Work out how overdue you are and what late fee you're owed, then get a written, ready-to-send email pitched at the right level — from a friendly nudge to a final notice.
Fill in the invoice details, pick your tone, copy the email. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
The invoiceEdit anything above before sending — but note that changing the invoice details or tone will rewrite it.
Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is uploaded or stored. Not legal advice. Whether a late fee is enforceable, and what you can do to recover a debt, depends on your contract and your jurisdiction.
Chasing payment is uncomfortable, so most freelancers either leave it too long or open far too hard. Both cost money. The reliable approach is a predictable ladder: start from the assumption that it was an oversight, and add formality only as time passes.
The overwhelming majority of late invoices are not refusals to pay. They're an invoice sitting in the wrong inbox, an approver on holiday, or a payment run that happens on the 25th. A short, warm note in the first week resolves most of them and costs you nothing in goodwill.
"Just checking in" is easy to ignore. "Could you confirm when payment will be issued?" is a direct question, and silence in response to it is itself information. This is also the point to invite a problem into the open — if they're unhappy with the work or the invoice is stuck in their system, you want to know now rather than in month three.
Past 30 days, write the email you'd be content for a third party to read later: what was owed, when it was due, what has been applied, and a specific date by which you expect payment. Ask for any dispute in writing. You're no longer just chasing — you're building a record.
A final notice only works if it's true. State the next step you genuinely intend to take — a collections agency, or a small claims filing — and be prepared to take it. A threat you don't follow through on teaches the client that your deadlines are decorative.
Keep it in writing, and keep it civil. Every message you send could end up attached to a claim. Anger reads badly in a court bundle, and it hands a difficult client an excuse to make the argument about your conduct instead of their unpaid bill.
This is the part most articles get hand-wavy about, so plainly: in the US, a late fee on a private commercial invoice is a contractual right, not an automatic one. You can charge it because the client agreed to it — in a signed contract, in your terms of business, or in payment terms stated on the invoice before the work was done. Adding a fee to an invoice that never mentioned one is not something you can unilaterally enforce.
If you didn't set one, you haven't lost the debt. You are still owed the principal, and every step in the ladder above still applies. What you've lost is the leverage — which is a good reason to add a late-payment clause to your terms before the next job.
| Structure | How it's usually written | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Flat fee | "A $50 fee applies to invoices paid after the due date." | Simple and predictable. Best on smaller invoices where a percentage would be trivial. |
| % per month | "1.5% per month, or part month, on overdue balances." | The common freelance default. Note that 1.5% per month is 18% a year — say the annual figure out loud before you set it. |
| % per year (APR) | "Interest accrues at 12% per annum on overdue amounts." | Pro-rates daily, so it's gentler early on and clearer to justify. |
State law can cap what you charge. Usury and late-fee rules vary by state and by whether the client is a business or a consumer, and a rate above the cap can be unenforceable — occasionally with penalties for having charged it. Before you write a rate into your terms, check your state's position or ask a lawyer. This tool does not check it for you.
The invoice fell due 45 days ago and the contract specifies 1.5% per month or part month:
At 45 days the tool suggests the formal notice stage: it states the position, includes the fee and the total, and asks for payment by a specific date or a firm commitment to one. Had the same terms been written as 18% APR instead, the fee would pro-rate daily to about $55 — same headline rate, gentler arithmetic, easier to defend.
This tool and guide are for general information only and do not constitute legal advice. Whether a late fee is enforceable, and what remedies are available to recover a debt, depend on your contract and the law where you and your client are based. Consult a qualified lawyer about your specific situation.
Send a friendly note within the first few days after the due date. Waiting weeks makes the conversation harder, not easier, and lets the invoice slide down someone's list. A short, warm reminder in week one carries no relationship cost and resolves most late payments.
Not enforceably, no. In the US a late fee on a private invoice is a contractual right — it applies because the client agreed to it in advance, in a contract, your terms of business, or payment terms stated on the invoice. Adding one afterwards is not something you can unilaterally impose.
You are still owed the money itself, and every escalation step still applies. Set the clause before the next job.
1.5% per month is the common freelance default — but that's 18% a year, so state the annual figure to yourself before committing to it. A flat fee often suits smaller invoices better. Whatever you pick, check your state's usury and late-fee rules first: a rate above the cap can be unenforceable.
Often sensible, but check your contract first — pausing work you're contractually committed to can put you in breach and weaken your position. If your terms allow suspension for non-payment, say so calmly and in writing. If they don't, this is another clause worth adding before the next engagement.
The usual routes are a collections agency, which typically takes a percentage, or small claims court, which is designed to be used without a lawyer and has a claim limit that varies by state. Which is worth it depends on the amount, the evidence you've kept, and whether the client has money to pay. Get legal advice for anything substantial.
No, deliberately. It writes the email and you copy it into your own mail client, so it goes from your real address, lands in your sent folder, and stays part of your own record of the dispute. Nothing you type is uploaded anywhere.
No. Everything runs in your browser. Client names, invoice numbers and amounts are never uploaded, stored or logged, and there's no sign-up.
Five free tools that pass their numbers to each other.
The hourly rate that actually covers your taxes, expenses and time off.
Set my rate →Send it properly the first time — with payment terms that let you charge a late fee.
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Find my write-offs →What you'll owe on 1099 income, and your real effective tax rate.
Estimate my tax →