Last year I had a client who owed me £3,200. I spent more time agonising over what to write in the chase email than it would have taken to just... not get paid.
The problem isn't that freelancers don't chase. It's that we don't know what to say at each stage. Too nice and they ignore you. Too aggressive and you burn the relationship.
So I mapped out every stage of a late payment and wrote the exact email for each one.
The 12-email escalation sequence
Here's the timeline I use:
| Day | Email Type | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Invoice sent (confirmation) | Professional |
| 1 past due | Gentle nudge | Warm |
| 7 | Friendly reminder | Warm but clear |
| 14 | Firm follow-up | Direct |
| 21 | Payment terms reminder | Firm |
| 28 | Formal notice | Serious |
| 30 | Late payment interest notice | Legal |
| 35 | Final demand | Final |
| 42 | Letter Before Action | Legal |
| 49 | Small claims notification | Legal |
| 56 | Debt collection handoff | Final |
| 60 | Relationship closure | Professional |
What I learned writing these
1. The jump from friendly to firm is where most freelancers stall.
You've sent two nice reminders. Nothing happened. Now you need to be firm but you don't want to be rude. This is the exact moment most people either:
- Send another weak "just checking in" (doesn't work)
- Get angry and send something they regret (burns the bridge)
- Give up entirely (worst option)
The right move is a factual, direct email that references the specific amount, the original terms, and asks for a concrete payment date. No emotion. No passive aggression. Just facts.
2. Mentioning statutory interest changes everything.
Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998, you can charge 8% + Bank of England base rate on overdue B2B invoices. Plus fixed compensation (£40-£100).
Most clients don't know this. When you mention it — politely, factually — invoices tend to get paid very quickly.
Calculate what you're owed in statutory interest →
3. Having the next email pre-written removes all the anxiety.
The worst part of chasing isn't the chasing. It's sitting there wondering what to write. When you have the template ready, you just fill in the blanks and send. Takes 2 minutes instead of 20.
Free tools that help
- Payment Reminder Generator — generates chase emails at 3 escalation levels
- Late Payment Interest Calculator — calculate statutory interest + compensation
- Should I Chase This Invoice? — decision tool that tells you what to do next
The full template pack
I packaged all 12 emails plus 5 bonus templates (partial payment, client ghosting, payment plan negotiation, small claims, debt collection) into a 34-page PDF. Copy-paste ready, UK law references included.
What's your approach to chasing late payments? Do you have a system or do you wing it every time?
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