Unpaid invoices are not a character flaw in your customers. They are a process problem. Most late payers are busy, disorganised, or waiting on their own cash. A few are avoiding you. Your job is to tell those groups apart early, without turning every reminder into a fight.
This guide is general information for UK small businesses. It is not legal advice on debt recovery, statutory interest, or court action for your specific case. If a debt is disputed or large enough to hurt the business, speak to your accountant or a solicitor before you escalate.
Cashwatch™ by Ask Alfred™ ages every debtor, forecasts the next thirteen weeks, and drafts chase emails: polite first, firmer after. You review and press send. Alfred prepares. You approve.
Start with a clean aged list
Before you write a single chase, know the facts. An aged receivables list (who owes what, and how late) is the foundation. Without it, you chase the wrong people and miss the ones who matter.
Export aged debtors from your books: current, 30+, 60+, 90+ days.
Check the invoice was sent to the right person, with the right purchase order if they need one.
Confirm the work or goods were delivered and that there is no open dispute.
Note payment terms on the invoice (for example 14 or 30 days) and the due date.
Flag anything already promised ("paying Friday") so you follow up on that promise, not a generic nag.
On the Ask Alfred™ homepage, an illustrative Cashwatch™ view shows late invoices with chase emails ready. Figures such as £38,400 out are product examples, not a forecast of your debtor book.
A calm process for getting paid
Good credit control is boring and consistent. Pick a rhythm and stick to it so customers learn that your invoices do not disappear if ignored.
- Day 0: send a clear invoice with due date, bank details, and a named contact.
- A few days before due: a light reminder if the amount is material ("just checking this is in the payment run").
- 1 to 3 days after due: polite first chase. Assume good intent.
- 7 to 14 days after due: firmer second chase. Ask for a date. Offer to help unblock (PO, copy invoice, query).
- 21 to 30 days after due: phone or video if email is ignored. Confirm who owns payment inside their business.
- After that: written final notice, then decide with advice whether to pause work, apply agreed late fees, or escalate formally.
Adjust the gaps for your industry and relationship. A long-term client with one slip gets more patience than a new account that has never paid on time.
What to say, and when
Keep tone professional and short. State the invoice number, amount, due date, and what you need next. Always make it easy to pay.
First chase (polite)
Hi [Name], hope you are well. Invoice [number] for £[amount] was due on [date]. Could you confirm it is scheduled for payment, or let me know if you need another copy or a purchase order reference? Thanks, [You]
Second chase (firmer)
Hi [Name], invoice [number] for £[amount] is now [X] days overdue. Please can you confirm a payment date this week? If there is a query holding this up, tell me what you need and I will sort it today. Regards, [You]
Final notice (before formal steps)
Hi [Name], we have not received payment for invoice [number] (£[amount], due [date]) despite earlier reminders. Please arrange payment within [7] days, or contact me to agree a written plan. If we do not hear from you, we will need to consider next steps, which may include pausing further work. Regards, [You]
These are templates for tone, not legal notices. If you need a formal letter before action, get wording reviewed for your situation.
Make invoices harder to ignore
Many "late" invoices were never easy to pay. Fix the upstream habits and you chase less.
- Put payment terms on the quote and the invoice, not only in a buried email.
- Ask for the accounts payable contact and PO number before you start work, if their process needs it.
- Send invoices the same day you deliver, not at month end in a batch you forget.
- Offer the payment methods they already use (bank transfer details clear; card link if that is normal for you).
- For larger jobs, agree staged billing so you are not financing their whole project.
When to pick up the phone
Email is easy to ignore. A short call often unlocks a date, a query, or the name of the person who actually pays. Call when:
- the amount would hurt your cash if it slipped another month
- two emails have had no reply
- the customer said "next week" and next week passed
- there might be a dispute you have not heard yet
Open with curiosity, not accusation: "I am checking in on invoice 1042. Is anything blocking payment on your side?"
Disputes, part payments and write-offs
- Genuine dispute: pause aggressive chasing, fix the issue or agree a credit, then re-invoice cleanly.
- Part payment: confirm what the remainder is for, and diary the next chase for the balance only.
- Broken promises: move faster to phone and written confirmation of a new date.
- Likely bad debt: talk to your accountant about provisioning and when to stop spending time on it. Do not let pride keep a dead invoice on your cash forecast as if it were real.
How this ties to cash flow
Chasing invoices is not only about manners. Late cash changes whether you can pay VAT, payroll, or suppliers on time. Pair your chase queue with a short forward view of cash.
Cashwatch™ combines 13-week forecasting with debtor ageing and drafted chase emails. Track drafts and overdue status in Invoices. For the forecasting side in more depth, see 13-week cash flow forecasting explained.
Year-end also cares about unpaid invoices: aged debtors feed your accounts pack. See the UK year-end accounts checklist.
Quick chase checklist
Keep a weekly aged list and work it in order of size and age.
Use stepped wording: polite, firmer, then final.
Always include invoice number, amount, due date and how to pay.
Call when email stalls on material balances.
Log every promise and follow up on that date.
Escalate with advice when the debt is disputed or large enough to hurt.
What to read next
- Invoices deep dive
- Cashwatch™ deep dive
- How to reduce debtor days
- 13-week cash flow forecasting explained
- Printable 13-week cash flow template
- UK year-end accounts checklist
- Ask Alfred™ homepage
- All guides
This page is general information for UK small businesses. Nothing here is legal advice on debt recovery, and nothing regulated should be submitted or escalated without appropriate human review. Illustrative product figures are examples, not your debtor forecast.