You did the work, the invoice went out, and nothing's landed in the account. You don't want to be the bloke who nags, but you can't run a business on IOUs either.
Chase early. It only gets harder.
Late payment is rarely someone refusing to pay. It's the invoice slipping down their inbox. A nudge fixes it, so nudge early, with no heat behind it. Money that's a week late is a quick reminder. Money that's two months late is a fight.
The timeline that works
You don't need to chase every day. You need a rhythm, with each step up a notch.
- Day 3Friendly nudge. Assume they forgot. Light touch.
- Day 7It's due. A bit firmer, still polite. Ask for a date.
- Day 10Firm. Reference the terms. Give a hard date.
- Day 14Final notice. Last reminder before you escalate.
What to actually say
Copy these, swap the details, send. Keep it short. A wall of text reads like a lecture.
When to pick up the phone
Text and email are easy to ignore. A call isn't. Past day 10 and getting silence? Ring them. Keep it calm: "Hey, just chasing invoice [number], it's a couple of weeks overdue now. Can we sort it today?" Awkward for thirty seconds, sorted for good. If day 14 comes and goes with nothing, stop reminding and start the formal path - here's how to get your money.
Stop it happening next time
Chasing is a symptom. Fix the cause and you'll do a lot less of it.
- Put a clear due date on every invoice. "7 days" beats no date at all.
- Take a deposit on bigger jobs so you're never fully exposed.
- Send the invoice the day you finish, not the weekend after.
- Make paying easy. A pay-now link beats bank details typed in by hand.
- Agree any late fee up front, or it won't stick.
UteHQ does the chasing for you
If an invoice goes overdue, UteHQ sends the reminders automatically at day 3, 7, 10 and 14, each with a Pay Now button. The second they pay, it stops. Free on every invoice.
Start free