark Stage 3 as paid to unlock Stage 4.
Start free — up to 5 clientsI'm a client

Free up to 5 clients · then $29/month · no card to sign up

Agency portfolio · Monday
$30,100 outstanding
Lumen Launch
Stage 2 of 4 · Brand book
Paid
Northwind Coffee
Retainer · September
Awaiting
Studio Kite
Stage 3 of 5 · Website build
Overdue 12 days
Field Notes Co.
Stage 1 of 3 · Discovery
Locked
The problem

Projects don't go over budget because clients refuse to pay

They go over budget because agencies keep working while payment is outstanding.

A common agency scenario

The website is live. The final payment never arrived.

Project value
$500
Still unpaid
$250

The client has approved the website, but the developer has already launched it. Now they're chasing payment and weighing up their options.

MilestoneGate helps establish the payment gate before launch becomes the problem.

The traditional workflow
Step 1
Deliver
Work goes out the door
Step 2
Invoice
Payment terms start
Step 3
Chase
Reminders, calls, awkward emails
Step 4
Wait
Net 30 quietly becomes net 60
Step 5
Keep working
The agency funds the gap

Step 5 loops straight back to Step 1 — the cycle only breaks when the money lands.

0–30 days
$12,400
Still a friendly nudge away
31–60 days
$8,900
Chasing begins in earnest
61–90 days
$5,200
Now it's uncomfortable
90+ days
$3,800
Effectively written off

Agencies don't lose money to bad clients. They lose it to the gap between work delivered and payment received.

What's different about MilestoneGate
Step 1
Plan
Stages with a price and deliverables, agreed upfront
Step 2
Deliver
One stage at a time
Step 3
Approve
Agree sign-off with your client outside MilestoneGate
Step 4
Pay
Client pays as usual; you check receipt and mark the stage paid
Step 5
Unlock
The next stage opens in the shared plan

Same stages — but payment now sits before the next step. Your team controls when work starts and deliverables are released.

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The fix

A shared plan where payment unlocks work

One live plan both sides see. You check receipt of payment and click Mark as paid; the next stage opens in the plan. Your team decides when to start work and release deliverables.

Lumen Launch · stages
Stage 1Paid
Discovery & brief · $2,000
Stage 2Paid
Brand book · $4,800
Stage 3Awaiting
Website build · $6,200
Stage 4Locked
Launch kit · $3,000
Stage 4 stays locked in the plan until Stage 3 is marked as paid.
Reminder queue
Studio Kite · Stage 3
Today · 12 days overdue
Northwind Coffee · Retainer
Thu · Due in 2 days
Auto-escalate Studio Kite
Fri · Firm reminder
Field Notes Co.
Next Mon · Nudge before lock
One click sends a reminder — the client sees it inside their portal too.
01
Plan the stages

Use a template like 40/30/30 or a monthly retainer. Each stage lists its deliverables and price.

02
Share with your client

They sign in free and see exactly what's delivered, what's due, and what's next.

03
Confirm payment manually

Check your bank or payment provider, then click Mark as paid on the project stage. The next stage unlocks in the shared plan.

Features

Built for the way agencies actually bill

Payment-gated stages

The next stage stays locked in the plan until the previous one is marked as paid. Your team controls delivery.

Shared live plan

You and your client see the same schedule, amounts and deliverables. No version drift.

Reusable templates

Save your 40/30/30, 50/50 or monthly retainer once, apply it to every new project.

Aging at a glance

Portfolio view shows what's paid, awaiting or overdue — across every client.

One-click reminders

Send a nudge from the project page. The client sees it in their portal instantly.

Fixed or retainer billing

One-off stage projects or rolling monthly retainers, with add-a-month built in.

Instant alerts

Both sides get notified when a stage is paid, unlocked, or slips overdue.

Client-friendly

Clients sign up free with email or Google — no onboarding marathon on their side.

Built for many clients

Manage 5, 15 or 30 clients from one dashboard without a spreadsheet in sight.

Why should I care

What changes when payment gates the work

01
Protect cash flow

Don't keep delivering unpaid work.

02
Reduce invoice chasing

Make payments part of the workflow.

03
Control scope

Each stage has a defined deliverable.

04
Give clients clarity

Everyone can see what's been delivered, what's paid and what's next.

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A real case

The $250 lesson every agency recognises

A true story from a web developer's forum post — and where a gated plan would have changed the ending.

What happened

A Texas web developer agreed a $500 site: $250 upfront, $250 on approval before launch. The client approved by phone, so the site went live in good faith. Then the client asked to add more images — and went silent. A month later: no images, no payment, no replies. The site is still live for the client's customers, and small claims court would cost $150 to chase $250.

  • Approval was verbal — nothing in writing to point back to.
  • The final payment was due before launch, but the site launched anyway.
  • Extra work (new images) arrived with no price and no new terms.
  • Once the work was live, the developer had no leverage left.
With MilestoneGate
  • Agree the launch terms upfront

    List the launch deliverables, amount and due date in the shared plan. Keep written approval in your existing email or contract process.

  • Confirm payment before launch

    Check receipt of the $250, then mark the preceding payment stage as paid to unlock launch in the plan. Your team still controls publishing the website.

  • Extra work becomes a priced stage

    “Add more images” becomes a new stage with its own amount and due date — not free work attached to an unpaid invoice.

  • The plan chases for you

    Overdue stages are flagged to both sides and reminder emails go out — before a month of silence, not after.

He did everything right — contract, deposit, patience. The process failed him, not the client. MilestoneGate is that process, built in from the start.

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A real case

Approved at every step — and still unpaid

A true story from a brand designer's forum post — a high-profile client signed off on everything, then refused to pay.

What happened

A designer built a full brand identity for an influencer — logo, fonts, usage guidelines, motion graphics. The client gave enthusiastic email approvals at every milestone and accepted the final work. A month later they changed their mind: “we're not using it, so we're not paying for it.” A line-by-line proof of delivery got a “reviewing it with our lawyer” — then silence. The invoice is now 90+ days overdue, and the next step is a demand letter and small claims court.

  • Every milestone was approved — and not one approval triggered a payment.
  • The invoice only went out after all the work was done, with nothing forcing the issue.
  • “We're not using it” became the escape route, because no stage gate stood in the way.
  • The only leverage — withholding the files — arrived after the debt already existed.
With MilestoneGate
  • Approval isn't payment

    Set an amount and due date for each stage upfront. After sign-off through your usual process, check payment separately and mark the stage as paid.

  • Keep final delivery behind confirmed payment

    The next stage stays locked in the plan until the preceding stage is marked as paid. Your team withholds and releases files — MilestoneGate does not control file access.

  • See overdue stages and send a reminder

    Overdue stages are flagged in the plan. Send a reminder email from the project page instead of waiting until day 90.

  • “We changed our minds” has nowhere to hide

    Both sides see the same stages, amounts and due dates, so a mid-project change of heart can't unpick the deal.

A signed agreement, approvals in writing, proof of delivery — and still 90 days unpaid. Approval on paper isn't money in the bank. MilestoneGate keeps the payment status visible, so your team can check payment before delivering the next stage.

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Why MilestoneGate exists

Built around a real agency problem

Agencies can complete the work, send the invoice and still find themselves chasing payment. MilestoneGate makes the agreed stages, payment status and next steps visible to both sides.

What the agency sees
  • Every client in one list

    Paid, awaiting or overdue — across the whole portfolio.

  • Who owes what, and since when

    Each stage carries its amount and its due date.

  • One click to nudge

    The reminder lands in the client's portal as well as their inbox.

One shared plan · Lumen Launch
Stage 1Discovery & brief$2,000Paid
Stage 2Brand book$4,800Paid
Stage 3Website build$6,200Awaiting
Stage 4Launch kit$3,000Locked
Next step: check receipt of $6,200 and mark Stage 3 as paid to open Stage 4.
What the client sees
  • The plan they agreed

    The same stages, deliverables and amounts you wrote down.

  • What they've already paid for

    Paid stages stay marked paid — nothing to re-litigate.

  • What's next, and what it costs

    The next stage and its price are visible before work starts.

Agreed stages

Deliverables and prices written down before the work starts.

Payment status

Paid, awaiting or overdue — on every stage, for both sides.

Next steps

Everyone can see which stage opens once payment is marked as paid.

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Pricing

Simple, like the plan itself

Start free. Upgrade when your client list grows past five.

Starter
Free
  • ✓2 projects with unlimited stages
  • ✓Up to 5 clients
  • ✓Shared client portal
  • ✓10 reminder emails a month
Start free
Most agencies
MilestoneGate Pro
$29/month
  • ✓Unlimited projects, clients & reminders
  • ✓Everything in Starter
  • ✓Spreadsheet import
  • ✓Priority support
Start free, upgrade later
Your brand
Agency
$49/month
  • ✓Everything in Pro
  • ✓Your logo & name on the client portal
  • ✓Reminder emails in your agency's name
  • ✓Your brand colour on every client page
Start free, upgrade later

Payment confirmation is manual on every plan: check your bank or payment provider, then click Mark as paid. MilestoneGate does not detect payments from your bank, Xero or other payment methods. Integrated client payments are coming soon.

FAQ

Straight answers

Do my clients need an account?+

Yes — but it's free and takes a minute. They sign in with their email (or Google) and see every project you've shared with them.

How does payment unlock the next stage?+

MilestoneGate tracks your agreed payment schedule and project stages. Your client pays through your usual method. You check that the money has arrived in your bank or payment provider, then open the project and click Mark as paid on the relevant stage. This records it as paid and automatically unlocks the next stage in the shared plan. Payment confirmation is currently manual; MilestoneGate does not connect to your bank, Xero or other payment methods to detect incoming payments. Integrated client payments are coming soon.

Does MilestoneGate hold my money?+

No. Payments currently happen outside MilestoneGate through your existing payment arrangements. MilestoneGate records the payment status you update manually; it does not collect, hold or transfer your client's money.

Does the client Pay button take a real payment?+

Not yet. The current client Pay button is a demo: it marks a stage as paid and unlocks the next stage without charging a card or verifying that money has arrived. It is not proof of payment. Always check your bank or payment provider before starting the next stage or releasing work.

Does unlocking a stage release files or launch my website?+

No. Unlocking changes the stage status in the shared plan. MilestoneGate does not automatically start work, release files, publish or suspend a website. Your team controls those actions after checking payment.

What if a client won't pay?+

Leave the stage unpaid in the plan and hold off on the next delivery. The plan shows what's awaiting payment or overdue, and you can send a reminder from the project page. Your team remains responsible for withholding work and checking that any payment recorded has actually arrived.

Can I use my own payment schedule?+

Yes. Build stages from scratch or save your usual split — like 40/30/30 — as a reusable template.

What's in the free plan?+

2 projects (each with unlimited payment stages), up to 5 clients, 10 reminder emails a month and 2 saved templates. MilestoneGate Pro ($29/mo) removes the limits and adds spreadsheet import.

What counts as a client for the 5-client limit?+

Each client counts once, however many projects you run for them — we go by the client's email on the project, so the same client across three projects still uses one seat.

Is this legally binding on my client?+

MilestoneGate is a shared plan and transparency tool, not a contract. Most agencies pair it with their existing agreement — the shared schedule makes the terms visible to both sides.

Your work is the leverage. Use it.

Set up your first payment-gated project in under ten minutes. Free for up to five clients.

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