Week one after due date
Assume good intent. Send a polite reminder with invoice details and ask if anything is blocking payment. Many delays are internal approval issues, not refusal.
- Invoice checker before chasing
- Email read receipts optional
- Log dates and responses
Week two to three
Escalate to the project sponsor or finance contact. Summarize prior messages, confirm the outstanding balance, and propose a concrete payment date.
- Day 1 overdue: polite
- Day 7: firm
- Day 14+: sponsor involvement
When to pause work or write off
Follow your contract. Pause new deliverables if non-payment breaches terms. If collection costs exceed the balance, document the bad debt for your records and move on.
- Contract pause clauses
- Collections as last resort
- Preserve relationship when possible
Offer a documented payment plan when appropriate
If the client acknowledges the debt but cannot pay at once, a short payment plan may recover more than repeated demands.
Confirm the outstanding balance, installment amounts, due dates, payment method, treatment of any agreed fee, and what happens after a missed installment.
Keep the original invoice open or record installments in a way that does not create duplicate revenue. Do not promise legal consequences you are not prepared or entitled to use.
For a substantial balance, ask an appropriate adviser to review the arrangement.
Decide when to escalate
Set internal thresholds before emotions take over: number of unanswered reminders, days overdue, balance size, and whether new work is still being delivered.
A final internal review should confirm the contract, invoice accuracy, delivery evidence, dispute history, and current contact details.
Possible next steps include a senior-client conversation, pausing work under the agreement, mediation, a collection service, or legal advice. Costs and rules vary widely.
Whatever you choose, keep communications factual and preserve the full record rather than editing old messages or documents.
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Requirements vary by country and business type. This guide explains common billing workflows and is not tax, legal, or accounting advice.