Chase one day after the due date. That single rule collects more late invoices than any policy document: most unpaid invoices are oversights, and the trader who mentions it first gets paid first. This guide gives the exact waiting times, the wording for each step, and when to stop being polite.
- First chase: 1 day after the due date, assume an oversight.
- Second: 7 days overdue, restating amount and due date.
- Third: 14 days overdue, formal notice citing your terms.
- 21+ days overdue: statement of account, then interest and compensation.
- Never chase an unconfirmed quote. Chase invoices only.
The chasing timeline
| When | What you send | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day overdue | Short, friendly reminder: assume they forgot | Polite |
| 7 days overdue | Follow-up restating amount, due date, invoice number | Direct |
| 14 days overdue | Formal notice: terms, a final date, note that interest now applies | Factual |
| 21+ days overdue | Statement of account, interest and compensation applied | Formal |
| 30+ days overdue | Stop-work decision, debt recovery or small claim | Business decision |
The two worst timings are both extremes. Chasing before the due date reads as nagging on an invoice nobody is late on; waiting until week three wastes a fortnight of your money: statutory interest runs from the day after the due date whether you chase or not.
What each chase says
Day 1: the oversight email.
Hi [name], just a nudge that invoice #0142 for £1,240 was due yesterday. Can you check it’s scheduled? Bank details are on the invoice. Thanks!
One message, no drama. Copyable templates for every stage are in the overdue reminder emails guide.
Day 7: the specific follow-up.
Restate the number, the amount, the due date, and ask for a payment date rather than just “any news?”. A question with a deadline gets an answer; “just checking in” gets ignored.
Day 14: the formal notice.
Cite your payment terms, state that late payment interest and compensation now accrue under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, and give a final date. Factual, not angry: the record you are building matters if it ever goes further.
Day 21+: the statement.
When more than one invoice is open, a customer statement showing the full position works better than a fourth single-invoice email. It is also the document you hand to a debt collector or county court.
What to check before chasing
A chase that fires at a problem invoice embarrasses you, so verify first:
- Was it actually issued correctly? Right email address, right client entity, PO number attached if the customer is a company, accounts departments reject invoices that arrive without one.
- Is there a dispute you don’t know about? If a customer went quiet on the whole job, the invoice may be hostage to a snag. Call before the day-14 formal notice.
- Did payment land without being marked? Reconcile the bank before escalating, the classic false alarm.
When chasing becomes escalation
The point to stop being polite is not a mood, it is a number:
- A business customer 21+ days overdue with no response to three chases: interest and compensation invoiced, work on hold, and a decision about the small claims court, viable for claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales.
- A domestic customer is chased under your contract terms; the fixed compensation sums in the late payment legislation do not apply to consumer debts.
- A subcontractor invoice under CIS: chase the contractor, and remember the CIS deduction applies to the labour element when they do pay.
Setting it up so the chasing happens without you
The sequence above is exactly what automatic reminders do. Write each message once, set the triggers (due date plus 1, plus 7, plus 14) and the software chases every invoice the same way, including the ones you would feel awkward about chasing personally. Sendinvo sends these reminders automatically; the reminder emails guide covers the wording for each stage.
FAQ
How long should I wait before chasing an unpaid invoice?
One day after the due date. Most unpaid invoices are oversights, and the day-one nudge collects a large share of them. Waiting weeks lets the debt drift and makes the eventual chase harder.
Is it rude to chase an invoice the day after it’s due?
Not if it’s written as a friendly heads-up rather than a demand: 'just checking it’s scheduled' reads as admin, not aggression. Customers pay the invoice that was mentioned first.
How many times should I chase before escalating?
Three contacts (day 1, day 7 and day 14) before the formal step. If all three are ignored, move to a statement of account, statutory interest and, where the debt justifies it, county court.
Should I chase before the due date?
Only as a payment-due reminder a few days before, which some businesses send as standard. A chase of an invoice that isn’t due yet is noise and costs you goodwill.
What if the customer says they never received the invoice?
Resend it immediately with the reference in the subject line, and confirm the email address you used. Then follow the same timeline from the resend: repeated 'lost' invoices on the same client are a payment-behaviour signal.
When should I stop chasing and use a debt recovery service?
When polite chasing has failed at 30+ days and the customer has stopped responding. A statement of account, the interest you’ve accrued and the original invoice are the documents a debt collector or the county court will ask for.
One last thing
The waiting period that costs trades the most money is the week of not mentioning it because it feels awkward. The day-one email is two lines, it reads as admin, and it is the difference between an invoice paid on day 9 and one paid on day 40.