True story. Built a full website for a small business. Invoiced £3,200. They went silent.
Not "the cheque is in the post" silent. Full ghost. Three weeks, nothing.
Here's what actually worked.
The sequence that got me paid
Week 1: Polite reminder (they probably forgot)
Most late payments are genuinely just admin slip-ups. The first message should be zero-aggression:
"Hi [Name], just checking in — invoice #47 for £3,200 was due on [date]. Please let me know if you need anything resent. Happy to help."
About 60% of late invoices resolve here. Don't skip this step.
Week 2: Professional follow-up (now it's a conversation)
If nothing: switch tone slightly. Not aggressive — but it's no longer casual.
"Following up on my previous message regarding invoice #47. This is now [X] days overdue. Could you confirm a payment date? I'm happy to discuss if there's an issue."
Week 3: The statutory interest letter (this is where it gets serious)
This is the move most freelancers don't know about.
Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998, you're legally entitled to:
- Statutory interest at 8% above Bank of England base rate
- Fixed debt recovery costs: £40 (debts under £1,000), £70 (£1,000–£9,999), £100 (£10,000+)
Send a formal letter stating you intend to claim these.
For me: that was £40 recovery cost + ~£200 in interest on £3,200. Total: £3,440 they now owed.
The letter alone triggered payment within 4 days.
What I do differently now
I don't chase invoices manually anymore. Before any project starts:
1. I use a proper contract. Not a long scary document — a simple 1-page agreement that includes:
- Payment terms (14 days net is my standard)
- Late payment clause referencing the 1998 Act
- What happens if they don't pay (statutory interest + recovery costs)
Most clients who see that clause just... pay on time. The threat is enough.
2. I send staged invoice reminders. The cadence:
- Day 1: "Invoice sent"
- Day 10: "Reminder — 4 days until due"
- Day 14: "Due today"
- Day 21: "Overdue — action required"
Each email slightly firmer than the last.
3. I always request a deposit. 25-50% upfront. Changes the dynamic completely. People who pay deposits rarely ghost.
Tools I actually use
For calculating statutory interest (free): landolio.com/tools/late-payment-interest-calculator
For the email sequences — I spent a while writing the exact 8-email follow-up sequence that's worked for me. Templates for every stage: polite reminder, professional follow-up, statutory interest notice, final demand. £7 for the full pack: Invoice Email Pack
Use code LAUNCH50 for 50% off (expires soon).
The client who ghosted me?
Paid in full on day 22. The statutory interest letter was what did it.
They even apologised. Said they'd "had a cashflow issue" and "didn't want to have that conversation."
Most late payers aren't malicious. They're just avoiding an awkward conversation. The formal letter gives them a face-saving reason to sort it out.
Anyone else had a ghost-payer story? What worked for you?
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