You’ve done the work. The invoice is sitting there. And nobody’s paid it.
Chasing money is one of the most uncomfortable parts of running a small business. It feels awkward. It keeps slipping down the to-do list. And every week you leave it, the harder it gets.
Meanwhile, 81% of UK tradespeople are chasing late payments right now. The average amount outstanding is £6,210 — across seven unpaid invoices. And 42% say it’s getting worse.
This automation handles the chasing for you, every morning, automatically.
What it does
Every day at 8am, the automation checks your invoicing system for overdue invoices. For each one, it works out how long it has been outstanding and sends the appropriate reminder — professionally, on time, and without you having to think about it.
Reminders escalate in tone based on how overdue the invoice is:
- Day 1 — a friendly nudge, in case it slipped through
- Day 7 — a polite follow-up, asking for an update
- Day 14 — a direct request to arrange payment
- Day 30 — a final notice, asking the client to get in touch within 5 working days
Each reminder is logged. The system checks before every send, so no client ever receives the same reminder twice. You always have a clear record of what was sent and when.
Who it’s for
The Late Payment Chasing automation works best for small businesses where:
- You invoice clients after completing work — trades, professional services, consultants, freelancers
- Your invoices run to hundreds or thousands of pounds — where a single unpaid invoice has a real impact
- You’re too busy to chase consistently — or it feels too uncomfortable to do it properly
It’s a particularly strong fit for plumbers, roofers, electricians, heating engineers, builders, and other tradespeople where jobs are high value and payment is expected within 7–30 days of completion.
The cost of not chasing
The average tradesperson writes off a single invoice worth £4,390 every year — simply by giving up on it.
UK small business owners spend 86 hours a year chasing invoices manually. That’s time not spent on the tools, not spent winning new work, and not spent running the business.
Businesses that chase promptly and consistently get paid faster — not because clients suddenly become more honest, but because a timely, professional reminder removes the easy excuse of “I forgot” and makes clear that someone is keeping track.
What’s included
One-off setup fee: £350
Everything needed to get your Late Payment Chasing automation live:
- Connection to your invoicing system (Invoice Ninja or compatible)
- Configuration of your four reminder templates — subject lines and email body
- Setting your preferred escalation timing (default: days 1, 7, 14, 30)
- Google Sheets reminder log so you always have a record
- Testing with real invoices before going live
Monthly service fee: £100/month
Ongoing management of your automation, for up to 20 invoice reminders per month:
- Monitoring that reminders are sending correctly
- Updates to email wording whenever you need them
- Adjustments to escalation timing as your business changes
- Support if anything needs changing
Need to chase more than 20 invoices a month? Get in touch — higher volume pricing is available.
Getting set up
- Free consultation — we talk through your invoicing setup, the types of clients you’re chasing, and what tone you want the reminders to take
- Setup — we connect the automation to your invoicing system, configure your templates, and test it end to end (typically 3–5 days)
- Go live — the automation runs every morning from that point. You stop chasing manually
Most clients are live within a week of their first conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Which invoicing systems does this work with? The automation is built on Invoice Ninja, a professional open-source invoicing platform. If you use a different system, get in touch — integration with other platforms may be possible depending on their API.
What if a client pays between reminders? Once an invoice is marked as paid in your invoicing system, the automation stops sending reminders for it automatically. No manual intervention needed.
Can I customise the email wording? Yes — the subject line and body of each reminder are fully editable. If your tone is more formal, or you want to add specific payment instructions, that’s straightforward to change.
Can I change the escalation timing? Yes. The default thresholds (days 1, 7, 14, 30) can be adjusted to suit your payment terms. If you give clients 30 days to pay, for example, the sequence simply shifts.
What if a client disputes an invoice? The automation sends reminders based on what’s overdue in your invoicing system. If you put an invoice on hold or mark it as disputed, it won’t be chased. You stay in control.
Is there a minimum contract? There is a minimum initial term of 3 months. This gives the automation time to bed in and allows you to see the real impact on your payment times. After that, rolling monthly.
Spending too much time chasing money you’ve already earned?