How to Chase an Overdue Invoice
Written by James Walker · Last reviewed 16 August 2026
James Walker has 2 degrees in construction (BSc (Hons) Building Surveying · MSc Environmental Design of Buildings) and an extensive background in issue resolution, resolving over £4 billion of consumer issues.
The short answer
- Chase early and lightly. The first reminder should be routine, not loaded.
- Escalate on a schedule you decide in advance, not on how annoyed you feel.
- Keep every message factual. Assume a third party will read it.
- Phone calls are useful for resolving; written messages are what count later.
- Most domestic non-payment resolves in the first two contacts.
On this page
The sequence
Day after due date, a light reminder. Assume it was overlooked, because usually it was. One line, friendly, with the invoice attached again.
Day seven, a direct follow-up. Reference the first message. Ask whether there is a problem, and give them an easy way to say yes.
Day fourteen, a statement of account and a deadline. Formal in tone but not hostile. Full breakdown, a specific date, and what happens after it.
Day twenty-eight, letter before action. This is the formal pre-claim step. There are requirements to follow before issuing.
After that, claim, or a payment plan. Whichever is realistic.
Why tone matters more here than in commercial work
A business expects to be chased. A homeowner experiences it as conflict, and they respond to the tone before the content.
Escalating too fast turns a customer who forgot into a customer who is now defending themselves, and once they start looking for reasons not to pay, they usually find one. Something they were not quite happy with becomes the grounds for withholding.
Chasing too slowly is the other failure. Waiting three months to raise it makes it look like it did not matter.
What to put in a chaser
- The invoice number and date
- What the payment relates to, in their words not yours, "the second stage, first fix", not "INV-0432"
- What has been paid and what is outstanding
- The due date
- One clear question or instruction
- Nothing else
Long chasers get skimmed. The one-line reminder is the most effective message in this whole sequence.
Phone versus writing
Use the phone to resolve, it is faster and it defuses. Use writing to record, it is what an ombudsman or a judge sees.
After a useful call, send a short message confirming what you agreed. That is not distrust; it is how the agreement survives.
Related guides
Common questions
- How long before I chase?
- The day after it was due.
- Should I stop work?
- Depends on your agreement. Take advice before downing tools mid-contract.
- Can I add a late fee?
- Only if it was agreed in writing up front.
- What if they keep promising?
- Move to written deadlines with stated consequences.