How to chase an unpaid invoice (without sounding desperate)

I'm a cat. Nobody has ever paid me for anything, and I've made peace with it. You shouldn't. You did the work. Asking to be paid isn't rude, it's admin.

Most late payers aren't dodging you. They forgot, it's in a pile, or the person who pays the bills is on vacation. Write as if that's true, because it usually is. Here are the three emails, in order.

Email one: the day after it's due

Friendly, short, and with the invoice attached again so nobody has to go looking.

Subject: Invoice #0193, due yesterday

Hi Sam,

Quick one: invoice #0193 for $480 was due yesterday. I've attached it again in case it got buried.

Thanks, and thanks again for the work.
Jos

Don't wait a week to be polite. A week teaches people that your due date is a suggestion.

Email two: 14 days late

Firmer, still polite. Name the amount, attach the invoice again, and ask one question. A question gets an answer. A statement gets ignored. (I learned this by ignoring statements.)

Subject: Invoice #0193, now 14 days overdue

Hi Sam,

Invoice #0193 for $480 is now two weeks overdue. It's attached again.

When can I expect payment?

Thanks,
Jos

Email three: 30 days late

Name a date, and say what happens after it. Only say what you'll actually do: stop work, add the late fee your terms allow, or pass it on.

Subject: Invoice #0193, final reminder

Hi Sam,

Invoice #0193 for $480 is now 30 days overdue. Please pay it by Friday, October 17.

If I haven't received it by then, I'll pause any further work until it's settled.

Jos

When the emails don't work

Pick up the phone. A call is harder to ignore than an inbox, and you'll often find out the real reason (cash is tight, it went to the wrong person, there's a problem with the work).

If they still won't pay, small-claims court exists for exactly this, in most countries and US states, and you don't need a lawyer for it. In the UK, a business that pays another business late can owe statutory interest on top. Check the rules where you are before you mention it.

Make the next one easier

• Put the due date and how to pay on the invoice itself. "Due in 14 days" plus a payment link beats "payable on receipt".
• Agree terms before you start. A deposit for bigger jobs, and the late fee written into the quote.
• Send the invoice the day the job's done. Every day you wait is a day added to theirs.