How to chase a late payment politely (and when to get firm)

2026-09-24 · FaighPaid

Most late invoices are not bad faith. They are forgotten, stuck in someone's approval queue or waiting on a missing detail. A calm, predictable routine gets most of them paid without damaging the relationship.

Before the due date: make paying easy

Put the due date, the amount and your bank details (IBAN and, if asked, BIC) on the invoice, and use the invoice number as the payment reference. A client who has to email you for your IBAN pays later.

Step 1: the friendly nudge

Send it on or just after the due date. Keep it short, assume good faith and include the amount, the invoice number and a way to pay.

Hi Aoife, just a friendly reminder that invoice IE-2026-0042 for €615.00 was due on 7 September. You can pay by bank transfer using the invoice number as the reference. If it's already sent, thank you, and please ignore this.

Step 2: the firmer follow-up

About a week later, say how many days overdue it is and ask for payment by a specific day. Invite them to tell you if there is a problem with the invoice, because a dispute you hear about early is far easier to fix.

Step 3: the formal notice (business clients)

If a business client still has not paid, the European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 580/2012) entitle you to claim statutory interest and fixed compensation. A formal notice should set out the amount outstanding, the interest and how it was calculated, the compensation and the new total, and give a clear deadline. See our guide to late-payment interest for how the numbers work.

These statutory charges are for business-to-business debts. For private individuals, stick to clear, polite reminders.

Send it yourself, and keep a record

Reminders sent from your own email address or phone are more likely to be read than automated messages from a service the client has never heard of. Whatever you send, keep a dated record: it helps if you ever need to show a solicitor or court what happened.

Keep it human

• Chase the person who approves payments, not just a general inbox.
• One message per step. Several reminders in a day reads as panic.
• Stay factual. Dates, amounts, invoice numbers.

Want a quick check before you send your next invoice? Try the free invoice grader.

FaighPaid is a free Irish invoicing tool with a built-in payment chaser. Not legal or tax advice — check Revenue.ie and, for decisions about your own tax, your accountant.