Start by confirming the agreed due date and checking the invoice for errors. Then send a clear, polite reminder, keep a dated record of every contact and agreement, and escalate in stages if payment still does not arrive. Late-payment charges and formal-demand rules depend on where you and your customer are located; the figures below apply to qualifying UK commercial debts only.
1. Confirm the invoice is actually overdue
Check the contract and invoice for the agreed payment terms and due date before chasing. Where no payment date was agreed, the applicable rules may determine when payment becomes late. The UK government explains how agreed dates and the rules for cases with no agreed date affect when a commercial payment is late: when a payment becomes late.
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Also check the amount, customer details, payment method, and any purchase-order or approval reference. An incomplete invoice or missing reference can delay approval. The Office of the Small Business Commissioner advises checking the payment terms and looking for invoice errors before chasing: Help with unpaid invoices.
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Keep the invoice details together
For each overdue account, keep the invoice number and date, customer name, description of the goods or work supplied, amount due, due date, payment terms, and relevant purchase-order reference. UK government guidance lists key information to include on an invoice: what invoices must include.
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Log every follow-up
Maintain a dated record of reminders and calls, including whom you contacted, what they said, any dispute raised, promised payment dates, agreed instalments, and the eventual payment or escalation. This is practical recordkeeping advice, not a stated legal retention period. If a customer disputes the bill, note the date, the specific item disputed, their explanation, relevant supporting documents, who is handling it, and the next agreed action.
3. Send a polite, specific reminder
There is no universal reminder interval established here. Use the agreed terms and your normal process to decide when to follow up after the due date. The reminder should make it easy for the customer to identify and pay the invoice.
- State the invoice number, amount outstanding, and due date.
- Attach or resend the invoice if it may be missing or difficult to find.
- Include clear payment instructions.
- Ask when payment is expected, or whether an issue is holding it up.
Example email
Subject: Payment reminder — invoice [number]
Hello [name],
Our records show that invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date]. I’ve attached a copy and included the payment details below. Could you confirm when payment is scheduled, or let me know if anything is preventing approval?
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Thank you,
[Your name]
Keep the tone professional and factual. The Small Business Commissioner recommends a polite reminder that includes invoice details and payment instructions.
4. Follow up directly and find out what is wrong
If the customer does not reply, contact them by phone or arrange a meeting. The Commissioner’s guidance says: “If there’s no response to the reminder, call or meet with them to discuss the issue.” Ask what is delaying payment rather than assuming the customer is unwilling to pay.
Common causes include a missing invoice, a purchase-order mismatch, an approval delay, a genuine dispute about the work or goods, or cash-flow difficulty. UK export guidance recommends following up promptly after a deadline is missed and establishing the cause; it is export-focused advice, not a universal legal deadline: getting paid overseas.
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5. Resolve the issue and confirm the next step in writing
If the invoice or payment details were missing
Resend the invoice, confirm the customer has received it, and verify the payment instructions. Update your log with the date and the person who confirmed receipt.
If the customer disputes the invoice
Ask them to identify the exact item or amount in question and what evidence or correction they need. Record the explanation and the next action, then address a valid administrative or service issue promptly. Do not treat a reporting rule as a ruling on whether a debt is legally owed: UK guidance on payment-practice reporting includes certain disputed invoices that fall due and remain unpaid in large-business statistics about invoices not paid within agreed terms. That rule applies to its stated reporting context, not to debt liability generally: payment-practices reporting guidance.
If the customer needs more time
You may consider a payment plan if it suits the circumstances. Put the instalment amounts and dates in writing, for example by email, and keep the customer’s confirmation. The Commissioner recommends documenting an agreed plan by email.
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6. Decide whether to escalate
If ordinary reminders and direct contact do not resolve the matter, consider a final demand and then, if appropriate, support from the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (OSBC), a collection agency, or legal action. The OSBC says some UK small businesses with fewer than 50 staff may receive free support for an unresolved dispute with a larger customer, subject to the exclusions on its guidance page.
Before using an agency or pursuing legal action, weigh the strength of your contract and delivery evidence, the size and disputed portion of the balance, likely recovery costs, the customer’s explanation and payment history, the urgency of the cash flow, the value of the ongoing relationship, and the applicable local law and age of the debt. Collection and legal routes can cost money and affect the relationship; they are not automatic next steps for every late invoice.
7. UK late-payment charges: check eligibility first
The following figures are from current UK government guidance accessed in 2026; they are not international rules. Whether they apply depends on the transaction and contract. Check the guidance and your contract before adding a charge, and get jurisdiction-specific advice if the matter is uncertain.
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Statutory interest
For qualifying late commercial payments, UK statutory interest is 8% above the Bank of England base rate. The government guidance describes exceptions where a different contractual rate applies and says to issue a new invoice when adding interest: charging interest on commercial debt. Because the base rate changes, check the applicable rate when calculating interest.
Fixed recovery sums
UK guidance lists a fixed recovery sum chargeable once per payment, with the amount based on the debt size:
| Debt amount | Fixed recovery sum |
|---|---|
| Up to £999.99 | £40 |
| £1,000 to £9,999.99 | £70 |
| £10,000 or more | £100 |
The government also describes reasonable additional recovery costs in applicable cases. Read the eligibility and contract conditions before charging these sums: claiming debt-recovery costs.
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Use payment history as one due-diligence input
If you are assessing a prospective or existing UK business customer, qualifying large businesses publish payment-practice reports. The reporting service provides measures such as average time to pay and the proportion of invoices paid late, by count or value: check payment practices and performance. These reports cover qualifying large businesses, so they are not representative of every customer or sector and cannot predict whether a particular invoice will be paid on time.
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