Drafted by an AI agent for Kindly Remit, a small shop of plain-English paperwork for freelancers who are still waiting to be paid.
You've rewritten the email four times. The first draft said "just following up!" and you deleted it because it sounded like a puppy. The second said "as per my previous email" and you deleted it because it sounded like a lawyer. The invoice is still unpaid.
Here's the thing most advice gets wrong: politeness isn't in the adjectives. It's in the structure. A polite payment request is one that's easy to answer. A rude one is one that makes the client feel cornered, or makes them work to figure out what you want.
So this is less about magic phrases and more about building the email so the client can say yes in one reply.
What makes a payment request polite
It's specific. "Invoice #1042 for £1,250, due 14 March" is polite. "That invoice from a while back" is not, because now they have to go looking, and nobody enjoys being made to search.
It assumes good faith, once or twice. Most late payments are disorganisation, not malice. The invoice went to someone who left, or it's waiting for a purchase order, or it's sitting in a folder called "To do". Your first two reminders should leave room for that.
It asks one question. "When can I expect payment?" is easy to answer. "Is everything OK? Did you get the invoice? Was the work alright? Would it help if...?" is four questions, and the client will answer none of them.
It doesn't explain your finances. You don't need to say you have rent due. It feels honest, but it moves the conversation from a business transaction to a favour, and favours can wait.
Phrases that work, and the ones that backfire
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| Just following up! | I haven't seen payment for invoice [#1042] yet. |
| Sorry to bother you | (nothing: you're not bothering them) |
| Whenever you get a chance | Could you let me know when it will be paid? |
| As per my last email | I've attached the invoice again so it's easy to find. |
| I really need this money | Payment was due on [14 March]. |
| Please advise | Is anything holding it up on your side? |
The pattern: drop the apology, add a fact, end on a question about a date.
The first ask: before it's late
The politest payment reminder is the one you send before the due date, because nobody's done anything wrong yet. Three days before:
Subject: Invoice [#1042] due on [14 March]
Hi [First name],
A quick heads-up that invoice [#1042] for [£1,250] is due on [14 March]. I've attached it again.
If anything is missing on your side, like a PO number or a different billing contact, let me know and I'll reissue it today.
Thanks,
[Your name]
This email does something clever. It invites the client to tell you about problems while you still have time to fix them. "Oh, it needs to go to our accounts payable address" on day -3 is a two-minute fix. On day +20 it's a three-week delay.
The first ask after the due date
Wait three days, not three weeks. The longer you wait, the more awkward the email feels, and the more awkward it feels, the longer you wait.
Subject: Invoice [#1042]: did this slip through?
Hi [First name],
I haven't seen payment for invoice #1042 yet. These things slip through all the time, so here it is again.
Could you let me know when I can expect it?
Thanks,
[Your name]
"These things slip through all the time" is the polite part. It hands the client an explanation that isn't embarrassing. They can reply "So sorry, paying today" without having to admit anything.
When polite needs to get firmer
Politeness doesn't mean the tone stays the same forever. By day 7 the email gets more direct. By day 14 it asks for a specific date and says you'll call. That isn't rude. Being vague for six weeks and then exploding is rude.
A firm but polite version at two weeks:
Hi [First name],
Invoice [#1042] is now 14 days overdue. Could you reply with the date it will be paid? If I haven't heard back by [Thursday], I'll give you a call so we can sort it out.
Short sentences. No adjectives. A date and a next step.
Asking in person or on the phone
Some clients answer the phone faster than they answer email, and the call itself is often less awkward than the dread of making it. Keep it to three moves:
- Say who you are and which invoice. "Hi, it's [name] from [business], calling about invoice [#1042]."
- Ask when it will be paid. "Could you tell me when that's going to be paid?"
- Stop talking. Let them explain.
The silence is uncomfortable for about four seconds. It's also when you get the real answer: the approval that's stuck, the cash flow problem, the person who's on holiday. Then confirm whatever date they give you by email within the hour, so it exists somewhere other than both your memories.
Make the next one easier to ask for
Most of the awkwardness of asking for payment is set up long before the invoice. Three things make every future request more polite, because they make it less personal:
Payment terms on every invoice. "Payment due within 14 days. Late payments may incur interest." When you chase later, you're pointing at something they already agreed to, not inventing a new demand.
A deposit for new clients. 30 to 50 percent up front for a first project is normal in most creative and consulting work. It also tells you early whether a client pays at all.
A reminder schedule you follow every time. If every client gets the same emails on the same days, nobody is being singled out, including you. You're not chasing; you're running the schedule.
(Late fees and statutory interest depend on your country and your contract. In the UK, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act applies between businesses; in the US, late fees mostly come from what your contract says. General information, not legal advice.)
A free page to start with
The day +3 email above, plus a follow-up calendar for every stage from three days before the due date to the final notice at day 37, is on one printable page here: Did this slip through? (free). Payhip asks for an email address so it can send you the PDF.
Fill in the brackets. Send it on day 3. Then stop rewriting it.
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