Invoice Not Paid After 30 Days? Here's Your Complete Action Plan
30 days late is a threshold. Friendly reminders are done — it's time to escalate. This guide covers exactly what to do, with templates and your legal options.
⚠️ 30 days overdue — do these 3 things today
- 1Send a formal payment demand (template below) with a 7-day deadline
- 2Call the client within 24 hours — email alone is not enough at this stage
- 3Document everything — every email, call, and response with timestamps
Check these things first (before escalating)
Before assuming bad faith, spend 10 minutes confirming these basics. Sometimes the problem is administrative — not the client refusing to pay.
Confirm the invoice was received
Did it land in their spam? Was it sent to the right person? Ask explicitly: 'Can you confirm you received Invoice #X on [date]?'
Check if there's a billing dispute
If the client has a concern about the work, that's a separate conversation — and it needs to happen before payment escalation. Ask directly: 'Is there anything about the invoice that you'd like to discuss?'
Confirm you have the right contact
Invoices at larger companies often need to go through accounts payable, not the project manager. Ask: 'Who is the right person to handle invoice payment at your company?'
Check your contract terms
What payment terms did you agree to? Net 30 from invoice date, or Net 30 from delivery? Sometimes the dispute is about when the clock started.
The 30-day action plan
Once you've confirmed the basics and the invoice is genuinely 30 days overdue, execute this plan:
Formal payment demand
- →Send a formal demand email (template below)
- →State a clear deadline: 7 days to pay
- →Reference statutory interest rights
- →Send to both project contact AND accounts payable if known
Phone follow-up
- →Call the client directly
- →Confirm they received your demand email
- →Ask for a specific payment date commitment
- →If no answer, leave a voicemail + send another email
Final demand letter
- →Send a formal final demand by email AND post (for evidence)
- →State: 'I will initiate formal debt collection on [date + 5 days]'
- →Include all previous correspondence as attachments
- →Calculate and include interest owed to date
Formal recovery or write-off
- →Choose your recovery path (see options below)
- →File with small claims court OR engage debt collection agency
- →Continue documenting everything for legal proceedings
Your legal rights at 30 days overdue
Most freelancers don't know their rights. Here's what the law actually gives you:
- •B2B: statutory interest of 8% above ECB reference rate from due date
- •Right to claim a minimum flat-rate recovery cost of €40
- •Right to claim all reasonable debt collection costs
- •Maximum payment period of 60 days for B2B contracts
- •8% above Bank of England base rate from due date
- •Fixed debt recovery cost: £40 (invoices up to £999), £70 (£1,000–£9,999), £100 (£10,000+)
- •Right to claim all reasonable costs of collecting the debt
- •Interest only if specified in your contract — include it
- •Small claims court limits vary: $2,500 (CA) to $25,000 (KY)
- •Can report to business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business)
- •No federal automatic interest — state laws vary significantly
Debt collection options at 30+ days
📝 In-house final demand
FreeBest for: First step for any invoice
A formal letter — by email and post — making clear you'll pursue legal recovery. Effective for clients who respect formality. Use the template below.
🏢 Debt collection agency
10–25% of recovered amountBest for: Invoices over €500, client relationship not essential
Agencies handle all communication and legal threats. They work on contingency — only paid if they recover. The fee is significant but worth it for large amounts.
⚖️ Small claims court
£25–£455 UK / €25–€500 EU (filing fees)Best for: Documented invoices up to £10,000 / €5,000
Simple process you can handle yourself. High success rate for documented claims with contracts. Takes 2–4 months. The threat of court often prompts immediate payment.
✍️ Write it off
The invoice amountBest for: Very small invoices, disputed work, not worth the time
Write off the debt as a tax deduction (check local rules). Sometimes cutting your losses and moving on is the right business decision.
Template: 30-day formal demand letter
Copy and customise this. Send by email — and ideally also by post for important invoices.
Subject: FORMAL PAYMENT DEMAND — Invoice #[INV-NUMBER] — [AMOUNT] Dear [Client Name], Despite previous correspondence, payment for Invoice #[INV-NUMBER] for the amount of [AMOUNT] remains outstanding as of today, [DATE]. This invoice was issued on [INVOICE DATE] with a due date of [DUE DATE] and is now 30 days overdue. I formally request that you settle this invoice in full within 7 days of this notice (by [DEADLINE DATE]). Payment details: Bank: [YOUR BANK] IBAN: [YOUR IBAN] Reference: Invoice #[INV-NUMBER] Under applicable law, I reserve the right to charge statutory interest from the due date and to recover reasonable debt collection costs should this matter proceed further. If you have already arranged payment, please disregard this notice and confirm receipt. If there is a specific reason for the delay, please contact me immediately. Yours sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Company] [Your Phone] [Your Email]
Replace all [BRACKETED] items with your actual details before sending.
Don't let it get to 30 days
Chaser automatically sends escalating reminders on day 3, 7, 14, and 30 — so most invoices never reach this point. Set up once, get paid faster.
Start free — 3 invoices, no card →Frequently asked questions
What should I do if my invoice is not paid after 30 days?
Send a formal payment demand immediately with a 7-day deadline. Follow up by phone within 24-48 hours. If no response after another 7 days, send a final demand letter. If that fails, consider a debt collection agency or small claims court.
What are my legal rights when an invoice is 30 days overdue?
In the EU, you have the right to statutory interest and debt collection costs under the Late Payment Directive. In the UK, 8% above base rate applies under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act. In the US, rights depend on your contract terms and state law.
Can I charge interest on a 30-day overdue invoice?
Yes. In the EU and UK, statutory interest applies automatically from the due date. In the US, you need to have included interest terms in your contract. Check your contract — if you didn't include interest terms, add them to all future contracts.
Is it worth going to small claims court for an unpaid invoice?
Yes, for documented invoices. Filing fees are low (£25-£455 in the UK) and you can represent yourself. The process takes 2-4 months. The threat of court often prompts immediate payment — many clients pay before the hearing.
Should I hire a debt collection agency for an unpaid invoice?
For invoices over €500-1,000 where you've exhausted direct contact, yes. Agencies charge 10-25% of recovered amounts but handle all the confrontation. They're especially worth it if preserving the business relationship matters less than recovering the money.