1. Check it’s really unpaid, and that they saw it
Before you write anything firm, rule out the boring reasons. They’re usually the real ones.
- Is the invoice still open? In Stripe, an unpaid invoice past its due date shows a Past due badge. If it shows Pending, a payment has started and hasn’t landed yet. Chasing that one only annoys them.
- Did it reach the right person? Invoices often go to the person you work with, not the person who pays. Stripe keeps a log of the emails it sent each customer over the last 60 days, on the customer’s page. Check that the invoice went out, and to whom.
- Is anything on it wrong? A wrong PO number, amount or company name gives their accounts team a reason to sit on it. Fix it now, not after the third reminder.
2. Remind them on a schedule, and escalate
Send a friendly reminder the day after it’s due, a firmer one on day 5, and a final notice with a date on day 10. Each email is short, has the pay link, and says a little more than the last.
The schedule is the point. Chasing feels personal when you decide each time whether to send another email. When the ladder decides, it’s just how you handle invoices, for every client. Our payment reminder email templates cover each step.
3. Ask what’s holding it up
If two emails haven’t worked, pick up the phone or write one line: “Is something holding this up?” The answer usually falls into one of three buckets.
- They forgot or it’s stuck in approval. Ask who approves it and when their next payment run is. Then follow up with that person, on that date.
- They’re unhappy with the work. That’s a dispute, not a late payment. Pause the reminders, deal with the complaint, and agree in writing what gets paid.
- They can’t pay it all right now. Agree a plan in writing: how much, and on which dates. Smaller payments on fixed dates beat waiting with no date at all.
4. Pause the work, if your contract allows it
For an agency, the strongest lever is usually the work itself: the staging site, the client portal, the next round of deliverables. Pausing it until the invoice is paid is fair, as long as your agreement says you can and the final notice gave them a date.
Keep it proportionate and reversible. Lock what you’re still providing, restore it the moment they pay, and don’t take down anything they already own. How to lock access until a client pays has a sample clause and what to lock.
5. Send a formal demand
If the work is done and there’s nothing left to pause, put it in a formal letter, by email and by post. Name the invoice, the amount and the date it was due, give a final date to pay, and say what you’ll do next if it isn’t paid.
Rules on this vary by country. In England and Wales, for example, a business claiming from an individual or sole trader is expected to send a letter of claim and allow 30 days for a reply before going to court. Check what applies where your client is.
It’s also the time to add anything the law lets you claim on top. In the UK, statutory interest on business-to-business debts is 8% above the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed £40, £70 or £100 depending on the size of the debt. In the EU, you can claim at least €40 per late invoice plus interest at the national statutory rate. Payment terms for freelancers and agencies covers both.
6. Last resorts
Each of these costs time or money, so weigh them against what’s owed.
- Small claims court. It’s built for cases like this, and you usually don’t need a lawyer. Limits depend on where you are: in England and Wales the small claims track covers claims up to £10,000; in the US each state sets its own limit; between EU countries, the European Small Claims Procedure covers claims up to €5,000.
- A collection agency. They take a share of what they recover, and the client relationship is over once you hand it on.
- Writing it off. Sometimes it’s the honest answer. In Stripe you can mark the invoice Uncollectible, which keeps the amount on record as bad debt for your accounts.
Not legal advice. This page is general information. For a large amount, or if the client disputes the work, talk to a lawyer where your client is based.