An overdue invoice needs two things: a clear, agreed next step and a named person to take it. Without them, follow-up can stall, or the customer can get mixed messages from different people.

This guide is for small UK service businesses that invoice other businesses. It sets out a follow-up routine you can adapt, who should own it, and when to stop chasing. It includes an overdue invoice log you can copy.

It isn't legal advice. If an invoice stays unpaid after your routine, get advice before taking any formal step.

1. Before it's late: make the due date clear

Some follow-up problems can be avoided before the work starts:

Put your payment terms on the quote and the invoice. Say when payment is due and how to pay.
Record the due date wherever you track invoices, so nobody has to work it out later.
Send the invoice to the right person. Ask who approves payments and where invoices should go. Sending it to someone who can't approve it can cause a delay.

GOV.UK's guidance on late commercial payments explains the basic rules between businesses. If you agree a payment date for a business transaction, it must usually be within 60 days. A longer period is allowed only if it's fair to both businesses. If you don't agree a payment date, the payment is late 30 days after the customer gets the invoice, or 30 days after you deliver the service if that's later.

2. Follow a simple routine, adjusted to the relationship

A routine means every overdue invoice gets the same calm, consistent treatment. The steps below are an editorial suggestion, not a legal requirement. Adjust the spacing and tone to the customer and to what you've agreed with them.

An example follow-up routine (adjust to suit)
Step	When	What to do
1	Shortly after the due date	Polite reminder, invoice attached
2	About a week later	Phone whoever approves payment
3	If an agreed date passes	Written follow-up with a reply-by date
4	If it's still unpaid	Owner decides the next step

In more detail:

Reminder. Attach the invoice, and ask whether anything is holding up payment.
Phone call. Agree a payment date with the person who approves payment, and record it.
Written follow-up. Confirm what's outstanding, and ask for payment or a proposed plan by a set date.
Owner's decision. Decide the next step, including whether to get advice.

Keep every message factual and polite. Say which invoice it is, the amount, the due date and how to pay. Don't make threats, and don't mention steps you aren't prepared to take.

If you use software to send reminders, have a person check each one before it goes out. Our guide on what to automate first explains why customer-facing and finance messages need stronger controls.

3. Give each overdue invoice one owner and one log

Name one person who follows up each overdue invoice, with a backup for when they're away. This could be you, an office manager or a bookkeeper. The aim of having one owner is that the customer hears from one person and everyone knows who sends the next reminder. That makes it less likely an invoice is chased twice, or not at all.

Record every follow-up in one place: the date, how you contacted them, who you spoke to, what they said and the next action. The overdue invoice log in section 7 gives you a format.

4. Know when to stop chasing

A routine also needs clear points at which reminders stop. Stop sending reminders when any of these happens:

Paid. Confirm the money has arrived, record it and close the entry.
Disputed. The customer says something is wrong with the work or the invoice. Pause reminders and follow section 5.
Payment plan agreed. Stop the routine and track the agreed dates instead. Restart only if a plan date is missed.
Referred for advice. Once you've asked an adviser, follow their advice rather than your routine.
Written off. The business owner decides not to pursue it. Record who decided and why.

5. Treat disputes separately

If the customer says the work wasn't finished, wasn't what was agreed, or the invoice is wrong, stop the reminders. Further reminders while a query is open can make it harder to resolve.

Pass the dispute to the person who owns the job. They know what was agreed and delivered.
Check the facts against the quote, the agreed scope and any records of the work.
Reply to the customer with what you've found and what you propose.
If the invoice was wrong, correct it.
Restart the follow-up routine only once the dispute is resolved and a new due date is clear.

6. If reminders don't work, get advice

If an invoice is still unpaid after your routine, more formal routes exist. They differ between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Get advice, for example from a solicitor or a business advice service, before you take any formal step. This guide doesn't cover those routes.

7. Use the overdue invoice log

Use one card for each overdue invoice.

Copy the blank card into a document or spreadsheet.
Start a card the day after an invoice becomes overdue.
Record every follow-up, with the date and method.
Fill in the stop reason as soon as one applies, and stop the reminders.
Close the card only when the invoice is paid, written off or referred for advice.

Overdue invoice log (blank)
Field	Your record
Invoice number
Customer, and business or consumer
Due date
Owner
Follow-ups (dates and methods)
Notes
Status: disputed? Plan agreed?
Next action and date
Stop reason
Closed: paid, written off or referred

Illustrative example only: an invented office cleaning company and its business client. It is not a real business, customer or result.
Field	Illustrative entry
Invoice number	1042
Customer, and business or consumer	Business client (office lease)
Due date	31 October
Owner	Office manager; backup: director
Follow-ups (dates and methods)	3 Nov: email reminder. 7 Nov: phone call with accounts contact
Notes	Invoice had gone to an old address. Resent to the accounts inbox on 7 Nov
Status: disputed? Plan agreed?	Not disputed. Payment promised by 14 Nov
Next action and date	None. The 14 Nov payment check was cancelled once payment was confirmed
Stop reason	Paid on 13 Nov
Closed: paid, written off or referred	Paid

In this invented example, the call found the real problem: the invoice had gone to the wrong place. The log shows what happened. Once payment was confirmed, the reminders stopped and the planned check was cancelled, so no action is left open.

Common questions

When does an invoice to a business become late?

GOV.UK says that if you haven't agreed a payment date, the payment is late 30 days after the customer gets the invoice, or 30 days after you deliver the service if that's later. If you agreed a date, it's late after that date.

Should I automate payment reminders?

You can, but have a person check each reminder before it's sent, and stop the reminders as soon as an invoice is paid, disputed or on an agreed plan.

What if the customer says the work isn't finished?

Treat it as a dispute. Stop the reminders, pass it to the person who owns the job, and resolve the query first.

ScalePass helps service businesses connect the steps from finished work to invoice and follow-up, using the tools they already have. If you'd like help giving every overdue invoice an owner and a next step, see how we approach connected systems.

In short

Make payment terms and due dates clear before the work starts. Give each overdue invoice one owner and one log. Follow a calm, consistent routine, adjusted to the relationship. Stop reminders when an invoice is paid, disputed, on an agreed plan, referred for advice or written off. Handle disputes separately. Get advice before taking any step beyond reminders.