How do I follow up on an overdue invoice?

Check your side before you chase

An outstanding invoice is often stuck, not ignored. Before you write a reminder, make sure the delay is not caused by something you can fix in five minutes. Fixing it quickly also keeps the relationship friendly. Many accounts teams cannot pay an invoice that is missing a purchase-order number, addressed to the wrong company name or sent to a project contact who never forwards it.

1. Confirm the invoice went to the agreed billing contact, not only your day-to-day client.
2. Check the purchase-order number, legal company name and billing address they asked for.
3. Make sure the due date and payment terms on the invoice match the agreement.
4. Check that your payment instructions or payment link are correct and still work.
5. Look for a payment you may have missed before you say anything is unpaid.

Use a simple reminder schedule

Polite persistence works better than one angry message. Decide your schedule in advance so you are not writing follow-ups based on how frustrated you feel that day. A common rhythm for an unpaid invoice is one friendly note before the due date, one on or just after it, and two more over the following two weeks. Put the dates in your calendar when you send the invoice, so the follow-ups happen on time even when you are busy with other client work.

1. A few days before the due date: a friendly heads-up with the invoice attached.
2. On the due date or the day after: a short note that payment is now due.
3. Seven days overdue: a direct reminder asking for a payment date.
4. Fourteen days overdue: a final notice that states your next step.

Example overdue invoice emails

Keep each payment reminder email short, name the invoice number, amount and due date, and attach the invoice again so nobody has to search for it. Use the same subject line format each time, such as “Invoice #104 – $1,250 – due April 9”, so the thread stays together. Write as if the delay is an oversight, because it usually is, and always make it easy to reply with a date.

Before the due date: “Hi John, a quick note that Invoice #104 for $1,250 is due on April 9. I’ve attached a copy in case it’s useful. Let me know if your team needs anything else to process it.”

Just after the due date: “Hi John, Invoice #104 for $1,250 was due yesterday, April 9. Could you let me know when it’s scheduled for payment? If it has already been sent, thank you, and please ignore this.”

Seven days overdue: “Hi John, Invoice #104 for $1,250 is now seven days past due. Could you confirm a payment date by Friday? If something about the invoice needs correcting, tell me and I’ll fix it today.”

Write a clear final notice

A final notice should be calm and specific. State the amount, the original due date, the date you now need payment by and what you will do if it does not arrive. Only mention steps you are actually prepared to take, such as pausing further work or applying a late fee your agreement allows.

Example: “Hi John, Invoice #104 for $1,250 was due on April 9 and remains unpaid. Please arrange payment by April 30. If I haven’t received payment or heard from you by then, I’ll pause work on the next phase until the balance is settled, as set out in our agreement.”

Send it to the billing contact and copy the person who approved the work. Keep the tone the same as your earlier messages: the facts do the work, not the adjectives.

If the client replies with a partial payment or a payment plan, confirm the agreed amounts and dates in writing before you treat the matter as settled. A promise to pay is not a payment, so keep the invoice open until the money arrives.

Can you charge late payment fees or interest?

Only if it is allowed where you work and, in most cases, only if it was agreed. Late fees and interest rules vary by jurisdiction and by contract, and some places cap them. In the UK, for example, government guidance says a business can claim statutory interest on a late commercial payment at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, unless the contract sets a different rate. Other countries and US states have their own rules.

If you want the option, put the terms in your agreement and on the invoice before the work starts. Adding a surprise fee to an overdue invoice tends to slow payment down. Check the official guidance for your location, or ask an accountant or lawyer, before charging any fee or interest.

When to pause work or escalate

If the client is still sending new requests while an invoice sits weeks overdue, it is reasonable to pause new work until you agree a payment date, as long as your agreement allows it. Say so plainly and early, not in the middle of a launch.

If reminders get no reply, pick up the phone or ask your contact who handles supplier payments. A short call often reveals the real problem, such as a missing supplier form. If a client refuses to pay an amount they owe, formal options include a demand letter, a small-claims court or a collection agency. These are legal steps with their own rules, so take advice before using them.

Whatever you do, keep the issued invoice unchanged. Do not reissue it with a new date to make it look current; that confuses both sets of records. If you agree a revised due date, record the amendment and keep the original. Note every reminder, reply and promised date so you have a clean history if you need it.

How Moolamochi tracks unpaid invoices

Moolamochi shows authorized issued balances and overdue amounts grouped by currency, without adding different currencies together. A checkout return can still show Confirming payment, and only verified successful payments reduce the outstanding balance. Due-date amendments and credits keep dated history, so an issued invoice is never quietly rewritten while you chase it. You review the due date and payment terms before each invoice is issued. New access is currently waitlist-only.