How to follow up on an unpaid invoice

Check your side first

• Was the invoice sent to the right address, and did it arrive?
• Is the due date actually past, using the terms you agreed?
• Are the amount, number and payment details correct?
• Was there a dispute or a question you have not answered?

The first message

Keep it short and assume a simple oversight. Name the invoice number, the amount and the due date, attach or link the invoice again and say how to pay. Ask them to confirm when payment will be made. Most late invoices are paid after this message.

If there is no reply

Wait a few days and follow up on the same thread, then pick up the phone. A call is harder to ignore than an email. After each contact, note the date and what was said, because it helps if the invoice ever has to be escalated.

Make late payment less likely next time

• Send the invoice as soon as the work is done or the period starts
• State the due date as a calendar date, not only as “net 30”
• Use shorter terms where the customer will accept them
• Put the payment details on the invoice, so there is nothing to ask for
• Agree late-payment terms in writing before work starts, where the law in your country allows

See who still owes you

In Invoicadence you can ask the assistant who still owes you and see the unpaid invoices with their due dates, so you know who to contact first. Mark each invoice paid when the money arrives so the list stays accurate.

Frequently asked questions