How to chase an overdue invoice (without wrecking the relationship)

Start before it is late

The best chase happens before the due date, not after it:

• Agree terms in writing up front, so there is a clear date to be late against.
• Invoice promptly and correctly. Wrong details are a free excuse to delay.
• Send a friendly reminder a few days before the due date. Most on-time payments just need a nudge at the right moment.

The mindset: polite and firm

Keep it warm, brief and specific. A few rules that make chasing painless:

• It is business, not personal. Never apologise for asking to be paid.
• Assume good faith first. Most late payment is disorganisation, not bad intent.
• Be steady. If a polite ask is ignored, you escalate the firmness, not the emotion.

A chase sequence that works

Consistency beats intensity. A simple cadence, escalating gently:

• Due date minus 3 days: a gentle heads-up that it is coming.
• Due date: an "it is due today" reminder, with a pay link.
• Plus 3 days: friendly nudge, confirm they received it.
• Plus 7 days: firmer, ask for a specific payment date.
• Plus 14 days: formal reminder, note that statutory interest may apply.
• Plus 21 days: final notice before escalation.

Vary the channel as it ages. Start with email, then a phone call, then a formal letter. Calls collect far more than email, because they are harder to ignore and easier to resolve in the moment.

What to say

Keep every message short. Lead with the invoice number and amount, and make one clear ask: when will it be paid. Two examples:

• Early: "Hi, quick reminder that invoice 123 for £X is due on the 14th. Here is a link to pay in a click. Thanks."
• Firmer: "Hi, invoice 123 for £X is now 10 days overdue. Could you let me know the date it will be paid? Happy to help if there is a query."

Always give them an easy yes: a pay link, an offer to resend, and a clear route to raise a query if something is wrong.

Make it easy to pay

Friction loses money. A one-click payment link outperforms "here are my bank details" every time. The faster paying you is than not paying you, the sooner it happens.

When to escalate

If polite chasing stops working, you have a legal backstop:

• The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act lets you add statutory interest (8% plus the Bank of England base rate) and fixed compensation per invoice. Often, simply mentioning it is enough.
• Send a formal final notice with a clear deadline.
• Only as a last resort, a letter before action or a collections route. By that point the relationship is usually over anyway, so keep it professional and factual.

The honest problem

All of this works. But it is a lot: the right message, on the right day, to the right customer, every time, forever. Done manually, it is the first thing to slip when you are busy, which is exactly when invoices start to drift.

That is why we built PennyFlow. Penny runs this whole sequence for you. She chases every overdue invoice on schedule, adapts her tone as it ages, sends a pay link every time, and will even call, always polite and always on your brand. You stay in control and approve whatever you want her to do. She just makes sure the chase never gets dropped.