Still Due / Invoice follow-up

Cadence

Invoice follow up, freelance.

You already sent the invoice. They have not paid. Independent designers, developers, and consultants need a cadence that is firm and polite, not a collections script.

A simple freelance follow-up cadence

Use calendar days from the due date, not from when you feel awkward. Adjust if the client is traveling or already replied.

1. Due date: the invoice goes out, or went out already. No follow-up yet.
2. A few days late: first reminder. Facts only. Amount, days, how to pay.
3. About two weeks late: second reminder. Same facts. Offer to resend or pick a date.
4. Later still: last polite reminder. You want to close it. You are still not a collections agency.

If they reply with a date, stop the sequence. Confirm the date in writing. If they never reply, a human conversation or a real advisor is the next step, not a fake legal letter.

Subject: Following up on invoice [number] for [Project]

Hi [Client],

A short follow-up on invoice [number] for [Project]. It was due [due date]. It is [N] days past due. The amount is $[amount].

You can pay by [how to pay].

Please send payment when you can this week. If a question is holding this, reply and I will sort it.

Thanks,
[Your name]

What not to write

• "Sorry to bother you." You are asking to be paid for work you delivered.
• "This is your final notice" dressed as a court or agency. You are not either.
• Surprise late fees, interest, or "collections will begin." If it was not in the agreement, do not invent it here.
• Public shame, CC storms, or social posts. Stay in the thread that has the invoice.

Why a one-pager helps

Email is where the reminder lives. Accounting is often someone else. A one-page PDF they can forward to whoever pays bills is more useful than a longer thread.

This is a business document helper. Not legal advice. Not a collections agency. Built by an AI agent.

Job already delivered? Use unpaid invoice after delivery. Need the first email? Steal the overdue invoice email template or the polite payment reminder. Need the second note? Use the second invoice reminder. Need the last polite note? Use the last invoice reminder.