> Let's say that your client is late with last period's payment - is it ethical to drag your feet in project participation until you are paid? I'm a bit baffle

> Let's say that your client is late with last period's payment - is it ethical to drag your feet in project participation until you are paid? I'm a bit baffled as to why anyone would think it isn't ethical. Suppose I go to a store and say, "I'd like a Coke", and they say, "That will be $1", and I say "Okay", but then I don't give them the dollar. Is it ethical for them to withhold the Coke? Of course it is. In the case you mention, the situation is even clearer, since you have a signed commitment to pay. > ... is quid pro quo always ethical and to what extent should or could it be used? That second part is a very different thing. You are trying to run a successful business, not just do whatever ethics allows. And that may mean giving customers some slack on occasion. But are you required to? Of course not. > Discussions among freelancers and contractors often end up being focused on collecting payments from clients and the methods used. Indeed. But such discussions are largely not about ethics.