Key takeaways
- Chase in writing, in steps, from a heads-up before the due date to a final notice about five weeks late.
- Every reminder names the invoice number, the amount, the due date and how to pay.
- Each stage gets firmer by adding a deadline or a next step, never by getting ruder.
- If two emails in a row get no reply, phone, then confirm what was agreed in writing.
- Business clients can be charged late payment interest and compensation. Check your rights before you mention them.
To chase an unpaid invoice politely, send short, specific emails on a set schedule, each one a little firmer than the last. Start with a heads-up a few days before it's due and a reminder on the day. Then follow up at a week, two weeks and a month late, and finish with a final notice. Every email names the invoice number, the amount, the due date and how to pay.
Below is wording you can copy for each stage, what to change in it, and when to phone instead. For the law behind late payment, see late payments: your rights.
| Stage | When to send | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Heads-up | 3 days before it's due | The date and the pay link |
| Due today | On the due date | A plain reminder |
| A week late | 7 days overdue | A question: when will it be paid? |
| Two weeks late | 14 days overdue | A deadline for an answer |
| A month late | 30 days overdue | A deadline for payment |
| Final notice | About a week later | The next step, in writing |
What every reminder needs
Four things, every time: the invoice number, the amount, the original due date and a way to pay, ideally a link that opens the invoice.
Reply on the same email thread each time, with the invoice number in the subject line. Whoever picks it up sees the whole history, and you keep a dated record of every chase. If you know who pays the bills, copy in their accounts team as well as your usual contact.
If you're chasing every client, look at the invoice too: our guide to invoices that get paid covers what belongs on it.
Before it's due: the friendly heads-up
Send this about three days before the due date. It isn't a chase. It catches problems while there's still time to fix them, such as an invoice sent to the wrong person or one missing a purchase order (PO) number, which some larger clients need before they'll pay.
Subject: Invoice [number] due on [day]
Hi [name],
A quick heads-up that invoice [number] for [amount] is due on [date]. Here's the link to view and pay it: [link].
If it should go to someone else, or needs a PO number on it, just say and a corrected copy will be with you today.
Thanks,
[your name]
What to change: drop the PO line for a client you've invoiced before without trouble.
On the due date: a polite reminder
Keep it short and neutral, so it still reads fine if the money is already on its way.
Subject: Invoice [number] due today
Hi [name],
Just a reminder that invoice [number] for [amount] is due today. Here it is again: [link].
If it's already been paid, thank you, and please ignore this one.
Thanks,
[your name]
What to change: if your client can pay by card from the link, say so.
A week late: ask a question
At a week overdue, assume admin rather than bad faith. The point of this email is a reply, so it ends with a question. A question gives them something to answer; a statement gives them something to file.
Subject: Invoice [number]: a week overdue
Hi [name],
Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date] and hasn't come through yet. Could you check where it's got to and let me know when it'll be paid?
The invoice and pay link are here: [link].
Thanks,
[your name]
What to change: if you've only been writing to one person, copy in their accounts or finance team from now on.
Two weeks late: set a deadline for an answer
This one asks for a payment date by a set day, and invites the real reason. If there's a query on the work or the amount, you want it now, in writing, not after you've escalated.
Subject: Invoice [number]: payment date?
Hi [name],
Invoice [number] for [amount] is now 14 days overdue, and there's been no reply to the last two emails.
Could you confirm a payment date by [day, three working days away]? If something's holding it up, such as a question about the work or a missing PO number, tell me what it is and we can sort it this week.
Invoice and pay link: [link].
Thanks,
[your name]
What to change: drop the "no reply" line if they have replied. If the answer is "it's going in the next payment run", ask for that run's date and hold them to it. Their payment calendar doesn't move your due date.
A month late: give a payment deadline
At a month overdue, this is no longer a reminder. It sets a date to pay by and says what happens after it. If your contact has gone quiet, copy in someone more senior.
Subject: Invoice [number]: 30 days overdue
Hi [name],
Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date] and is now 30 days overdue. Please pay it by [date, seven days away].
[Business clients only] Late payment interest and compensation can now be added to the balance, and will be if it's still unpaid on that date.
If there's a problem with the invoice or the work, please reply today so it can be put right.
Pay here: [link]
Thanks,
[your name]
What to change: the bracketed line is optional. The late payment rules let one business charge another statutory interest and a fixed compensation sum for paying late, but a client paying as a private individual isn't covered. Our rights guide explains when they apply, and the late payment interest calculator works out the sum. Only write the line if you'll follow through.
Final notice: the last email before formal action
Send this once the month-late deadline has passed, and make one phone call first. A final notice only works if it names a real next step and you then take it.
Subject: Final notice: invoice [number]
Dear [name],
Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date] and is still unpaid, despite reminders on [dates].
Please pay the full balance of [amount] by [date, seven days away]. [Business clients only: this now includes late payment interest and compensation, shown on the attached updated invoice.]
If it isn't paid by then, the next step is a formal letter before action.
Pay here: [link]
[your name]
What to change: list the dates of your earlier reminders, which show you gave fair warning. If you're adding interest, gov.uk says to send a new invoice, so attach it. If the deadline passes, our guides to the letter before action and the small claims court take it from there.
When to pick up the phone instead
Email is your record, but a call is quicker at finding out what's actually wrong. Phone when:
- two emails in a row get no reply, since they may be landing with the wrong person or in spam
- the replies are vague, like "it's being processed"
- the invoice is big enough to matter to your month
- you're about to send the final notice
Ask two things: what's holding the payment up, and what date it will be paid. If it's a query about the work, ask them to put it in an email so you can answer it point by point.
Then send a short email the same day: "Thanks for the call. As agreed, invoice [number] for [amount] will be paid by [date]." In England and Wales, a court expects both sides to have exchanged information and tried to settle before a claim, and a call leaves no record of that. Your emails do.
If they've stopped answering altogether, see our guide to a client who won't pay.
Let the first five reminders send themselves
On the Essential plan, switch on automatic reminders and HelloNoa emails your client on weekdays: before the due date, on it, then 7, 14 and 30 days overdue, each time with a link to the invoice. Then it stops, so the final notice comes from you.
Start for freeThe bottom line
Chase early, in writing, and keep every email short. Each stage adds one thing: a question, then a deadline, then a consequence. Phone before the final notice, and only name a next step you'll actually take. That way a late invoice never just drifts.
Frequently asked questions
How do you politely ask a client for payment?
Keep it short and specific. Give the invoice number, the amount and the due date, add the link to pay, and end with a question such as when it will be paid. Until you hear otherwise, assume the delay is admin.
When should you chase an overdue invoice?
Send a reminder on the due date, then chase a week after it. If that gets no answer, follow up at two weeks and at a month overdue, then send a final notice about a week later.
Can you charge interest on an unpaid invoice?
Yes, if your client is a business. The late payment rules let you add statutory interest and a fixed compensation sum when one business pays another late. They don't cover a client paying as a private individual. The HelloNoa late payment interest calculator works out the sum.
Should you phone a client about an unpaid invoice?
Yes, once two emails in a row get no reply, and always before a final notice. Ask what's holding it up and the date it will be paid, then confirm what was agreed in an email the same day so you have a record.
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