How to chase an unpaid invoice without losing the customer

1. Why do invoices go unpaid?

The job's done, the invoice went out, and the due date has come and gone. Before you assume the worst, it's often one of these:

• It's buried. The invoice is in their inbox under forty other emails, or on the fridge under a takeaway menu.
• Money's tight this week. They're waiting for payday, or another bill landed first.
• Paying takes effort. The bank details aren't to hand and there's no reference, so it goes on the "later" list.
• There's a snag. Something about the job isn't right, and they're holding the money back instead of telling you.
• They don't mean to pay. It's rare, but it happens. That's what sections 5 and 6 are for.

The first four are fixed by a short message and an easy way to pay.

2. When should you chase an unpaid invoice?

Start on the due date, then once a week:

• On the due date. A friendly reminder. Nobody's late yet, so there's nothing awkward about it.
• A week late. Firmer: ask them to settle it this week.
• Two weeks late. The last reminder: pay today, or tell you when.
• Weekdays, in working hours. A payment reminder at ten on a Saturday night feels like a threat, not a reminder.
• Stop the moment it's paid. Mark it paid as soon as the money lands, so nobody gets chased for money they've already sent.

Put a due date on every invoice, and agree when you'll be paid before you start the job. Fourteen days is what ToolboxFox uses unless you change it. For a big bill, you can add a heads-up a few days before it's due.

3. The three messages to send

These are the reminders ToolboxFox sends for an invoice, word for word. Say Doyle Roofing finished a job for Tom, and Pat sent invoice INV-0093 for €703.70 on Tuesday 1 September, due two weeks later, on Tuesday 15 September. Swap in your own names and they're yours.

Why it works: it's a thank-you with a reminder in it. The number and the amount mean Tom can find the invoice and pay it without having to ask.

Why it works: it states the plain fact and asks for something specific and doable. "This week" is easier to agree to than "immediately".

Why it works: it gives two ways out: pay now, or say when. Either way you hear back, and a date they give you is something to hold them to.

4. By text or WhatsApp

If you usually talk to customers by text or WhatsApp, send the same three, shorter:

• Due dateHi Tom, it's Pat from Doyle Roofing. Just a reminder the roof invoice (€703.70) is due today. The bank details are on it. Thanks!
• 7 days lateHi Tom, Pat here. The roof invoice (€703.70) is a week overdue now. Could you sort it this week?
• 14 days lateHi Tom, the roof invoice is two weeks overdue. Could you pay today, or let me know when to expect it?

Send the invoice's link with the first one, so paying is one tap away.

5. If they still haven't paid

Two weeks late and three reminders in, stop messaging and ring.

• Ask what's going on, calmly. "Is everything OK with the job?" gets you further than "When are you paying?"
• If money's tight, agree a plan. Half now and half in two weeks, say. Put it in a text or an email so you both have it, and record each part as it's paid.
• If there's a snag, sort it. Fix it, or agree what's fair. Money held back over a snag often comes once the snag is gone.
• Keep it polite and in writing. Angry messages and public posts make it harder to get paid, not easier.

6. If they won't pay at all

At this point it's not a reminder's job any more. Keep everything: the quote they accepted, the invoice and every message. Then:

• England and Wales: before going to court, a business chasing a person has to follow the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims: a letter of claim with set forms, and 30 days for them to reply. After that, you can make a court claim for money, and mediation can be quicker and cheaper.
• Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own processes.
• Ireland: the small claims procedure only takes claims against a business, so it won't recover a homeowner's unpaid bill. A solicitor can tell you your options.
• The US: every state has small claims courts, each with its own limits and rules.

This is a pointer, not legal advice. A solicitor or your local advice service can tell you what applies to you.

7. Get paid faster next time

• Take a deposit. Especially when there are materials to buy. ToolboxFox works out the deposit on the quote for you.
• Agree when you'll be paid before you start. Then the due date on the invoice is no surprise.
• Invoice the day you finish. While the job's fresh and they're happy with it.
• Put everything on it. The amount, the due date, your bank details, and the invoice number as the reference.
• Make paying one step. A link they can open on their phone beats a PDF they have to print.

It starts with the quote, too: here's what to say when a customer goes quiet on a quote.

8. Or let ToolboxFox chase for you

Chasing money is the part of the job nobody likes, and the part that's easiest to put off.

ToolboxFox sends these reminders for you, in your name, on weekdays in working hours, and replies land in your own inbox. Each one has a button to the invoice, with your bank details and the invoice number as the reference. They stop when you mark the invoice paid, and after a part payment they ask only for what's left. You can change the words and the days, or pause anyone. ToolboxFox never touches your money: your customer pays straight into your bank.