Late payment letter templates
Three free, copy-and-paste templates for chasing an unpaid invoice, going from friendly to firm. Swap in the details in [brackets].
Template 1: friendly reminder (1–3 days late)
Subject: Quick reminder: invoice #[number] Hi [name], Just a friendly reminder that invoice #[number] for £[amount] was due on [date]. It may have slipped through, so I've included it again. Could you let me know when we can expect payment? Thanks, [your name]
Template 2: firm follow-up (7–14 days late)
Subject: Invoice #[number] is now [X] days overdue Hi [name], Invoice #[number] for £[amount] is now [X] days overdue. Please arrange payment this week, or reply with the date you'll be able to pay. As this is a business invoice, we're entitled to add statutory interest and a fixed late-payment fee under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Thanks, [your name]
Template 3: final notice (14–30 days late)
Subject: Final notice: invoice #[number] Hi [name], This is a final notice for invoice #[number] (£[amount]), now [X] days overdue. Statutory interest of £[interest] and a fixed fee of £[fee] now apply, bringing the total to £[total]. If payment isn't received within 7 days, we'll send a formal letter before action, which is the step before a court claim. [your name]
Tips that get you paid faster
Send a heads-up a few days before the due date. Always include the invoice number, amount, due date and a simple way to pay. Keep it polite, because most late payers just forgot. Put the next step and a deadline in writing. Work out the right interest and fee with our free calculator before sending the final notice.
Let Paid do the chasing
Paid sends polite, then firmer reminders for you, adds legal interest when you want it, and gives clients a simple "View & pay" page. Free for your first 3 invoices.
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