When a customer has ignored your usual reminders, move them onto a short, planned sequence: an escalated notice from someone more senior, an offer to pay in instalments, a phone call, a final notice and then a handover. You decide when it starts and how far apart each step is, so every very overdue invoice has a next step and a date, and nothing is left waiting.
In this article
The short version
- When reminders stop working, change who's asking, what's on offer and how you get in touch.
- A staged sequence runs: escalated notice, payment plan offer, phone call, final notice, handover.
- Start at least 14 days after the due date, with 3 to 7 days between steps.
- Pause the sequence for any customer who disputes the invoice.
- Adfin's collection agents can run each stage on the days you set, then hand unpaid invoices back to you.
Why reminders stop working
Plenty of late invoices get paid after a reminder or two. The ones that don't usually fall into a few groups. The customer has a problem with the invoice and hasn't said so, your emails are going to someone who's left, they can't pay the full amount right now, or they've decided your invoice can wait.
Another identical reminder is unlikely to change any of those. A change in who's asking, what's on offer and how you get in touch tends to do more. Some customers who go quiet can't pay rather than won't, so a good sequence gives them an easy way to say so before anything formal happens.
If you leave it, a very overdue invoice can end up with no owner. It sits in the aged debtors list, someone means to call, and another month goes by. A defined sequence helps, because every invoice past a certain age then has a next step with a date on it.
The five steps after reminders
| Step | What you send | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Escalated notice | An email from someone more senior, saying the invoice has been passed to them for review, with a link to pay | A new name, and a clear invitation to raise any problem with the invoice |
| Payment plan offer | An email offering to spread what's owed over instalments | A way out for a customer who can't pay in one go |
| Phone call | A call about the overdue invoice, with a payment link sent if they agree | A different channel, for people who ignore email but pick up the phone |
| Final notice | A short email saying it's the last notice and further steps may follow | A clear end to informal chasing |
| Handover | The invoice comes back to you to decide the next step | A clear point to choose a formal route, such as a letter before action |
Keep the tone of each message calm and factual. You want the customer to reply, and a message that reads as a threat tends to get filed rather than answered.
The handover is the only step with legal weight. Before a court claim, you're expected to send a letter before claim and give the customer a fair chance to respond: for a business customer that's usually 14 days in a straightforward case, and for an individual, including a sole trader, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims gives them 30 days and sets out forms you have to include.
When to start and how fast to move
Starting at least 14 days after the due date gives your usual reminders time to work, and covers the invoice that was simply missed or sitting in someone's approval queue. Some businesses wait three or four weeks, especially with long-standing clients.
The gap between steps is a judgement about your cash flow and the relationship. Three days keeps things moving when the amount matters. Seven days gives the customer more time to respond to each step, which can suit a client you'd like to keep. With a 21-day start and 7-day gaps, an invoice reaches handover 49 days after its due date.
You don't have to use every step. If phone calls don't suit your customers, leave the call out. If you'd never offer instalments on a particular kind of work, skip the plan offer. And if a customer gets in touch to dispute the invoice, pause the sequence for them while you sort it out: escalating a genuine dispute is unlikely to get you paid any faster.
How Adfin runs the sequence for you
In Adfin, escalations are a skill you switch on for Adfin's collection agents. Once an invoice has gone past your usual reminders and overdue notices with no response, the agent works through the stages you've chosen, on the days you've set. You pick the start day, at least 14 days after the due date, and a gap of 3, 5 or 7 days between steps.
Adfin lets you know when a customer's invoices move into escalation, and you can pause it for that customer whenever you need to. If you include the phone call, an AI agent makes it, introduces itself as an AI and can text a payment link if the customer agrees. It can't change what's owed or agree terms.
At the handover, Adfin stops contacting the customer about those invoices and lets you know they're back with you. From there you decide whether to call them yourself, send a letter before action or take another route.
Common questions
How many reminders should I send before escalating? There's no set number. Once your usual reminders have gone unanswered and the invoice is at least two weeks past its due date, another reminder is unlikely to do more than an escalated notice would.
Can I charge interest while I'm escalating an invoice? On business-to-business invoices, yes. Statutory interest runs from the day after the due date at 8% above the Bank of England base rate, and you can add a fixed sum of £40, £70 or £100 depending on the size of the debt.
What should I do if the customer says they dispute the invoice? Pause the escalation for that customer and deal with the dispute first. Escalation suits invoices nobody disputes, and a disagreement about the work usually needs a conversation before anything else.
Do I need a solicitor to send a letter before action? No, you can write one yourself, as long as it sets out the facts, what's owed, how it's calculated and what you want the customer to do. For an individual or sole trader, you'll also need to include the forms set out in the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims. A law firm can send it for you and take the claim further if needed.
Does the same approach work for customers who are individuals? The steps are the same, but the rules differ. Statutory late payment interest only applies between businesses, and before a claim against an individual or sole trader you'll need to follow the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, which gives them 30 days to reply.
Will escalating damage my relationship with the customer? It's less likely to if each message is polite, offers a way to pay or to talk, and the customer can see the steps coming. Some customers who go quiet are struggling to pay, and an instalment offer gives them a way to settle up and keep working with you.
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 - Practice Direction: Pre-Action Conduct and Protocols (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/pd_pre-action_conduct
- 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
