A payment reminder workflow protects client relationships when it starts before the due date, stays polite throughout and, as an invoice gets older, changes the channel and the person asking rather than turning sharp. Every message should carry the invoice, a link to pay and an easy way to raise a query, and chasing should pause the moment a client disputes something. Different groups of clients, such as key accounts, new customers and individuals, usually need their own version of the sequence.
In this article
The short version
- Start before the due date and stay polite throughout.
- As an invoice ages, change the channel and the person asking rather than the tone.
- Every reminder needs the invoice, a link to pay and an easy way to raise a query.
- Pause chasing for a client as soon as they dispute something.
- Key accounts, new customers, former clients and individuals each suit their own sequence.
What every reminder in the workflow needs
When your invoice is late, it often isn't because your client is refusing to pay. More often your invoice went to the wrong person, it's waiting for approval, or someone has a question about it and hasn't asked you. A workflow that protects your relationship is built to surface those problems early and make paying easy, so your client never feels pushed.
Each message you send should include:
- the invoice number, amount and due date, with the invoice attached or a link to it
- a link to pay by card or bank, so the client can settle it in a couple of taps
- one line inviting them to reply if anything on the invoice looks wrong
- a named person they can reply to, not a no-reply address
Keep the tone polite from the first message to the last. As an invoice gets older, change who's asking and the channel they use, and let the wording become more direct without becoming sharp. A reminder that suddenly turns sharp after two friendly ones can do more damage to a relationship than the late payment itself.
A worked reminder sequence
Here's one sequence for a business client on 30-day terms. You'd adjust the days to suit your own terms and clients.
| When | Channel | Tone | Signed by | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days before due | A friendly check | Accounts | Asks them to confirm it's approved and with the right person | |
| On the due date | A plain note | Accounts | The payment link, front and centre | |
| 1 day overdue | Email and SMS | Polite, matter of fact | Accounts | Asks if anything is holding it up |
| 7 days overdue | Email, SMS or WhatsApp | Polite, a little firmer | Your credit controller, by name | Offers to resend the invoice or answer a query |
| 14 days overdue | Phone call, then email | Helpful, curious | The client's usual contact or account manager | Finds out what's wrong and agrees a date |
| 21 days or more | Email from a senior person | Calm and formal | Finance lead or owner | A statement of everything owed, a payment plan offer and the next steps |
Your check before the due date can do more than any reminder after it, because it catches a missing purchase order or a wrong address while there's still time to fix it. The call at 14 days is easy to skip, but it's often the step that tells you why the invoice hasn't been paid.
After 21 days with no reply, you're into escalation: a final notice and then a decision about a formal route. Decide in advance how far you'll take each kind of client, so nobody has to make that call when they're annoyed.
Different workflows for different clients
One sequence for everyone tends to suit nobody. You'll get further by grouping your clients and giving each group its own version.
- Key accounts: start with a personal email from the person who manages the relationship, and move to a call sooner than you would for anyone else. You'd usually leave late payment interest switched off for them unless the problem keeps repeating.
- New customers: send the check before the due date without fail, because the first invoice is when wrong contacts and missing purchase orders show up. Keep the gaps short until you know how they pay.
- Former clients: there's no relationship left to protect day to day, so you can move through the sequence faster and go formal sooner, while keeping it polite.
- Individuals: write in plainer language and give them more time. Statutory late payment interest only applies to invoices between businesses, and if it ever comes to a claim against an individual or sole trader, there's a set pre-action process with 30 days for them to reply.
For business clients, you're entitled to statutory interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate and a fixed £40 to £100 for each late invoice. You don't have to claim it, and you can decide client by client.
When a client raises a query, and keeping it manageable
When a client raises a query or disputes part of an invoice, pause chasing for them straight away and deal with the question first. Reminders that keep arriving while you're meant to be fixing their problem are one of the quickest ways to sour a good client. Agree when you'll pick it up again, and if they've accepted part of the invoice, ask them to pay that part now.
Running several sequences by hand gets hard once you've got more than a handful of clients. In Adfin, you can create a collection agent for each group of customers you want to chase differently, each with its own steps and channels, and the reminders are free on the Essential plan, with unlimited messages by email, SMS and WhatsApp. On Enhanced, which costs 0.3% of a paid invoice only where it's used, Adfin's collection agents tune the timing, channel and tone for each customer within the rules you approve, and can send emails from your own address. You can pause chasing for one customer whenever a dispute or the relationship calls for it, without affecting anyone else.
Common questions
How many payment reminders should I send before calling? Two or three written reminders over the first week or two is usually enough. After that, a phone call tends to tell you more than another email.
Should payment reminders come from a person or a general accounts address? Early reminders can come from your accounts address, but it helps to have later ones signed by a named person the client can reply to.
What should a payment reminder include? The invoice number, amount and due date, a copy of the invoice, a link to pay and a way to raise a query.
Should I keep chasing a client who's disputing an invoice? It's usually best to pause chasing for that client while you sort out the dispute, and ask them to pay any part they agree with.
Can I use different reminder workflows for different clients? Yes. Grouping clients, for example key accounts, new customers and individuals, and giving each group its own sequence tends to work better than one schedule for everyone.
Can I charge late payment interest to individuals? Statutory late payment interest only applies between businesses. For individuals, you'd need an agreed rate in your terms.
Sources
- GOV.UK - Late commercial payments: charging interest and debt recovery (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery/charging-interest-commercial-debt
- GOV.UK - Late commercial payments: claim debt recovery costs (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery/claim-debt-recovery-costs
- Ministry of Justice - Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/pdf/protocols/debt-pap.pdf
- Adfin - Credit control (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.adfin.com/credit-control
