逾期付款電郵範本：第 3、7、14 和 30 天應發送甚麼

Drafted by an AI agent for Kindly Remit, a small shop of plain-English paperwork for freelancers who are still waiting to be paid.

The invoice went out on the 1st. It was due on the 14th. Today is the 17th and your inbox has the same nothing in it that it had yesterday.

Most "late payment email template" pages give you three emails: polite, firm, final. That covers the words. It doesn't cover the part that actually makes freelancers stall, which is timing. When is it too early to chase? When does polite turn into pushover? When do you stop emailing and pick up the phone?

So this page is organised by day. Each email is short, because short emails get answered. Copy them, fill in the [brackets], and send them on the day they belong to.

Before anything: four rules that do most of the work

Attach the invoice again. Every time. Never make the client search for it. "Can you resend the invoice?" is the most common reply to a reminder, and it costs you three days.

Put the invoice number, amount and due date in the subject line. Accounts teams search their inbox by invoice number. Help them find you.

Ask for a date, not for money. "When can I expect payment?" gets an answer. "Please pay" gets an "of course!" and another week.

Change channel after two emails. If two emails got no reply, a third email won't either. Send a text, then call. Inboxes are where invoices go to die.

Day -3: the heads-up (before it's even late)

This one feels unnecessary. It isn't. It catches the invoice that went to the wrong person, the missing purchase order number, the client who changed accounting software last month. Problems you can fix before the due date instead of after it.

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 so it's easy to find.

If anything is missing on your side (a PO number, a different billing address), let me know and I'll reissue it today.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Notice the offer at the end. You are asking them to tell you about obstacles now, while there's time.

Day 0: the due date

Keep it shorter than the first one. No apology, no "just".

Subject: Invoice [#1042] is due today

Hi [First name],

Invoice #1042 is due today. Payment details are on the attached copy.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Day +3: "did this slip through?"

This is the email most people send too late, or never. It assumes the client forgot, which is usually true, and it gives them a face-saving way to answer.

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]

Three sentences. A question at the end. That's the whole trick.

Day +7: direct and polite, then a text

A week late, you stop assuming it's an accident and start asking what's in the way.

Subject: Invoice [#1042]: 7 days overdue

Hi [First name],

Invoice [#1042] for [£1,250] was due on [14 March] and is now 7 days overdue. I've attached it again.

Is anything holding it up on your side? If it's waiting on an approval, could you tell me who I should follow up with?

Thanks,
[Your name]

Then, the same day or the next, a text message. Not a long one:

Hi [First name], it's [Your name]. Just sent an email about invoice [#1042]. Could you check it when you get a minute? Thanks.

The text doesn't repeat the request. It points at the email. People read texts.

Day +14: ask for a date, then call

Two weeks is where most freelancers either give up or lose their temper. Do neither. Ask for a specific date and tell them what happens next.

Subject: Invoice [#1042]: payment date?

Hi [First name],

I still haven't received payment for invoice #1042. It's now 14 days overdue.

Could you reply with the date it will be paid? I'll give you a call on [Thursday] if I haven't heard back, so we can sort it out quickly.

Thanks,
[Your name]

And then call on Thursday. When they pick up: say who you are, say which invoice, ask when it will be paid. Then stop talking. Let them explain. Whatever date they give you, confirm it by email within the hour:

Thanks for the call. As agreed, invoice #1042 will be paid by [28 March]. I've attached it again.

A promise on the phone is a mood. A promise in writing is a date.

Day +21: write to accounts, mention late fees

If your contact has gone quiet, find whoever actually pays invoices. Copy your contact in, politely.

Subject: Invoice #1042, 21 days overdue

Hello,

I'm writing about invoice [#1042] for [£1,250], issued to [Client company] on [1 March] and due on [14 March]. [First name] is copied in.

Could you confirm it's in your payment run and give me the expected date? My terms allow for late payment interest from the due date. I'd rather not have to add it.

That last line is calm and it's true. In the UK, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act lets a business charge statutory interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed sum of £40, £70 or £100 depending on the size of the debt. In the US, late fees depend on what your contract says and on state law. Check what applies to you before you mention a number. (This is general information, not legal advice.)

Day +30: offer a plan, or pause the work

A month late, the client may genuinely not have the money. A payment plan you can agree today beats a full payment you'll chase until spring.

Subject: Invoice [#1042]: let's agree a plan

Hi [First name],

Invoice #1042 is now 30 days overdue. If paying it in one go is difficult right now, I'm open to splitting it: for example [£625] by [5 April] and [£625] by [19 April].

If that works, reply to confirm and I'll send updated invoices. Until it's settled, I'll pause work on [current project].

Pausing work is not a threat. It's arithmetic. Every extra hour you put in is more money at risk.

Day +37: the final notice

This is the last email before you hand the matter to someone else, whether that's a collections agency, a small claims court or a solicitor. It needs a deadline and a consequence, and nothing else.

Subject: Final notice: invoice [#1042]

Hi [First name],

Invoice [#1042] for [£1,250], due on [14 March], remains unpaid despite my emails of [dates] and our call on [date].

If payment is not received by [date, 7 days from today], I will [refer the debt for collection / start a small claims action] without further notice.

[Your name]

No "I hope you're well". No exclamation marks. Then do exactly what the email says on the date it says. A final notice you don't follow through on teaches the client that your deadlines are suggestions.

The part that saves the most time

Writing these emails takes ten minutes. Deciding which one to send, to whom, and whether it's too soon takes far longer, and it's the reason invoices sit for six weeks. The fix is to put every unpaid invoice in one list with its due date, and spend 20 minutes on Monday morning sending whatever each one is due for.

If you want the day +3 email and the full calendar on one page you can print and pin next to your desk, it's free here: Did this slip through? (free template + follow-up calendar). Payhip asks for an email address so it can send you the PDF.

Monday, 20 minutes. Send what the calendar says.