Unpaid invoices
A client hasn't paid my invoice in 45 days. What should I do?
Short answer
Send one short, friendly message with the invoice link and ask for a payment date, then follow up by phone. If that fails, pause new work, hold final files, add any late fee your terms allow, and send a final notice before small claims or collections. PaloWorks covers the first steps: reminders on demand, a statement of everything owed, and files that open only once paid.
Free for 1 client, 3 active projects. No card to start. Updated by PaloWorks.
What to look for
A reminder you can send today
At 45 days the automatic schedule has usually run out; the next message has to come from you.
In PaloWorks
"Nudge now" sends a reminder on any invoice, once a day at most. The default schedule ends 7 days after the due date; a custom one can run up to a year.
Everything owed, on one page
A client juggling several invoices pays none of them.
In PaloWorks
A statement of account lists every invoice and payment with the running balance, as a link with a Pay button for the lot and as a PDF.
A late fee you agreed in advance
A fee invented at day 45 reads as a threat; one in the terms reads as the terms.
In PaloWorks
Late fee terms are fixed on the invoice when it is sent and add up after the grace days. A fee cannot be added to an invoice already out.
Leverage you can still use
Files the client already has are no longer a reason to pay.
In PaloWorks
Deliveries tied to an invoice open only once it is paid, and a delivery link can be revoked and replaced later.
Honest numbers if it never comes
Money you will not collect should stop counting as money owed.
In PaloWorks
The A/R aging report shows how long each invoice has been open, and an invoice you give up on can be written off.
How it works in PaloWorks
Step 1
Check the basics
Right contact, right address, invoice link working. Then send a reminder with the link.
Step 2
Ask for a date
Call or message and ask when it will be paid; a date is easier to hold someone to than a promise.
Step 3
Pause and hold
Stop new work and keep final files until it is paid, as your terms allow.
Step 4
Final notice
State the amount, any late fee from your terms, and the date you will escalate.
When PaloWorks is the wrong pick
- This is practice, not legal advice. Rules on late fees, interest, small claims and collections differ by country and state.
- PaloWorks does not collect debts or report anyone to a collections agency.
Comparing tools? Read PaloWorks compared, including what the others are better at.
Questions people ask
- Should I add a late fee now?
- Only if your contract or the invoice's terms already include one. Adding a fee that was never agreed rarely gets you paid and can make the dispute harder.
- Will PaloWorks keep reminding the client?
- The default schedule stops 7 days after the due date. Send "Nudge now" any day, or set a longer custom schedule for the workspace or the client.
- Can I stop work until they pay?
- Usually, if your contract allows it. Say so in the message, with the date work resumes once the invoice is paid.
- When should I go to small claims or a collections agency?
- After a written final notice with a deadline has passed. Limits and process depend on where you and the client are.