The goal is payment, not winning the email
Most late invoices are chaos, not malice: approval stuck, finance batch dates, someone on leave. Your sequence should make paying easier than ignoring you.
The four steps
Use these as a default. Shorten if the client is a long-term ally; tighten if they are a repeat offender.
- Day 0 (due date): silent. The invoice already said the due date.
- Day +3: polite nudge — invoice number, amount, due date, pay link or bank details.
- Day +10: firmer note — restate amount, attach PDF, ask for a payment date this week.
- Day +21: formal late notice — statutory interest basis for your jurisdiction, still professional, still human.
Hard rules
Mark paid → chase off. Pause if they dispute in good faith. Do not CC their whole company on day one. Do not bluff legal action you will not take.