Guides · 6 min read · updated November 4, 2026

Sending and chasing invoices

What to put on an invoice, when to send it, and a four-step chasing routine with wording you can copy.

Key points

Agree the payment date in writing before work starts, then put it on the invoice in plain words.
Send the invoice the day work is approved. A late invoice means a late payment.
Chase on a fixed schedule, starting politely before the due date. Do not wait until you are angry.
In the UK, business customers owe statutory interest plus a fixed sum on late invoices, but only if your contract does not set its own rate.

What goes on the invoice

GOV.UK lists what an invoice must include. Use it as your checklist:

A unique invoice number (INV-2026-014 is fine)
Your name or business name, address and contact details
The client's company name and address
A clear description of what you are charging for
The date the work was done and the invoice date
The amount, any VAT, and the total due
Sole traders in the UK should also show their name and an address for legal documents

Add three things that GOV.UK does not require but make your life easier: the due date written as a date ("Due 21 November 2026", not "net 14"), your bank details and payment reference, and the purchase order number if the client gave you one. Large companies often cannot pay without that number.

Describe the work so an accountant who was not in the meeting understands it:

Brand identity, final delivery (agreed 3 October). 3 logo directions, 2 revision rounds, guidelines PDF. Deposit of 600 already paid. Balance due: 1,400.

Send it at the right time

Send the invoice when the client approves the final work. If the project lasts more than a month, split it: deposit at the start, a milestone invoice in the middle, balance on delivery. Many designers ask for 30 to 50% upfront. It filters out clients who will not pay, and it covers you if the project is cancelled.

Email it as a PDF, with the invoice number in the subject line, and send it to the person who approves payments, not only the person who hired you. Ask: "Who handles accounts payable on your side?" in the first call. It saves weeks.

Payment terms and your rights

Short terms get paid faster. Fourteen days is common for freelancers, thirty for large companies. The Graphic Artists Guild's sample agreement uses "net thirty" with a two percent monthly service charge on overdue invoices. In New York State, the Freelance Isn't Free Act sets payment within 30 days of completion when no date is written down.

In the UK, GOV.UK says that if another business is late paying you, you can charge interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate. For example, at a 0.5% base rate on 1,000 owed, that is 85 a year, or about 23p a day (GOV.UK's own worked example). You can also charge a fixed sum per late payment: £40 for debts under £1,000, £70 for £1,000 to £9,999.99, and £100 for £10,000 and over. Two caveats from the same pages: you can charge the fixed sum only once per payment, and you cannot claim statutory interest if your contract sets a different rate. So write your own late-payment clause, or leave it out and use the statutory one on purpose.

If you are outside the UK, look up the equivalent late-payment law in your country. If there is none, put a late fee in your contract.

A chasing routine that works

Pick a schedule and stick to it. Put reminders in your calendar when you send the invoice.

3 days before the due date:

Hi Mariam, a quick heads up that invoice INV-2026-014 for 1,400 is due on 21 November. Bank details are on the invoice. Let me know if you need anything from me to process it.

1 day after:

Hi Mariam, invoice INV-2026-014 was due yesterday and I can't see the payment yet. Could you check where it is in your process? I've attached it again.

7 days after:

Hi Mariam, I'm following up on INV-2026-014, now a week overdue. Please can you confirm the payment date by Friday? If anything is blocking it, tell me and I'll sort it.

14 days after (or when you are ready to escalate):

Hi Mariam, INV-2026-014 is now 14 days overdue. Under our agreement, a late fee applies from today. If I haven't received payment or a confirmed date by 5 December, I'll have to pause further work and consider formal recovery.

Keep each message short, name the invoice, and state the next step. Phone the accounts contact between emails. A voice is harder to ignore than an inbox.

When they still do not pay

Stop new work for that client. Send a formal final letter with the amount, interest and a deadline. In England and Wales you can then start a court claim for money, which GOV.UK explains, including fees and mediation. In the UK, the Small Business Commissioner helps small businesses with payment disputes against larger businesses. Elsewhere, ask your professional body or local freelancer organisation about small claims routes. Keep every email and the signed agreement.

Getting paid from abroad

Ask the client early how they pay overseas. Bank transfers, Payoneer and Wise are all common, but whether you can use them depends on your country, so check the provider's help pages first. Put the full bank details, currency and who covers fees on the invoice.

Do this today

Create an invoice template with all the fields listed above, with the due date as a written date.
Add a late-payment sentence to your contract template.
Save the four chasing messages in a notes file or as email templates.
Check the invoices you have sent in the last 60 days and send reminders for anything overdue.
Ask your next client for the name of their accounts contact.

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