A client is three weeks late with payment, and I’m feeling a bit stuck on how to address it. I value our relationship and don’t want to seem aggressive.
I usually send a gentle reminder after two weeks, but I’m curious about approaches that maintain professionalism and avoid any friction.
Three weeks is too long. You can be professional and direct.
I’d send a message like, “Checking on invoice #123 from [date]. When can I expect payment?” Keep it brief and request a timeline.
If they don’t reply in a few days, it shows how they handle business.
Yeah three weeks is pushing it. Here’s what I do when this happens:
Something like “Hi [Name], Invoice #123 is now overdue. Please send payment by [specific date]. Let me know if there are any issues.”
After that email, if they still don’t respond or pay, you know where you stand with this client. Some people just aren’t good at paying on time and you have to decide if the work is worth the hassle.
I’ve learned that being too nice about late payments just teaches clients they can pay whenever they want.
Call them directly and ask when payment will arrive. Email gets ignored but phone calls get answered.
Don’t apologize or make excuses for them. Just say the invoice is overdue and you need to know when it gets paid. Most times they forgot or there’s some internal process holding it up.
If they give you a date, mark your calendar and follow up the day after if nothing shows up. Being direct about money isn’t rude, it’s business.
I usually just send a simple message asking for an update.