I’ve got a client who’s three weeks behind on payment. Sent the normal follow-ups but no response yet.
Struggling to find the right tone to nudge them without seeming pushy. It’s tricky balancing professionalism and urgency.
Try sending a really basic email like “Hi [Name], just checking in on invoice #[number] from [date]. Can you let me know when I should expect payment?”
Sometimes the casual approach works better than formal language. People respond differently when you’re not using business speak.
If that doesn’t work, here’s what I do next:
- Send one more email with payment due in 7 days
- After that, new projects require 50% upfront
- Keep notes on which clients are slow payers
Honestly, three weeks tells you a lot about how they operate. Good clients usually respond even if they can’t pay right away.
Stop worrying about sounding pushy. After three weeks they already know they owe you money. Send a simple message saying payment is overdue and you need it settled by Friday. Give them a date that works for your cash flow. If they don’t respond to that, start charging late fees on the next job or ask for money up front. Clients who pay on time don’t make you chase them around.
I’ve been there. After 21 days, I switch to a different approach.
Send one more email with a specific subject line like “Invoice #123 - Payment Status Update Needed.” Keep it short and mention you need to update your records by a certain date.
If they still don’t respond, that tells you something about how they handle business. At that point, I usually add a line about payment terms for future invoices or start asking for partial payment upfront.
Some clients just need multiple touches before they pay. Others are testing to see how long you’ll wait.
Three weeks is pretty long. Maybe just call them directly instead of more emails.
Three weeks means they’re avoiding you on purpose. Send one final email saying you need payment within 5 business days or you’ll need to discuss next steps.
Don’t explain why you need the money or apologize for following up. Just state the deadline and stick to it. If they ignore that too, start requiring deposits for any future work.
Just call and ask when you will get paid.