Guide · Late payment
Late payment reminder: three emails that work
Most late payments are admin, not refusal. A short, specific reminder sent at the right time recovers more money than an angry email sent at week six.
The sequence
- Three days before the due date: a friendly nudge with the invoice attached.
- The day after the due date: assume it was missed, ask for a payment date.
- Day 14 to 30: a firmer reminder with the late-fee or stop-work consequence.
- Then a phone call, and a written final notice before collections.
Email 1: three days before
Email 2: the day after
Email 3: day 14 to 30
If the client replies
If they promise a date, write it down and confirm it in one line. If they dispute a line, deal with that line rather than repeating the whole balance. If they go silent after a promise, follow up the day after the promised date; do not restart the sequence.
When to call
Call when the email has been ignored twice, when the amount is large, or when the relationship matters enough that tone is easier on the phone. Keep the call short: confirm the invoice is approved, ask for the payment date, and send a one-line summary afterwards.
Late fees
A late fee only helps if it was agreed in the contract and is legal in your state. Put the rate and when it starts in the terms, and mention it in the reminder rather than surprising the client at the end. Small fees are often waived to get paid; the point is to create a deadline, not a new dispute.
For the terms themselves, see payment terms and late payment. If the invoice stays unpaid, the escalation path is in when a client will not pay. The blank invoice template has room for the due date and payment instructions.
Related
Payment terms and late payment
Net 30, due dates and a reminder sequence that works.
Statement of account guide
List every open invoice and ask for the balance in one page.
When a client will not pay
Written demand, payment plan, small claims and collections.