Overdue invoice email writer

How to use the overdue invoice email writer

1. Fill in the invoice. The client's name, the invoice number, the amount and the currency (pounds, dollars or euros), and the due date.
2. Say how late it is. Leave it on “work it out from the due date”, or pick the stage yourself: due soon, 1 to 7 days, 8 to 30, 31 to 60 or more than 60 days late.
3. Pick a tone. Friendly, firm or final. The tool suggests one for the stage, and warns you if your choice is unusual for it.
4. Read it through. Fill in anything left in [square brackets], such as what you'll do if a final reminder is ignored. Only promise what you'll actually do.
5. Copy or print it. “Copy the email” gives you the subject line and the email as text. The copied text ends with a line saying where it was made, so delete that before you send. “Print” prints the email and the next steps on one page.

An example payment reminder email

A made-up example: Tamberly Studio, our fictional design studio, chasing invoice TS-1042, which is 12 days late. The tone is firm, as suggested for 8 to 30 days late.

Subject: Invoice TS-1042 is 12 days overdue: please pay by 19 November 2026

Hi Sam,

I am following up on invoice TS-1042 for £1,850.00, which was due on 31 October 2026 and is 12 days overdue. I have attached a copy.

Please pay the full £1,850.00 by 19 November 2026, or reply with the date it will be paid.

If there is a problem with the invoice or the work, tell me now so we can put it right.

Kind regards,
Grace Mensah, Tamberly Studio

Next step: Phone the person who approves payments, ask what is holding it up and agree a date. Put the date in writing.

When to send each reminder

A simple timetable to start from. Move it earlier for a large amount or a new client, and use your own payment terms if they say something different.

Common mistakes when chasing a late payment

• Leaving out the details. Without the invoice number, amount and due date, the client has to go looking, and the email waits. Attach the invoice every time.
• Writing to the wrong person. The person you did the work for often isn't the person who pays. Ask who approves payments, and copy them in.
• Waiting too long to start. A polite reminder the day after the due date is reasonable, and much easier to send than one two months later.
• Jumping to a threat. A final reminder on day three can cost you a good client. Go up a step at a time.
• Threatening what you won't do. If the final reminder says you'll pause work, pause it. Empty threats teach a client to wait.
• Chasing only by email. Once it's a week or two late, phone as well, and put what you agree in writing.

Late payment interest: UK businesses

If another business pays you late, UK law usually lets you claim statutory interest of 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, and a fixed sum towards the cost of recovering the debt: £40 for a debt under £1,000, £70 from £1,000 to £9,999.99 and £100 for £10,000 or more. You can't claim statutory interest if your contract sets a different rate. The tool can add a line about it to a firm or final email if you tick the box. GOV.UK sets out the current rules. The rules are different in other countries, and this isn't legal advice, so check what applies to you before you claim.

Make chasing a set routine

One email gets one invoice paid. A set routine gets them all paid: the same chase dates, the same wording and one person who owns it. The Overdue Invoice Chase Script in the Money and Data Launchpad (Mini Vault, $75) gives the chasing a set order and wording, with a cash gap plan for the weeks when money is short. Like every SystemaFlow™ system, it's a done-for-you template in Word and PDF, not software.