Chasing unpaid invoices without sounding desperate

Most late payers are not refusing to pay. They have lost the invoice, forgotten the date or put it behind other bills.

A small number are hoping you will give up.

The same routine deals with both. It is polite to the first group and leaves the second with nowhere to hide.

• Payment terms on the quote, before the job starts.
• Invoice the day you finish.
• Make paying easy: bank details and a card option on the invoice.
• Day 3 overdue: a friendly reminder.
• Day 7: a phone call. Day 14: a final notice in writing.
• No new work for anyone with an unpaid bill.

Chasing begins with the quote. "Payment due on completion" or "within 7 days of invoice" should be written there, where the customer agreed to it.

Then you are never asking for a favour. You are pointing at something they have already said yes to.

For larger jobs, take a deposit and stage the payments, so the amount left at the end is small.

The longer the gap between the job and the invoice, the less urgent it feels to the customer.

Send it the day you finish, while they are still pleased with the work.

Put everything they need to pay on it: amount, due date, bank details, a reference, and a card or payment link if you can offer one.

• Day 3 overdue: a short, friendly message. Assume it was missed.
• Day 7: a phone call. Ask if there is a problem with the work or the bill. If there is, you want to know now.
• Day 14: a final notice in writing, with the amount, the original due date and a date seven days ahead by which you expect payment.
• After that: a formal letter before claim, then the small claims route if you choose to use it.

Keep each message short and factual. No apology, no long explanation, no "sorry to bother you".

If the customer says money is tight, offer a payment plan in writing. Two or three fixed dates is better than silence.

For business customers, the law lets you add interest and a fixed sum to a late invoice. That does not apply to homeowners unless your own terms say so.

Before a court claim against an individual in England and Wales, you are expected to send a letter before claim and allow 30 days for a reply.

Small claims are designed to be used without a solicitor, and the rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland. GOV.UK has the current fees and forms.

This is general guidance, not legal advice.

A customer who owes you for one job should not be booking another.

Say it plainly: "Happy to book that in once the last invoice is settled."

It is the most effective reminder there is, and it costs you nothing.

• Add payment terms to your quote template.
• List everything unpaid, with the number of days overdue.
• Send the day-3 message to anything a few days late.
• Ring anyone more than a week late.

Day 3:

Hi [name], a quick reminder that invoice [number] for £[amount] was due on [date]. The details are on the invoice. Let me know if you need it sent again.

Day 14:

Hi [name], invoice [number] for £[amount] is now 14 days overdue. Please pay by [date]. If there is a problem with the work or the bill, ring me today so we can sort it out.