Get Paid Without the Awkward Part.
Chasing money is the worst job in the trades. Fill in the invoice details once and get three ready-to-send reminders — friendly, firm, and final notice — plus the late fee math done for you. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Your invoice details
Everything below fills into the messages live. Blank fields stay as [placeholders] so you can fill them in after copying.
Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere. The messages are built on your device.
STAGE 1 · DAY 1–7 The friendly nudge
Most late payments are forgetfulness, not refusal. Stay warm, make it easy, and assume the best — once.
STAGE 2 · DAY 8–21 Firm, with a pay-by date
Now be specific: how late it is, exactly when to pay, and the late fee your terms allow. Offering to waive the fee for fast payment works surprisingly well.
STAGE 3 · DAY 30+ The final notice
One professional letter: work is paused, a payment plan is on the table, and small-claims court is the last resort. Never threaten — state facts and next steps.
How do you ask for a late payment without burning the relationship? Send a short, friendly reminder the day after the due date. If nothing happens by day 8–21, get firm: name the days late, give a specific pay-by date, and mention the late fee your terms allow. At day 30+, send one professional final notice — pause future work, offer a payment plan, and name small-claims court as the last resort. This page writes all three for you.
How to use this (4 steps)
- Fill in the details. Customer, invoice number, amount, and due date — days late computes itself.
- Pick your stage. Match the message to how late it is: friendly for week one, firm through day 21, final notice at 30+.
- Copy and send. Text or email it as-is, or tweak a line first. One message per stage — don't carpet-bomb.
- Log it. Note the date you sent each reminder. That trail is your evidence if it ever goes to small claims.
How to never chase a payment again
Reminders fix this month. Your paperwork fixes every month after. Four lines do most of the work:
- Take a deposit. A customer with money in the job pays the balance. Put the schedule in writing with the free contract generator.
- Bill "due on receipt." Net-30 is for corporations with billing departments. For service work, the invoice is due when the work is done.
- Put a late-fee line on every invoice. "Balances unpaid after the due date accrue 1.5% per month." Most customers never trigger it — it just moves you to the top of their pile. The free invoice generator has a terms field made for it.
- Add a stop-work clause. "Work may pause while payments are past due." It makes pausing a term of the deal, not a standoff.
What NOT to write
One angry text can turn a slow payer into a no-payer — or hand them a counterclaim. Never threaten anything beyond the civil steps you'd actually take. No insults, no ALL CAPS, no public shaming or review blackmail, and no fake "final legal warning" letters dressed up as a law firm. Don't blast daily messages; harassment claims are real. Keep every reminder short, factual, and in writing — and keep copies. Calm reads as serious. Angry reads as bluffing.
Small claims, in one paragraph
Small-claims court is built for unpaid invoices: limits run about $2,500–$25,000 depending on the state, filing usually costs $30–$100, no lawyer is needed, and hearings are quick. Bring the signed contract or estimate, the invoice, photos of the finished work, and your dated reminder trail — which is exactly what this page helps you build. In many cases, serving the paperwork is what finally gets you paid. It's a last resort, but it's a real one, and knowing that changes how you write stage 3.
Common questions
When should I send the first payment reminder?
The day after the due date — or within the first week. A short, friendly note sent early reads as organized, not pushy, and most late invoices are simple forgetfulness. The longer you wait, the more awkward the ask gets and the less urgent it feels to the customer.
How much can I charge as a late fee?
1.5% per month (18% a year) is the common small-business standard, prorated by days late. But two rules apply: the fee is only enforceable if it was in your contract or invoice terms before the work, and many states cap interest or late fees — check your state's limits before you charge one.
Can I add a late fee that wasn't in my original terms?
Generally no — a fee the customer never agreed to is hard to enforce and easy to resent. Mention it as your standard policy going forward, and put a late-fee line on every contract and invoice from now on so the next one is enforceable.
Is it legal to stop work over an unpaid invoice?
It's safest when your contract has a stop-work clause saying work pauses while payments are past due. Without one, walking off a job mid-contract can create its own dispute. Pausing future or scheduled work is lower-risk than abandoning work in progress — and it's the pressure that works most often.
What if the customer never pays?
Small-claims court is built for this: limits run about $2,500 to $25,000 depending on the state, filing costs are usually $30 to $100, and you don't need a lawyer. Bring the signed contract or estimate, the invoice, photos of the work, and your reminder trail. Often the filing itself gets you paid.
Is this payment reminder tool free and private?
Yes. No signup, no email gate, and nothing you type leaves your browser — the messages and the late fee math are generated entirely on your device.
Stop the problem upstream
More free tools in the full directory.
These templates are general information for planning, not legal advice. Collection, interest, and communication laws vary by state.
Slow payers respect a professional operation.
This is a free tool from PHIT Web — we build websites service businesses own outright, and you see your homepage free before paying a dollar. The same polish that gets invoices paid gets jobs booked.
See My Homepage Free →