Updated May 2026 · 12 min read
You've sent the reminders. You've made the calls. The invoice is 60+ days overdue and your client has gone quiet. This isn't a late payment anymore — it's a potential debt. Here's exactly what to do, without losing your professional composure (or your sanity).
Before escalating
Send one final demand letter. This is required in some jurisdictions before legal action and documents that you made every reasonable effort to resolve the matter.
A formal letter stating the amount owed, a 14-day payment deadline, and consequences of non-payment (legal action, collections, interest charges). This often prompts payment.
Sample final demand paragraph:
"This is a final demand for payment of invoice [NUMBER] for €[AMOUNT], outstanding since [DATE]. Please make payment within 14 days. If payment is not received by [DATE + 14 days], I will refer this matter to a debt collection agency and/or pursue recovery through the court, without further notice."
Get any agreement in writing — an email confirmation counts legally in most jurisdictions.
Include: total amount, number of instalments, due dates, and what happens if they miss a payment (full balance becomes immediately due).
For straightforward unpaid invoices, small claims court is often faster and cheaper than people expect. No lawyer required in most cases.
| Country | Process | Limit | Filing fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 UK | Money Claim Online (MCOL) | £10,000 | £35–£455 |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Incassobureau → Deurwaarder | €25,000 (kantonrechter) | €85–€496 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Mahnverfahren | Unlimited | €32+ |
| 🇪🇺 EU Cross-border | European Small Claims | €5,000 | Varies |
Dutch law requires an ingebrekestelling (notice of default) before claiming legal collection costs. Under WIK (Wet Incassokosten):
The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act allows 8% + Bank of England base rate interest on overdue B2B invoices.
File the gerichtliches Mahnverfahren online at online-mahnantrag.de. The court sends a Mahnbescheid to your debtor. If uncontested within 2 weeks, you automatically get a Vollstreckungsbescheid (enforceable judgment).
Most debt collection situations are preventable. Invoices chased within 7 days of their due date are 40% more likely to be paid than invoices chased after 30 days. The longer you wait, the more your invoice gets forgotten.
Automated chasing tools like Chaser send professional follow-up emails at day 3, 7, 14, and 30 — so every invoice gets chased the same way without you thinking about it. By the time an invoice reaches 60 days, Chaser has already sent 4 professional follow-ups.
Try Chaser free — prevent escalation before it starts →Statute of limitations: UK (6 years), Netherlands (5 years B2B), Germany (3 years). Clock starts from when the invoice became due.
Yes. UK: Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act allows 8% + base rate on B2B invoices. Netherlands: statutory interest (wettelijke rente) applies. Always include your interest clause in original invoice terms.
Yes — in most cases this ends the relationship. Use formal collection only when you've decided the relationship is already over, or the amount justifies it regardless.
For EU clients, the European Small Claims Procedure covers cross-border claims up to €5,000. For non-EU, you may need a local lawyer or international collection agency.
Possibly. UK small claims for £500 costs £35. If you win, the debtor pays your costs too. The real question: does the client have means to pay? A judgment against a dissolved company is worthless.
Chaser's automated 4-stage follow-up means every invoice gets chased professionally — before it becomes a problem. Most users recover payment by stage 2.
Get started free →