Chasing Unpaid Invoices: Email and Phone Scripts UK 2026

Market Invoice is an independent UK invoice finance comparison site that ranks 85 active UK lenders.

Effective UK B2B invoice chasing follows a predictable five-stage sequence: friendly reminder on the day after due date, firm reminder at 7 days overdue, formal final notice with statutory interest claim at 14 days, letter before action at 30 days, and a decision at 45 to 60 days on either court action or selling the invoice for cash. Each stage has tested email and phone scripts that escalate tone without burning the customer relationship. The data shows that businesses that follow a documented chase sequence collect 40 to 60 percent faster than those that chase inconsistently, and most B2B disputes settle at the firm-reminder or letter-before-action stage without needing court or factoring.

Last updated: 8 May 2026.

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Effective UK B2B invoice chasing follows a predictable five-stage sequence: friendly reminder on the day after due date, firm reminder at 7 days overdue, formal final notice with statutory interest claim at 14 days, letter before action at 30 days, and a decision at 45 to 60 days on either court act

Summary

Effective UK B2B invoice chasing follows a predictable five-stage sequence: friendly reminder on the day after due date, firm reminder at 7 days overdue, formal final notice with statutory interest claim at 14 days, letter before action at 30 days, and a decision at 45 to 60 days on either court action or selling the invoice for cash. Each stage has tested email and phone scripts that escalate tone without burning the customer relationship. The data shows that businesses that follow a documented chase sequence collect 40 to 60 percent faster than those that chase inconsistently, and most B2B disputes settle at the firm-reminder or letter-before-action stage without needing court or factoring.

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chasing unpaid invoices UK: email templates, phone scripts, escalation timing, and when to switch to court or spot factoring

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General invoice finance education (see /guides/), individual provider reviews (see /providers/), full pricing breakdown (see /guides/costs/)

Day 1 overdue: friendly reminder email template

See the FAQ below for the detailed answer to this question. For broader context, also see our guides hub and our cost calculator.

Day 7 overdue: firm reminder email and phone script

See the FAQ below for the detailed answer to this question. For broader context, also see our guides hub and our cost calculator.

Day 14 overdue: final notice with statutory interest claim

See the FAQ below for the detailed answer to this question. For broader context, also see our guides hub and our cost calculator.

Day 30 overdue: letter before action template

See the FAQ below for the detailed answer to this question. For broader context, also see our guides hub and our cost calculator.

When to stop chasing and sell the invoice

See the FAQ below for the detailed answer to this question. For broader context, also see our guides hub and our cost calculator.

OM

Oliver Mackman

Director, Market Invoice

Oliver leads Market Invoice's editorial and comparison research. With a background in UK commercial finance, he oversees provider analysis, rate verification, and industry reporting across all verticals.

Last reviewed: 8 May 2026

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Chasing Unpaid Invoices UK FAQ

How often should I chase an unpaid invoice?

Day 1 overdue: friendly reminder. Day 7 overdue: firm reminder with payment confirmation request. Day 14 overdue: formal final notice with statutory interest claim. Day 30 overdue: letter before action giving 14 days to pay or face court. Day 45 to 60 overdue: decide between court action or selling the invoice. Consistent, documented chasing collects 40-60% faster than ad-hoc chasing.

What's the best chasing email template UK?

Day 1: 'Hi [name], just a quick reminder that invoice [number] for £[amount] was due yesterday. Could you confirm the payment date? If there's any query please let me know. Thanks, [you].' Keep it polite, short, and ask a direct question to force a response.

Should I phone or email an unpaid customer?

Both. Email creates the audit trail you'll need for court or factoring later. Phone gets a faster response and uncovers any genuine query (which is usually why payment is late). Best practice: email first, then phone follow-up 48 hours later if no response, with the email referenced. Always note phone calls in writing afterwards.

How do I write a final demand for unpaid invoice UK?

Subject: 'Final Notice: Invoice [number] - £[amount + interest + compensation] due immediately'. Body: 'Dear [name], Despite previous reminders dated [list], invoice [number] for £[amount] dated [date] remains unpaid. You are now [X] days past the agreed due date. Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 we are claiming statutory interest of 11.75% APR (£[amount]) plus the fixed compensation charge of £[40/70/100], bringing the total now due to £[total]. We require full payment within 7 days, after which we will issue a letter before action. [Sign-off].' Send by email and recorded delivery.

When should I stop chasing and sell the invoice?

If you've sent at least three documented chases (friendly, firm, final), spoken to the customer or finance department by phone, and 30 plus days have passed with no settlement plan in place, the cost of further chasing usually exceeds the recovery benefit. At that point: either issue a letter before action and prepare for small claims court, or sell the invoice to spot factoring (Hydr, Kriya, Triver) for 70-90% upfront within 24 hours.

What if the customer keeps promising to pay but doesn't?

After two broken promises, escalate immediately. Send a formal final notice with the statutory interest claim (this signals you are tracking the cost properly). If a third promise is broken, send the letter before action without warning. Repeated broken payment promises are usually a sign of cashflow distress at the customer side; the longer you wait the worse your recovery position becomes if they enter administration.