Part 1
Before you chase, rule out a problem on your side
Plenty of overdue invoices aren't being ignored at all. Five minutes of checking saves you sending a firm email to someone who has already paid.
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Your bank account
Search incoming payments for the amount, the client's name and the invoice number. Transfers often come from a parent company or a partner's personal account.
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The sent copy, not your memory
Look at the email that actually went out and check the address, the attachment and the date. A typo in the address means the client never saw it.
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The amount against the quote
If the invoice includes an extra hour, a callout charge or materials the client didn't expect, they may be sitting on it rather than starting an argument. Find that out now and explain the line.
Part 2
A follow-up timeline from due date to final notice
These timings suit payment terms of 14 to 30 days. On shorter terms, or if you're usually paid on the day for household jobs, close the gaps up and keep the order.
Where you can, send each reminder in the same thread as the original invoice, and keep the invoice number in every subject line either way. Whoever opens it can find the whole history, and you'll have a dated record of every chase if the debt ever goes further.
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Three days before the due date
A friendly heads-up with the invoice attached again. It catches invoices that never arrived while there's still time to pay on schedule.
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The day after it's due
A short, neutral note with the invoice number, the amount, the date it fell due and how to pay. Treat it as an oversight, because it often is.
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One week overdue
Ask when it will be paid and give them a couple of working days to answer. A reply with a date gives you something to hold them to, and silence tells you it's time to ring.
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Two to three weeks overdue
If you haven't spoken to them yet, phone, then put what was said in an email. If you've paused new work or bookings until the account is settled, say so plainly in that message.
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Final notice, around 30 days overdue
Set a firm date, usually 7 or 14 days away, and state what you'll do if the money hasn't arrived. Only name a step you're genuinely prepared to take.
Part 3
Overdue invoice email templates you can copy
Swap in your own details and cut anything that doesn't sound like you. Each subject line carries the invoice number, because that's what an accounts inbox searches for.
Re-attach the PDF every time. Asking someone to dig out an email from three weeks ago hands them one more reason to put it off.
Subject: Invoice [number] due on [date] Hi [name], Just a quick note that invoice [number] for [amount] is due on [date]. I've attached it again in case the first one went astray. My bank details are on the invoice. Please use [number] as the payment reference so I can match it up. Thanks, [Your name]
Subject: Invoice [number]: payment now due Hi [name], I hope all's well. I haven't yet received payment for invoice [number] ([amount]), which was due yesterday, [date]. A copy is attached. If it's already on its way, please ignore this. If something's holding it up, let me know and I'll help sort it out. Thanks, [Your name]
Subject: Invoice [number] is now 7 days overdue Hi [name], Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date] and is now a week overdue. I've attached another copy. Could you let me know by [date] when I can expect payment? If there's a problem with the invoice or the work, tell me and we'll put it right. You can pay by bank transfer to [account name and bank details], using [number] as the reference. Thanks, [Your name]
Subject: Final notice: invoice [number], [amount] overdue Hi [name], I wrote to you on [dates] and phoned on [date] about invoice [number] for [amount], which was due on [date]. I haven't received payment or a date for it. Please pay the full amount by [date]. If it hasn't reached me by then, I will [the next step you will actually take, for example start a small claim or pass the debt to a collection agency]. If you need to pay in instalments, reply before that date and we can agree a schedule in writing. Regards, [Your name]
Part 4
When to pick up the phone, and what to say
An email is easy to leave unread, while a call is much harder to dodge, and a two-minute conversation often clears up what a chain of emails couldn't. Ring when the one-week email goes unanswered, or sooner if the client has always preferred the phone. If it's a company, ask for whoever handles supplier payments as well as your usual contact, who may have passed the invoice on weeks ago.
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Have the facts in front of you
Invoice number, amount, due date and the dates you emailed. If they say they never got it, resend it while you're still on the line.
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Ask an open question
"Is anything stopping this from being paid?" gets you further than "When are you paying?". You might hear about a missing purchase order number, a cash-flow gap or a complaint about the job, and each of those needs a different fix.
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Leave with a date and a name
Before you hang up, get a specific payment date and the name of whoever is making the payment. If they offer "next week", ask which day.
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Confirm it in writing the same day
A two-line email does it: "Thanks for your time today. As agreed, you'll pay invoice [number] for [amount] by [date]." If that date slips, the email is your record of what they promised.
Part 5
What to do if they still don't pay
Decide what outcome you'd accept before going further, because some of these steps cost fees and a lot of patience. Procedures and limits differ by country, and within the UK between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so read your government's or court service's own guidance before acting.
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Offer a payment plan
Splitting the balance into two or three dated instalments can get money moving when a client is genuinely short. Put the schedule in writing, including what happens if an instalment is missed, such as the whole remaining balance falling due at once.
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Pause further work
If your terms allow it, stop new work or bookings until the account is up to date, and tell the client in writing. Check your contract before holding back anything the client has already paid for or owns.
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Send a formal letter before action
Set out the debt, a deadline and what you'll do next. In England and Wales, courts expect a formal letter before a claim is started, and when the client is an individual, sole traders included, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims sets out what the letter must include and gives them 30 days to reply. A short final-notice email may not be enough on its own.
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Statutory interest, for UK business clients
In the UK, late payment legislation lets a business claim interest and a fixed compensation amount when another business pays late, even if your terms never mentioned it. It doesn't cover household customers. If you plan to claim it, say so in the final notice and work out the figures from GOV.UK's guidance rather than guessing.
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A small claim
Many countries have a lower-cost court route for smaller debts, and in England and Wales you can start a money claim online. Keep in mind that winning a judgment doesn't make the client pay by itself, so weigh up whether they actually have the money.
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A collection agency, or writing it off
Agencies usually keep a share of what they recover. For a small balance from a one-off client, writing it off and declining future bookings can be the sensible call. Ask your accountant how bad debts are treated for tax.
Part 6
How to make the next invoice easier to collect
A lot of late payment is set up before the invoice is even sent. These habits won't stop every slow payer, but they'll make chasing a rare job.
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Agree terms before you start
Put your payment terms in the quote or booking confirmation and get a yes in writing. A reminder carries more weight when you can point back to something the client agreed to.
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Change the terms for anyone you had to chase
If a client needed a final notice last time, ask for a deposit, payment up front or payment on completion before you take their next job. Clients who want to keep working with you will usually accept that, and if one won't, you can decide whether the job is worth the risk.
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Invoice the day the work is done
An invoice that turns up a fortnight after the job has to compete with the client's fading memory of it, and queries about what was done are harder to settle. For household work such as cleaning, grooming or a callout repair, taking payment on completion means there's nothing left to chase.
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Check what's outstanding every week
Pick a day and look at everything unpaid. In Invooza the invoice list shows your unpaid total for each currency, and you can email an invoice again from that list with your own message. Mark invoices paid as the money lands so the total stays accurate.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait before chasing an unpaid invoice?
Send a polite reminder the day after the due date, and a heads-up a few days before it, especially to new clients or anyone who has paid late before. If you wait a fortnight to send the first reminder, the client has had two weeks to move your invoice down their list.
What should I put in the subject line of an overdue invoice email?
The invoice number every time, plus where it stands, such as "Invoice [number] is 7 days overdue". Finance teams search by invoice number, and a plain subject is less likely to be mistaken for marketing.
What if the client only disputes part of the invoice?
Ask them to pay the part they agree with now and to put their objection to the rest in writing. Then deal with the disputed line on its own. If you agree to reduce it, issue a credit note or a corrected invoice, so one query doesn't hold up the whole amount.
What if the client says they never received the invoice?
Resend it straight away to an address they confirm, and ask them to reply once it's arrived. If the original genuinely went to the wrong place, it's reasonable to give them a short new deadline rather than treat it as weeks overdue.
Is it worth taking an unpaid invoice to small claims court?
It can be, for a clear debt owed by someone who has the money. Weigh the court fee and your time against the amount, and remember that a judgment doesn't collect the money by itself. Read your own country's court guidance on fees and enforcement before you start.