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Freelancers and small businesses / Late payment reminder email: four you can copy

Late payment reminder email: four you can copy

Send the first reminder a day or two after the due date and keep it friendly. Add a firmer note each time, and only name the law once you are sure it applies to you.

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Free. Not legal advice.

4 emails you can copy

Four emails, from friendly to firm. Email 3 is for UK business customers only. Replace every [BRACKET] with a real fact.

  • 1. A friendly reminder, a day or two lateSubject: Invoice [NUMBER], [AMOUNT], due [DUE DATE]Hi [FIRST NAME], Invoice [NUMBER] for [AMOUNT] was due on [DUE DATE], and I cannot see it in my account yet. It may have crossed with your payment. A copy is attached. You can pay by [PAYMENT DETAILS]. If something is holding it up, tell me and we can sort it out. [YOUR NAME]
  • 2. A second reminder, about a week laterSubject: Second reminder: invoice [NUMBER]Hi [FIRST NAME], I wrote on [DATE] about invoice [NUMBER] for [AMOUNT]. It is now [NUMBER] days past the due date of [DUE DATE]. Can you tell me by [DATE] when I can expect payment? If you have a question about the invoice, tell me what it is and I will answer it the same day. [YOUR NAME]
  • 3. Naming the late payment law (UK business customers)Subject: Invoice [NUMBER]: late payment interestHi [FIRST NAME], Invoice [NUMBER] for [AMOUNT] was due on [DUE DATE] and is still unpaid. Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 I can claim interest on a late business payment and a fixed sum towards the cost of recovery. As of [TODAY'S DATE] the interest is [INTEREST AMOUNT] and the fixed sum is [FIXED SUM]. Please pay the invoice by [DATE]. I will send a new invoice if I decide to claim the interest and the fixed sum. [YOUR NAME]
  • 4. A last reminder before formal stepsSubject: Final reminder: invoice [NUMBER]Hi [FIRST NAME], Invoice [NUMBER] for [AMOUNT] is still unpaid, and I have not had a reply to my emails of [DATE] and [DATE]. Please pay [TOTAL NOW DUE] by [DATE]. If I have not been paid by then, I will consider formal recovery, for example a court claim. If you would like to talk, call me on [PHONE]. [YOUR NAME]

What to avoid

  • Do not name the law in the first reminder. Assume an oversight until you have a reason not to.
  • Do not work out interest in your head. Use the GOV.UK rules, or the free tool below, and put the figures in yourself.
  • Do not threaten anything you will not do. Say "I will consider formal recovery" only if you mean it.
  • Do not use email 3 for a private customer. The Act covers business customers, so leave interest out.
  • Do not skip the invoice number, the amount and the due date. Put all three in every reminder.

Official pages. Rules differ by country. Not legal advice: check the rules that apply to you.

  • United Kingdom: GOV.UK: Late commercial payments: charging interest and debt recovery. It says you can claim interest and debt recovery costs if another business is late paying for goods or a service. The fixed sum is £40 for a debt up to £999.99, £70 for £1,000 to £9,999.99 and £100 for £10,000 or more, charged once for each payment. If you do not agree a payment date, it says the payment is late 30 days after the customer gets the invoice or you deliver the goods or provide the service, if that is later. Read 5 October 2026.

What the free tool adds

It is free. Start there if your customer is a UK business.

The finished result of Late Payment Chaser (UK) on a real example: an unpaid invoice goes in, the figures and three emails come out
Free

Late Payment Chaser (UK)

What you give it: The unpaid amount, the invoice date, and the due date if you agreed one.

What you get: What you can claim under UK late-payment law, worked out with a script and shown with official sources, and three reminder emails to send. UK business-to-business debts only. Not legal advice.

Free. It also works as a paste-in text in a chatbot; there the assistant does the arithmetic, so check its working.

Open the free Late Payment Chaser (UK)

Or paste the free text into any chatbot

Questions people ask

When should I send the first reminder?

A day or two after the due date is common. No rule stops you from sending it sooner, but a friendly note is enough to start.

Can I charge interest on a late invoice?

In the UK, GOV.UK says you can claim interest and debt recovery costs if another business is late paying for goods or a service. Check whether your contract sets its own rate. Not legal advice.

How much is the fixed sum?

GOV.UK lists £40 for debts up to £999.99, £70 for £1,000 to £9,999.99 and £100 for £10,000 or more. You can charge it once for each payment.

When is an invoice late if we agreed no date?

GOV.UK says the payment is late 30 days after the customer gets the invoice, or after you deliver the goods or provide the service, whichever is later.

Does this apply to a private customer?

The Act covers business-to-business debts. If your customer is a private person, use emails 1, 2 and 4, with no interest and no mention of the Act.

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