How to chase overdue invoices

Most late payments aren't customers refusing to pay — they're customers who forgot. The fix isn't an uncomfortable phone call; it's a clear view of what's outstanding and a quick, polite nudge that lands on their phone.

This tutorial covers finding your overdue invoices, sending a reminder in a couple of taps, and knowing when to escalate.

1. 1. Check what you're owed

   Open the Invoices tab and filter by Overdue. Every invoice past its due date is listed with the customer, the amount and how many days it's been outstanding — your whole debtors list in one screen, no spreadsheet required.

   The invoices list filtered to overdue, showing amounts and days outstanding

2. 2. Open the invoice and send a reminder

   Open an overdue invoice and choose Send Reminder. TradePlanr re-sends the invoice with a polite note and — if you use payment links — the Pay Now button, so settling it takes the customer less than a minute.

   A reminder by text gets seen; most people read an SMS within minutes, while a second email can sit unopened for days.

   Tip

   Keep the first reminder friendly and assume forgetfulness, not avoidance. “Just a gentle reminder — here's the invoice again with a pay-by-card link” collects far more than a stern letter.

3. 3. Follow a simple escalation rhythm

   A rhythm that works for most trades: a friendly reminder a few days after the due date, a firmer one at two weeks mentioning when you'll next follow up, and a phone call after that. The point of the written trail is that the phone call rarely becomes necessary.

   Because every reminder is logged against the invoice, you have a clean record of exactly when you asked — which matters if a debt ever goes further.

4. 4. Mark payments and part-payments

   When money arrives by bank transfer, mark the invoice paid (card payments via a payment link mark themselves). For part-payments, record the amount received so the invoice shows the true remaining balance — and your owed figure stays honest.

   Recording a payment against an invoice with the remaining balance updating

5. 5. Stop the problem recurring

   The best chase is the one you never send. Shorter payment terms, invoices sent on the day, payment links on every invoice and automatic reminders (see the automation tutorial) together remove most of the reasons an invoice goes late in the first place.

Set aside ten minutes a week for the overdue filter and reminders, and late payments stop being a source of dread — they become a small, routine bit of admin.