You can chase a client you like without damaging the relationship by keeping every reminder about the invoice and agreeing how reminders work before the project starts. Send the same friendly sequence to every client, so nobody feels singled out, and save your own voice for a phone call when something is stuck. Late payments from good clients are often down to admin, and a clear, useful reminder tends to sort them.
In this article
The short version
- Agree payment terms and the reminder pattern before the work starts.
- Send the invoice to whoever actually pays it.
- Remind before the due date, with the amount and a payment link.
- Use the same sequence for every client so nobody feels singled out.
- Call when a debt is older or larger, and put any new plan in writing.
Rules that keep chasing friendly
Chasing feels awkward with clients you get on with because it seems personal, and a few fixed rules take that out of it.
- Agree payment terms and how you send reminders before the work starts, so the first reminder doesn't come as a surprise.
- Send the invoice to whoever actually pays it, which may be a finance inbox or a supplier portal and not your usual contact.
- Ask for a purchase order number early if the client uses them, because an invoice without one can sit unpaid for weeks.
- Remind before the due date, when a note with the amount and a payment link reads as help.
- Use one sequence for every client, so no one is treated differently.
- Write reminders in the same tone as the rest of your emails to that client.
- Call once a debt is older or larger, since a five-minute conversation often finds the cause faster than another email.
- Put any change, such as extra time or instalments, in writing.
If no due date was agreed, a business payment only counts as late 30 days after the client receives the invoice, or after the work is delivered if that's later.
A reminder sequence for every client
Change the days in this sequence to suit your terms, but keep it the same across your client list.
| When | What you send | How it reads |
|---|---|---|
| A week before the due date | The invoice again, the amount and a payment link | A heads-up, with an easy way to pay |
| On the due date | A short note that it's due today | Light and factual |
| Three days after | A check that the invoice reached the right person | Assumes an admin hiccup |
| Ten days after | A personal email or a call from you | Asks whether anything is holding it up |
| After that | A date or a plan you both agree | Reminders paused while you sort it |
Asking whether the invoice reached the right person gives the client an easy way to say it's stuck with their accounts team, and nobody has to apologise. By the fourth step you're talking to someone you know, about a problem you can probably help solve.
Keep the wording plain throughout. "Just a reminder that invoice 4127 for September is due on Friday, and there's a link below if card is easier" works with almost any client. Leave out anything that hints at consequences, since a client you get on with only needs the facts.
Let the routine reminders go without you
It's easy to put off chasing when every message has to come from you. When the first three steps go out automatically, you're no longer the person nudging, and your next conversation with the client can stay about the work.
Adfin sends reminders by email, SMS and WhatsApp on its free Essential plan, under fair use. Payments taken through Adfin are marked paid in Xero or QuickBooks automatically, so the list you chase from stays up to date. If you'd prefer reminders to come from your own email address, or want Adfin's collection agents to adjust timing, channel and tone within rules you've signed off, those are part of Enhanced, at 0.3% per paid invoice.
When a good client asks for more time
Sometimes the delay is real. A client might be waiting on their own customers, or a budget holder might have left. A call usually tells you more than an email thread, and it shows you're interested in the reason.
If they need longer, agree a specific date or split the balance into instalments, and confirm it in an email so you both have the same record. From the aged debtors view you can change chasing for that one client, send a statement or set up an instalment plan, so they aren't getting automatic reminders about something you've already agreed.
Common questions
How do I politely remind a client an invoice is due? Send a short note a week before the due date with the invoice, the amount and a way to pay. Keep the tone the same as your other emails to them.
Should I send a reminder before the invoice is due? Yes. A reminder before the due date reads as helpful, and it gives the client time to fix any admin problem before the invoice is late.
How many reminders should I send before calling the client? Two or three is usually enough. If nothing has moved by then, a call often finds the reason faster than another email.
Is it unprofessional to automate payment reminders? No, as long as they're polite and match how you normally write. Every client gets the same reminders, which keeps money out of your own conversations with them.
What should I say when I phone a client about an overdue invoice? Ask whether the invoice reached the right person and whether anything is holding it up. Finish by agreeing a date, then confirm it by email.
What if a good client asks for more time to pay? Agree a specific date or a set of instalments, and put it in writing. Pause the automatic reminders for that client while the plan runs.
Sources
- Small Business Commissioner - A guide for effective invoicing (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk/help-and-guidance/all-advice/a-guide-for-effective-invoicing/
- Small Business Commissioner - Building good payment practice in your new business (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk/help-and-guidance/all-advice/building-good-payment-practice-in-your-new-business/
- Small Business Commissioner - Help with unpaid invoices (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk/help-and-guidance/all-advice/help-with-unpaid-invoices/
- GOV.UK - Late commercial payments: charging interest and debt recovery (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery
