How to Chase an Unpaid Invoice (With Wording You Can Copy)
A four-stage escalation for late invoices with wording you can copy at each step, what to do when they simply stop replying, and when a Letter Before Action is the right move.
Start from the right assumption
Most late invoices are not disputes. They're an email that got buried, a bookkeeper on holiday, or a payment run that happens on the 25th regardless of what your invoice says.
If your first chase reads like an accusation, you've turned an admin problem into a relationship problem for no reason. Start friendly, escalate on a schedule, and let the schedule do the work rather than your temper.
Stage 1: the day after it's due
Short, warm, and framed as a nudge rather than a complaint. Send it the day after the due date, not a week later. Prompt chasing sets the expectation that you notice.
> Subject: Invoice INV-042 — due yesterday > > Hi Sarah, > > Hope the new sockets are working out. > > Just a quick nudge that invoice INV-042 for £480 was due yesterday. I've attached it again in case it's easier than digging it out. > > Bank details are on the invoice, and the reference is INV-042. > > Any problems, just let me know. > > Cheers, > Jo
Attach the invoice again. Never make someone search their inbox to pay you.
Stage 2: seven days past due
Slightly firmer, and this is where you ask a direct question. The goal is to force a response of some kind, because silence is what kills recovery.
> Subject: Invoice INV-042 — now a week overdue > > Hi Sarah, > > Following up on invoice INV-042 for £480, which is now a week past its due date. > > Could you let me know when it's likely to be paid, or if there's a problem with the invoice I need to sort out? > > Attached again for convenience. > > Thanks, > Jo
"Or if there's a problem" matters. If there is a dispute, you want it out in the open now, not in six weeks.
Stage 3: pick up the phone
At around 14 days past due, stop emailing. Emails are easy to ignore; a polite call is not.
Keep it brief and don't apologise for calling:
> "Hi Sarah, it's Jo who did the sockets. I'm just going through the books and invoice INV-042 is still showing as outstanding. Is there anything holding it up?"
Then stop talking and let them answer. Whatever they say, finish with a specific commitment: "So I'll look out for it on Friday?" A date you can hold someone to is worth ten more emails.
Write down what was agreed and email a one-line summary afterwards. That email becomes evidence later if you need it.
Stage 4: the formal letter
At around 30 days past due with no meaningful response, escalate in writing. This is the last step before a Letter Before Action, and it should read differently to everything that came before.
> Subject: Invoice INV-042 — formal reminder > > Dear Sarah, > > Invoice INV-042, dated 14 July for £480, is now 30 days overdue. My previous emails of 29 July and 5 August, and our call on 12 August, have not resulted in payment. > > Please arrange payment within 7 days, by 21 August. > > If payment is not received by that date, I will consider recovering the debt through the small claims procedure. As this is a commercial debt, I would also be entitled to claim statutory interest and compensation under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. > > I would much rather settle this directly. > > Regards, > Jo Marshall
The dated history is the point. It shows a pattern of reasonable contact, which is exactly what a court wants to see.
If you're invoicing a business, you can charge for the delay
For business-to-business debts, statutory rules entitle you to interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed compensation sum scaled to the size of the debt, plus reasonable recovery costs above that.
You don't need it in your contract, and you don't have to claim it. Most tradespeople don't. But mentioning that it exists, once, in stage 4, changes how seriously the email is read.
For consumers, this Act doesn't apply and you're relying on your agreed terms.
Letter Before Action, then small claims
If stage 4 passes without payment, the next formal step is a Letter Before Action: a final written demand that states what's owed, why, what you want, and by when, and says you'll issue court proceedings if it isn't met. Give at least 14 days.
Small claims covers debts up to £10,000 in England and Wales. It's designed to be used without a solicitor, the fee scales with the debt, and you can add it to your claim. Most disputes settle once a claim is actually issued, because defending one costs the other side more than paying you.
Before you go there, be honest about the evidence: a signed quote or written acceptance, the invoice, proof you sent it, and the record of your chases. If you have all four you're in a strong position. If the job was agreed verbally with nothing written down, it's harder.
What actually prevents this
Chasing is a symptom. The prevention is boring and effective:
• Agree terms on the quote, so the due date isn't a surprise
• Invoice the day you finish, not at the end of the month
• Make paying instant — a card link converts far better than bank details
• Stage bigger jobs, so you're never exposed for the full value
• Chase on day one, every time, so customers learn you notice
More on setting terms in invoice payment terms: 7, 14 or 30 days.
Chasing on autopilot
If chasing is eating your evenings, that's exactly what Zappy Pro Tools automations are for: polite reminders sent in your name on a schedule you set, stopping the moment the invoice is paid.
If you just need a clean invoice to start with, the free invoice generator will do that in a couple of minutes, no signup needed.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. For significant debts, take proper advice before starting proceedings.
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