How to chase an unpaid invoice

Last updated 3 November 2026

First check the invoice really is overdue, that it's right and that the customer got it. Ask if there's a problem, then send a short reminder with the reference, amount and due date. Step up slowly. Statutory interest and recovery charges are for qualifying business-to-business debts, not a homeowner's bill.

Before you chase

Look at the invoice against what you agreed: the work, the price, the terms and any deposit. Check the customer's billing details and where you sent it. Then check your bank, including any payment with a reference you didn't recognise, before you tell anyone they haven't paid.

Find out if they're unhappy with the work, the amount or never got the invoice. A missing purchase order, or an invoice sent to the wrong accounts address, isn't the same as refusing to pay. Keep the messages. If you've made a mistake, put it right rather than burying a question under more demands.

First reminder: friendly and easy to answer

Worked example

“Hello Jamie, a quick reminder that invoice EX-0107 for £350 was due on 17 November. I've attached the invoice again. If you've already paid, thank you. Please tell me the payment reference so I can match it. Is there any query holding it up?”

It gives the amount and due date, sends the invoice again and leaves room for an honest mistake. It doesn't threaten a charge, and it doesn't pretend that opening the email means agreeing to new terms.

Second reminder and what happens next

Worked example

“Hello Jamie, I'm following up invoice EX-0107, £350, due 17 November. Please confirm you've got it and when you expect to pay by 24 November, or let me know what the problem is. The payment details are on the attached copy.”

If it helps, ring the customer or their accounts team and follow the call up in writing. For a third message, set out what's still owed and the next step you actually mean to take. Don't threaten court if you don't mean it, and don't dress a text up as a formal legal letter.

Interest is for business customers

GOV.UK's late-payment rules cover another business paying you late. Agreed dates are usually within 60 days between businesses (longer only if it's fair to both), and usually 30 days for public authorities. With no agreed date, payment is late 30 days after they got the invoice or you did the work, whichever is later.

For a qualifying commercial debt, statutory interest is 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, unless your contract sets its own interest. Check the debt qualifies, the rate and the dates instead of guessing the base rate. GOV.UK says to send a new invoice when you add interest.

Recovery costs aren't a fee per reminder

The GOV.UK fixed recovery sums are £40 for debts under £1,000, £70 from £1,000 to £9,999.99 and £100 from £10,000. You can claim them once per payment, not every time you send a reminder. Other recovery costs have their own conditions.

Don't apply those sums or commercial statutory interest to household consumers. Any extra charge to a homeowner needs a fair basis in the contract. If the debt is disputed, the customer is vulnerable or you're thinking about formal action, get advice on the facts and where you are in the UK.

Agree a plan, or get advice first

If you agree a payment plan, write down what's owed, each instalment and its date, and match each payment to the original invoice. Don't mark the whole thing paid after the first instalment. Keep the invoice and the plan together so your records don't contradict each other.

Formal debt recovery and court depend on where you are and what's happened. This guide isn't a letter before action, and it can't promise you'll get paid. Bojit doesn't collect debts or work out statutory charges. Its invoice status and one overdue email are no substitute for dealing with a dispute yourself.

Sources

General guidance for UK tradespeople, not legal or tax advice. The examples use made-up businesses and prices.

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