Chasing money is the part of freelancing nobody enjoys, and the discomfort makes people wait too long and then write too sharply. A reminder sequence fixes both problems: you send the next message on a schedule rather than when frustration peaks, and each message is already written.
The templates below escalate in four steps. Each one states the facts — invoice number, amount, due date — attaches the invoice again, and asks for one specific thing. Replace the bracketed parts and keep the tone; late payments are usually administrative rather than deliberate, and a reminder that assumes good faith gets paid faster than one that does not. Simple Invoice creates the document but does not track its status, so keep due dates in your own records.
Step 0 — A courtesy note before the due date
For larger invoices or new clients, a short note a few days before the due date catches problems while there is still time to fix them: the invoice went to the wrong mailbox, the PO number did not match, the approver is away. It is not a chase, so keep it light.
- Subject: Invoice [INV-0042] — due [date]
- "Hi [name], a quick note that invoice [INV-0042] for [amount] is due on [date]. I've attached it again for convenience. If anything is needed from my side to process it, let me know. Thanks, [you]"
Step 1 — First reminder, one to three days after the due date
Assume it was missed. Give the facts, attach the invoice, ask when you can expect payment. Send it to the accounts address and copy your contact.
- Subject: Overdue: invoice [INV-0042] — [amount] due [date]
- "Hi [name], invoice [INV-0042] for [amount] was due on [date] and I haven't yet received payment. I've attached it again. Could you let me know when it has been scheduled, or if there's anything holding it up? Payment details are on the invoice; the reference is [INV-0042]. Thanks, [you]"
Step 2 — Second reminder, about a week later
Still polite, now specific. Name the number of days overdue, ask for a payment date, and mention your terms if they include late-payment interest — as a fact, not a threat.
- Subject: Second reminder: invoice [INV-0042] now [n] days overdue
- "Hi [name], invoice [INV-0042] for [amount] is now [n] days past its due date of [date]. I'd appreciate a confirmed payment date by [date a few days out]. As set out in the terms on the invoice, overdue amounts may be subject to interest as permitted by law, which I'd prefer not to apply. If the invoice has been disputed or needs correcting, please tell me so I can resolve it. The invoice is attached. Thanks, [you]"
Step 3 — Final notice, two to three weeks overdue
Short, formal, with a deadline and a stated next step. Address it to the accounts department and the most senior contact you have. Pause any ongoing work for that client until it is resolved, and say so.
- Subject: Final notice: invoice [INV-0042] — [amount] overdue since [date]
- "Dear [name], despite previous reminders on [dates], invoice [INV-0042] for [amount], due [date], remains unpaid. Please arrange payment by [deadline, about seven days out]. If payment is not received by then, I will [apply the late-payment interest set out in our terms / suspend further work / refer the matter for formal recovery]. If you believe this invoice is in error, please contact me before that date. A copy is attached. Regards, [you]"
The phone call in between
Between steps 2 and 3, a two-minute call to the accounts department often does what three emails did not. Ask whether the invoice has been received and approved, whether a PO or vendor record is missing, and when the next payment run is. Note the name of the person and what they said, then confirm it by email. Most stalled invoices are stuck at a step nobody told you about.
After the final notice
If the deadline passes, do what you said you would. Options, roughly in order of escalation: apply the interest and compensation your terms and local law allow and issue an updated statement; stop work and withhold deliverables you have not yet handed over; send a formal letter before action; use a small-claims or equivalent court process, which in many countries is designed for exactly this and does not need a lawyer; or hand the debt to a collection agency. Which of these are available and sensible depends on where you and the client are, and on the amount.
Whatever the outcome, record it in your own register. Note the invoice as paid when it is settled, or void if you write it off, so your sequence stays complete and your records explain themselves.
When several invoices are overdue
Chase a client with more than one overdue invoice with a single statement rather than a message per invoice: a short table of invoice numbers, dates, amounts and days overdue, with the total at the bottom. Build it from the payment records you keep outside Simple Invoice, or create a text-block-only document from the Minimal template listing the outstanding items.
Avoiding the next one
The best reminder is the one you do not send. How to invoice as a freelancer covers the habits that reduce late payments: terms agreed up front, a PO in hand before you start, deposits and milestones for larger projects, an invoice that has everything the approver needs, and a weekly look at the overdue list so no invoice ages unnoticed.
Questions
How soon after the due date should I send the first reminder?
One to three business days. Waiting longer signals that the due date was flexible; sending on the due date itself can feel premature for a client whose transfer is already in progress.
Should I be firmer if the client is a large company?
Not firmer — more procedural. Large companies pay through processes; the fastest route is finding which step the invoice is stuck at (received, matched to a PO, approved, scheduled) and asking for that step. Save the firm tone for a client who has confirmed the debt and still does not pay.
Should I actually charge the late fee?
Mentioning it moves invoices along; charging it is a judgement call about the client relationship. Many freelancers apply it on a final notice and waive it once paid. If you say you will charge it, do — otherwise the next reminder carries no weight.